But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless? As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.” (NIV)

Have you ever been in a situation where you saw what you thought was a clear path to victory or to accomplishing the group goal, but you weren’t in charge of the group and your leader had other plans? I’ve never been in a battle (unless you count bedtime with toddlers), but I imagine you are looking for the safest and most efficient way to defeat the enemy.

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God told David when he was a young boy, through the anointing of Samuel, that he would eventually be the king of Israel. Verse 13 of chapter 16 says, “from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.” David had God’s spirit within him, leading and guiding him through the challenges he would face.  

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Oh, and challenges this man of God did face throughout his life! He defeats the giant Philistine, Goliath, and because of the praise that followed, the current King, Saul, became jealous of David and tried to kill him (several times!). David spares Saul’s life in one encounter, and in our verses today, David has a second opportunity to kill the man who is trying to murder him.

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David goes in to the enemy camp in the middle of the night with a soldier named Abishai, whom my Bible dictionary describes as a “belligerent warrior.” Abishai is trying to convince David to kill sleeping King Saul because he believes God has ordained this situation to win the battle they’ve been in. He says, “today God has delivered your enemy into your hands” (v. 8). Abishai even volunteers to do the killing himself; as a warrior, it probably seemed to him that there was no real choice to be made.  

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But David’s response tells us so much about his relationship with God. David cares deeply about the Lord he serves and those God has anointed. He basically says, as long as God is God, I need to let God be in charge and direct my actions, even when the choice in front of me seems like the fast track to where I know God is taking me. He knew God would have justice in the end, and it wasn’t up to David to take it into his own hands.

David had the opportunity to settle the score, to defeat his mortal enemy, to no longer be on the run and living in fear. But he didn’t take it. What enabled him to show that kind of mercy? What allowed him to sneak off with nothing but a sword and a water jug when he could have had what the world defines as a victory?  

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I think it comes down to David’s trust in an unfailing, faithful God. David had the wisdom of having experienced God’s protection, provision and anointing on his life. He could not become the king he was told he would be if Saul killed him in the dead of night, but he trusted God to work out how to defeat his enemy. In these verses he lists the ways that God could make things right, but David doesn’t choose the way by taking swift action. David instead listens to God’s Spirit within him to make that choice that was clearly not of his flesh. David waited to see his promise from God fulfilled in God’s way, not his own.

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There is a Maverick City Music song that always brings me comfort when I am waiting on the Lord that goes, “I’m gonna wait on you, I’m gonna wait on you. I’ve tasted Your goodness, I’ll trust in Your promise. I’m gonna wait on you.” It captures that connection between what we’ve already seen God do and what we are waiting on to happen. We know God’s character is unchanging, and God always keeps his promises. David had seen the goodness of God in his life, and that had built in him trust to wait on the Lord.

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Where do you need to trust God today to work out the victory he has promised in his way and in his timing? May you deepen your connection with our loving Father so that you may clearly hear where he is directing you to move and where he’s telling you to wait.

Gracious and everlasting God, you are the ultimate promise-keeper. Everything you promise comes to pass. You are unchanging and your plans never fail. We can trust you completely because of who you are. Forgive us for when we choose our own way to get to the end goal you have in mind for us. Help us to have the faith of David to wait on you and your perfect timing. Thank you for sending Jesus who set the ultimate example of trusting you to live out his purpose here on Earth. It's in his holy name we pray, Amen.