1 Samuel 26:8 Commentary and Bible Study

Just as before it is proposed to David that King Saul should be killed. David's nephew, Abishai, says to him, ‘God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time’ – I will finish the job with one blow. There would not be a sound and they would withdraw. This is clearly a very powerful young man and he knew he would run him through just without needing a second try. He certainly does not lack courage, but he is out of line with the will of God. It was a great strain for David. He had six hundred men growing in impatience, all feeling insecure and hounded, and wanting this period on the run to come to an end. It seemed to Abishai that this was the perfect opportunity to finish it. David’s own leadership of his men was at stake; how long would they go on sharing his exile, and wait with him for the Lord to make him king? Personally also, he had waited a long time for the fulfilment of the promise. That tested his faith. When would God place him on the throne? And yet he holds to what he knows is right, and he puts his faith in the Lord. ‘As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish. ¹¹ The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed.’ He does not know how it will happen, but he must believe that God’s timing is perfect. He must not take matters into his own hands. So Saul lives on, and they take his cruise of water and his spear or his javelin, which would have been jammed into the ground beside him, and which was the symbol of his royalty as well as his weapon. ‘David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.’ Of course, David and Abishai realised that, as they tiptoed through the camp. At any moment the alarm could have been raised. They gradually realised with growing security that this situation was of God, and that there was a remarkable overruling, that no one was going to wake up, and so they approach Saul.Circumstances alone do not guide us. David might have reasoned that here was this remarkable opportunity. Abishai was urging him on, and it was obvious that the Lord had caused this unusual sleep to fall on the whole camp. Surely he had done this to allow Saul’s life to be ended without David being stopped. This is itself seemed to be his guidance. But no. This strange circumstance did not overrule the very clear principle in his mind that because Saul was the Lord’s anointed, no man could harm him until the Lord removed him. Abishai give him bad advice. David has another goal. He is working instead to show the unreasonableness of Saul’s persecution of him, and to vindicate himself by making clear to all that what is said about him is not true: he will do no harm to the king, even when an easy opportunity presents itself.