Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 138
126
IMMERSE
•
KINGDOMS
1S
| 23:27–24:15
and his men began to close in on David and his men, an urgent message
reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again. So Saul quit
chasing David and returned to fight the Philistines. Ever since that time,
the place where David was camped has been called the Rock of Escape.
David then went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.
After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David
had gone into the wilderness of E
n-gedi. So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops
from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of
the wild goats.
At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a
cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding
farther back in that very cave!
“Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the
Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to
do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the
hem of Saul’s robe.
But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut
Saul’s robe. He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this
to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the
Lord himself has chosen him.” So David restrained his men and did not
let them kill Saul.
After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way, David came out and
shouted after him, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked around,
David bowed low before him.
Then he shouted to Saul, “Why do you listen to the people who say I
am trying to harm you? This very day you can see with your own eyes it
isn’t true. For the Lord placed you at my mercy back there in the cave.
Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will
never harm the k ing—he is the Lord’s anointed one.’ Look, my father, at
what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off,
but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and
that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting
for me to kill me.
“May the Lord judge between us. Perhaps the Lord will punish you
for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you. As that
old proverb says, ‘From evil people come evil deeds.’ So you can be sure
I will never harm you. Who is the king of Israel trying to catch anyway?
Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog
or a single flea? May the Lord therefore judge which of us is right and
punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from
your power!”