The men of David said to him, "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.'" Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul's robe secretly. It came about afterward that David's conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul's robe. So he said to his men, "Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD'S anointed." David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way. (1 Samuel 24:4-7 NASB)
I'm trying to imagine how this event went down, and I'm struggling with it. So, Saul saunters (or more likely moves with swift intention) alone into this cave. Coming from light to dark, his eyes can't see the extent of the cave recesses. And then, a safe distance into the cave, perhaps to one side, he 'covers his feet' (a Hebrew euphemism for 'cop a squat'). Unbeknownst to him, in those dark recesses he couldn't see upon entering, are hidden his quarry, David and his men. That's the setup for the verses above.
So here are the places I struggle. 1) Caves echo, and unless there are a lot of deadening sorts of plants or something, dirt on the floor, what have you; you shouldn't be able to whisper without Saul hearing something. 2) How did David get so close to cut and cut quietly? I'm guessing he didn't whip out his handy orange-handled Fiskers and silently snip, he had to use a knife. Either that sucker was SHARP, or he spent some time and effort at it. How did that happen without Saul noticing something in this cave? 3) Why the robe? If he's following the advice of his men, what's with the piece of robe? Was that the sign to his men to go ahead and take out their adversary; the first blow? Next, off comes his head?
I don't think anyone really knows the answers to these questions; partly since the cave in this region (there are hundreds at least) in which this happens is not even known. So I have only theories (go figure - you knew it had to be).
I suspect it went down something like this:
- This cave is HUGE, enough to fit 600 or more fairly comfortably, and David's sentry gave plenty of warning that Saul's 3,000 were coming up the canyon (or wadi as they are called there).
- I suspect sand storms over the last thousands of years or so had deposited plenty of sand near the entrance, with less as you go deeper in the cave (I've never actually been to Israel, so I'm really just guessing), which would deaden sound nearer the cave, not so much deeper in.
- When David's men realize it's Saul (their eyes are adjusted to the dark, and Saul's aren't), they figure now's the time God provided to take out Saul and end this.
- I can only imagine that Saul has constipation, so, therefore really taking his time and working fairly hard at what he's doing; therefore hears nothing as he is very preoccupied.
- Because what he going to be doing is usually 'messy' Saul lays his outer garment aside as he approaches the place he picks to 'take care of business'. I would think, again as I imagine it, this would be somewhere between the squatting and grunting Saul and the door, and therefore the only light source in the cave, and a place of more 'sand'.
- David approaches very carefully, his men watching and ready. Saul doesn't notice a sound in the sand behind him (if he's facing the cave wall or something - tactically stupid, but I suppose possible). Saul doesn't notice a shadow passing on the wall around him as David passes between the light of the cave entrance and himself (again tactically stupid, but again, I suppose possible). David chooses the robe over Saul himself and cuts off a piece. Saul doesn't hear this either because he's working so hard, and/or because David is so quiet.
- As David cuts the piece of robe, something flashes through is mind. He sees Saul, the mighty king of Israel squatting helpless over his heels working away, and realizes that this could just as easily be him. What if one of his men wanted to be the next king? How hard would this be? After all, he's setting a precedent here. His conscience attacks him (or in Hebrew, 'his heart caused him to be struck').
- David changes what he's done into a teachable moment. Rather than signal his men with the robe to take out their adversary, he sneaks back to them past the squatting sweating king. And he says, to them, "God forbid (and by that he means 'God do to me if I do to him') that I stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed." David realizes that as insane as Saul may be, he and David both are anointed of the Lord. So David takes this time to teach his men a very important thing for them to know (for his own protection): You don't presume to strike down those anointed from God.
I don't know if you thought it through or read it through, but this lesson David teaches his men is done so well, and so powerfully, that in the Kingdom of Judah, David's line has almost no assassinations, maybe three or four incidents (one at least has a lot of people dying, but is a single incident). Not all his offspring die of natural causes, but very few die at the hand of a usurper. On the other hand, in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, it happens all the time. Dynasty's are rare up there in Samaria, and that kingdom lasts much less time than David's line ruling in Judah (like 300 years less!).
I'm sure that my 'imagination' of how the events in the cave went down deviate from what really happened significantly, but the overall sense of what happened is probably close. The lesson is unmistakeable. While I'm not sure what the point of cutting off the robe as opposed as stabbing the squatting king actually was, the point David makes is genius, probably inspired. David's opportunity to teach his men not to strike one anointed of God had to be a divinely created opportunity, one he didn't pass up. But what is my lesson, my take away here? What point can I learn from the piece of robe rather than a life?
Paul already points our that our spiritual warfare is not against people but against the 'spiritual forces of darkness in heavenly realms' (Ephesians 6:12). So I see that lesson here, that David sees that his foe is not really Saul, but those evil things oppressing Saul. Seeing that I suspect David is able to see himself in Saul's sandals/shoes, perhaps even his predicament (caught with his robe around his ankles). He did not see a helpless foe as an opportunity. That is probably the biggest thing. In a sense, those evil things oppressing Saul were now tempting David to take the life of their pawn, and therefore his place as their human puppet (okay, I'm probably over the top in reading into this).
The lesson my Master is teaching me is probably more that the opportunities He provides I should be taking. So, when I come home, and see that neighbor out in the street with his kids, I should take that opportunity to engage in a 'Kingdom conversation'. When I'm in line at Walmart for an hour or so because there's only one line open for all 20,000 people in my city congregated in the store at the same time (why do they do that? Both, my town and the store), then I should take the opportunity for a 'Kingdom conversation'.
There are opportunities all around me to engage the enemy of my Master, and bring in the light of my Master's Kingdom into the dark strongholds, offer release to captives, and plunder the camps of the Devil. And he knows it. So those opportunities are also to draw fire, flaming arrows requiring faith, chest shots requiring righteousness, head shots requiring salvation, and having the equipment handy provided by truth. The sword I borrow from the Spirit of my Master divides soul and spirit, joints and morrow; what could be a more effective weapon than that? Why, if I'm so well equipped, do I not take these afforded opportunities?
So, my challenge is to put it on, take it up, go forth, stand, pray, and engage. If the gates of hell cannot stand against the called out ones of my Master, why aren't I kicking them in? It's time. "Let's roll!"
