1Sa 26:21 | KingComments | STEP | Saul’s reaction is a cheap “I’ve sinned”. It sounds good, but it is just words. It is not the language of a convinced conscience. Saul acknowledges that David has shown him grace by letting him live and that his life is precious in David’s eyes. On the other hand, he says of himself that he has “played the fool”, that is, he acted as a wicked, and has “committed a serious error”. Unfortunately, there is no acknowledgment of sin before the LORD. There is no question of “sorrow that is according to [the will of] God”, for only that sorrow “produces a repentance without regret, [leading] to salvation” ( ). Saul’s sorrow is “sorrow of the world” and that sorrow “produces death” ( ). His request to David to return and his promise that he will not harm David any more are implausible. David does not respond to his words. He does not take them seriously. He hands over the judgment of his own conduct and that of Saul “to Him who judges righteously” ( ). As to himself he knows that he has done nothing evil. As proof of this he mentions what Abishai gave as justification to kill Saul ( ). David acknowledges that the LORD has indeed given Saul into his hand, not to kill him, but to show him grace. Saul’s life has been important in David’s eyes, and he expects his own life to be just as important in the LORD’s eyes. To Him he entrusts his life and he expresses the desire that the LORD will save him from all need. Here David is still completely focused on the salvation by the LORD. A few verses further, at the beginning of the next chapter, he thinks that he will perish through Saul’s hand and makes his own decisions. This does not take away the sincerity of the wish of his heart that the LORD will be with him in all need. It does show that a sincere desire must be followed by a persevering trust in the Lord. In the last words we have from Saul to David, he acknowledges that David will prevail. These are prophetic words and they come from the lips of the man who searched for David’s misfortune from the beginning. He can only testify of the faithfulness of this man of God’s choice (cf. ). In the same way, the world has often had to acknowledge that God was with those they persecuted. The same will happen when the Lord Jesus returns with all His saints, “to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed” ( ). The whole company of the lost, satan and all his angels, together with all who rejected Christ, will unite in the acknowledgment of the blessing of the redeemed by Christ and their victory by the blood of the Lamb. Then David and Saul separate. They will never see each other again. Saul is facing his downfall. David goes “on his way”. What way that is, we see in the following chapter. It is its own way.

‏ 1 Samuel 26:21

A Final Separation

Saul’s reaction is a cheap “I’ve sinned”. It sounds good, but it is just words. It is not the language of a convinced conscience. Saul acknowledges that David has shown him grace by letting him live and that his life is precious in David’s eyes. On the other hand, he says of himself that he has “played the fool”, that is, he acted as a wicked, and has “committed a serious error”. Unfortunately, there is no acknowledgment of sin before the LORD. There is no question of “sorrow that is according to [the will of] God”, for only that sorrow “produces a repentance without regret, [leading] to salvation” (2Cor 7:10a). Saul’s sorrow is “sorrow of the world” and that sorrow “produces death” (2Cor 7:10b).

His request to David to return and his promise that he will not harm David any more are implausible. David does not respond to his words. He does not take them seriously. He hands over the judgment of his own conduct and that of Saul “to Him who judges righteously” (1Pet 2:23b). As to himself he knows that he has done nothing evil. As proof of this he mentions what Abishai gave as justification to kill Saul (1Sam 26:8).

David acknowledges that the LORD has indeed given Saul into his hand, not to kill him, but to show him grace. Saul’s life has been important in David’s eyes, and he expects his own life to be just as important in the LORD’s eyes. To Him he entrusts his life and he expresses the desire that the LORD will save him from all need.

Here David is still completely focused on the salvation by the LORD. A few verses further, at the beginning of the next chapter, he thinks that he will perish through Saul’s hand and makes his own decisions. This does not take away the sincerity of the wish of his heart that the LORD will be with him in all need. It does show that a sincere desire must be followed by a persevering trust in the Lord.

In the last words we have from Saul to David, he acknowledges that David will prevail. These are prophetic words and they come from the lips of the man who searched for David’s misfortune from the beginning. He can only testify of the faithfulness of this man of God’s choice (cf. Rev 3:9).

In the same way, the world has often had to acknowledge that God was with those they persecuted. The same will happen when the Lord Jesus returns with all His saints, “to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed” (2Thes 1:10). The whole company of the lost, satan and all his angels, together with all who rejected Christ, will unite in the acknowledgment of the blessing of the redeemed by Christ and their victory by the blood of the Lamb.

Then David and Saul separate. They will never see each other again. Saul is facing his downfall. David goes “on his way”. What way that is, we see in the following chapter. It is its own way.