Guest Author - Susan Anspaugh

David was probably the most famous king in the Old Testament. But before he was king, he was a musician and poet who sang to King Saul when he was unhappy. He was a soldier who spent years of his life running from that same King Saul--who hated him and did everything he could to kill him. He married one of Saul’s daughters and Saul’s son Jonathan was his best friend. His life was entwined with Saul’s in an unhappy union; from beloved lad to despised and feared enemy, Saul ruled over much of David’s life.

The battle between Saul and David was to the death, but it was never of David’s choice. The Lord told his prophet Samuel to “anoint him (Saul) leader over my people Israel” (I Samuel 9:16) which Samuel did. But Saul became a man filled with jealousy and fear over David’s success so that “he (David) remained his (Saul’s) enemy the rest of his days” (I Sam.18:28). David knew Saul was anointed by God and David trusted and followed his Lord-even when it made his life uncomfortable. His respect for God outweighed his own personal desires.

“So David and Abishai went to the army by night, and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp….Abishai said to David, ‘Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won’t strike him twice.’ 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; either 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…”

Of course, today we are much more enlightened. Instead of plotting to physically kill our enemies, especially those who have authority over us, we dream of other ways to destroy and hurt them. We wait our time to get back because we will go to jail if we kill them. We hate them just like they hate us. And if we had the chance; if we were soldiers for whom battle was daily life; if we had already killed thousands of our enemies, would we hesitate now? Why did David hesitate when he had a chance? In fact, this is the second time he could have killed Saul. How easily it would have been to end his days as a fugitive—with no place to stay; always on the run and never knowing if Saul would kill him. Why did he not? Because David knew Saul was the man anointed by the Lord to be king over Israel and David trusted that same God to remove Saul when He was ready-not when David was.

David trusted and respected his God and because of this, he was able to respect Saul as the Lord’s anointed even when Saul has ceased being a king of God. Respect for Saul (born of faith in God) was more important than David’s own comfort and well-being-even his own life! This is a kind of respect we know nothing of today. We do not have faith that God has placed people, especially evil, hateful ones, in authority over us and that we owe that person respect. We do not even understand the concept because it makes no sense in human terms. David could have killed Saul when the opportunity arose. David specifically chose to not act that way. It is only when we have the faith of David, who became king and the ancestor of Jesus, we can understand what it means to trust God and to act with dignity no matter what circumstances and immoral opportunities we may have. Respect is born of faith; faith in God gives us the ability to treat all others with a respect they may not deserve, by knowing the Lord is in control.