I Samuel 25-27

In I Samuel 25, David has a second opportunity to spare or take King Saul's life. King Saul and his army of 3,000 men were seeking out David in the wilderness of Ziph, camping overnight God struck them with a deep sleep allowing David and his servant Abishai to enter the camp unnoticed. David could have ended the feud by spearing King Saul through, but he stood righteously and faithfully with the LORD choosing to honor the anointing of Samuel. 

I Samuel 25:9 (NKJV) "...for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless? The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LROD's anointed... May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and faithfulness; for the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the LORD's anointed."

Saul the Benjamite, though bent on evil through his rebellion and stubbornness, was the anointed king of Israel. Anointing is a way of consecrating or setting apart people or a person to the LORD. Most notably anointing oil was to be used in the Tabernacle and on priests only, and until Samuel's time the king of Israel was included in the anointing. There is something sacred that David is protecting by sparing Saul's life, it goes much further than simply self-interest or self-defense, because David too was the anointed king of Israel filled with the Spirit of God. Though we know that the Spirit of God departed from Saul (I Samuel 16:14) we can know certainly that God's hand of blessing is still on king Saul because his life was preserved. YAHWEH the Creator of heaven and earth, giver of life - preserves life, He gives and He takes away. In the same way that the LORD 'struck' the foolish husband of Abigail such that his heart died within him - the LORD preserves the lives of those he intends for His will, Saul's time for death was not yet. Far be it for the righteous to take life into their own hands no matter how noble or well intentioned. 

Job 1:21 (NIV) "The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."

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