What would you do if you really had a chance to stick it to one of your enemies? No, I doubt any of us would go as far as killing anyone else. But what about spreading some lies – or even some unpleasant truths – about them? Or perhaps making a cutting remark to their face? It’s not really beyond any of us, is it?

But David’s self-control in this situation is nothing short of amazing. After all, Saul had come into the cave where David and his men were hiding. And he had come alone in order to “relieve himself.” David had quite literally caught Saul with his pants down. But all he did to his enemy – the man who had driven him away from his home and his wife, the man who had unjustly accused him of treason and who was hunting him down to kill him – was to cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. And he even felt bad about doing that (verse 5).

But David didn’t stop there. No, when he took the risk to reveal himself to Saul, he humbled himself before his enemy. He called Saul, “My lord the king” (verse 8). He called him “My father” (verse 11). And he showed Saul the corner of his robe to prove that David was not, in fact, trying to kill Saul in order to take his place.

So, why did David act this way? In short, because he knew his place. Saul really was his father-in-law, no matter how crazily he was behaving. And Saul really was the anointed king of Israel, no matter how unjust his treatment of David may have been. For David to kill Saul would be for him to become that which Saul had accused him of being: an outlaw and a murderer. No, David would not break the law, however tempting it might have been to do so. Instead he would remain a loyal son and subject of the Lord’s anointed king.

Moreover, David knew his place with respect to God. That’s why he was content to wait for justice and vindication: because he trusted the Lord. Notice that he asked God to judge him righteously and to bring vengeance on Saul (verse 12). He asked God to plead his cause and deliver him from Saul’s clutches (verse 15). But David was content to wait for God to act on his behalf because he knew God would eventually keep His promise to make David king. And David’s faithful forbearance even forced Saul to recognize the same eventual reality (verse 20), albeit only temporarily.

And didn’t Jesus display the same sort of humility and trust? After all, even while He was being nailed to the cross, Jesus cried out for His Father to forgive His attackers (Luke 23:34). And He could do this because of His tremendous confidence in His Father, the One into Whose hands He committed His Spirit (Luke 23:46).

So, if we really want to be loyal to Christ, and if we truly want to bear witness to Christ, is there any other way to live? May God so fill us with the Spirit of Christ today that we might demonstrate the same kind of trust in God and humble service to others – even to our enemies. For this is what it means to carry our cross and follow Jesus.

I Samuel 24 (NASB)

Now it came about when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, saying, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.”
2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.
3 And he came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave.
4 And the men of David said to him, “Behold, this is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.'” Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly.
5 And it came about afterward that David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe.
6 So he said to his men, “Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.”
7 And David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way.
8 Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself.
9 And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you’?
10 “Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’s anointed.’
11 “Now, my father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it.
12 “May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you.
13 “As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness’; but my hand shall not be against you.
14 “After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, a single flea?
15 “The LORD therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my cause, and deliver me from your hand.”
16 Now it came about when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
17 And he said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you.
18 “And you have declared today that you have done good to me, that the LORD delivered me into your hand and yet you did not kill me.
19 “For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? May the LORD therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day.
20 “And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.
21 “So now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s household.”
22 And David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.