Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand (23:14b).
David and Saul are engaged in a life and death version of a “cat and mouse game,” a metaphorical expression describing circumstances where one is constantly trying to evade or outmaneuver another. In verse 14 we have what could be the title of the entire section – Saul sought [David] every day, but God did not give him into his hand. Whatever Saul and David do in their life and death chase, the results are safely rooted in the divine plan – David will remain safe, for he is God’s choice for king of Israel.
The two men, Saul and David, could not be more different! One is committed to revenge for himself and doing whatever he wants; and the other is doing what the Lord wants and is committed to saving the lives of others. King Saul was the destroyer of Israel at Nob (22:16-19); David, the savior of Israel at Keilah (23:1-5). David inquires of and hears directly from the Lord; Saul hears from informants and turncoats. Saul is a vengeful tyrant, David a merciful humble man after God’s heart.
The contrast between the two men is most clearly portrayed in the story in chapter 24. Nothing reveals the heart of a person more than how one treats someone who has done them wrong. When his mortal enemy Saul is left vulnerable, delivered into his hand on a proverbial “silver platter,” what does David do? He spares Saul’s life. David provides for all posterity a model of how to handle vindication against injustice. David truly believed Deuteronomy 32:35: Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly. David was content for God to take care of this situation; he did not need to take matters into his own hands.
Read verses 16-21 of chapter 24; this is Saul’s response to David’s act of mercy in sparing his life. Do you find any marks of genuine repentance in Saul’s words? 2 Corinthians 7:10 speaks of a difference between a “godly sorrow that brings repentance,” and a “worldly sorrow that brings death.” On Sunday, we will evaluate Saul’s confession with all of its weeping and recognition of the consequences of his sin, to try to determine whether his confession is consistent with genuine repentance or mere worldly sorrow.