Reading the Signs

      David’s men could not believe his fortune. They had hidden from King Saul in a cave. They could only hope God would protect them.

      But God did one better. Not only did He protect them, He delivered Saul into David’s hands. Saul chose the very cave in which David was hiding to use the restroom. While there in all his vulnerability, David’s men whispered: “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’” (I Samuel 24:4).

      But David did not kill Saul.

      A short time later, David and Abishai snuck into Saul’s camp in the wilderness of Ziph. It could only have been by the hand of God that they could walk unnoticed right up to the sleeping king. Abishai certainly believed it was the hand of God. He told David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand now therefore, please let me strike him with the spear to the ground with one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time” (I Samuel 26:8).

      Yet, once again, David let Saul live.

      Could David not read the signs? Surely this was God’s will. Everything worked out so perfectly to allow for this. Surely these two scenarios were telling David God’s will for him. God obviously wanted David to kill Saul.

      Why didn’t David follow what must have been God’s bidding as revealed in these circumstances? Because David realized circumstances and feelings do not reveal God’s bidding.

      Exodus 22:28 says, “You shall not curse God, nor curse a ruler of your people.” If David was not even allowed to curse Saul, how would he ever be able to justify killing him? David understood our circumstances and our feelings do not equal God’s calling or will. It is more and more commonplace for people to talk about how they know God’s will because so many things just fell in to place. Regrettably, they sometimes are sure something that violates scripture is ok because it was so convenient that surely God wanted it this way.

      However, we need to follow David’s example. We know God’s will by reading God’s scripture. II Timothy 3:16-17 says the scriptures are profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. The scriptures equip us making us thoroughly furnished for every good work. We should not look to our circumstances to know God’s will for us. We should not look to convenience or coincidence (no matter how much we want to label it providence) to determine God’s will. Rather, we need to look to the scripture. When we do that, then we will always know how to behave no matter what the circumstance is and we will always know we are doing God’s will.

Edwin L. Crozier