David and Abishai, having taken Saul’s spear and
water jug, retreated to safety. With what was in his hand, David went up to the
opposite side of the hill with a wide gap between him and the army of
Saul. There he mockingly addressed Abner by asking, “Will you not answer, Abner?” Although David seemed to be calling out to the army
of Saul and Abner, he was really calling out for everyone’s attention
especially Saul’s. Since Abner was addressed, he responded by asking “Who are you who calls to the king?” He knew that David wanted
to address the king.
David began by accusing Abner of being negligent in
his duty. He first questioned his capability and then his sense of
responsibility. Abner was supposed to be Saul’s trusted servant and
commander. In 1 Samuel 14:50, we saw him there. He was Saul’s cousin who had
been with the king from the very beginning. Then again in 1 Samuel 17:55-57
when Saul was wondering about David’s identity and bravery, he again turned to
Abner and consulted him. But now David showed up his ability and questioned his
sense of responsibility. He showed him his failure to protect the king without
realizing that David had intruded and infiltrated the camp. He indicted him and
the army he led, telling them that they all deserved to die. They were
unmindful that the king’s life was at risk. Although the king was spared, they
nonetheless were guilty of negligence. For they were sleeping on duty and had
failed in their duty to protect the king. David’s implication was that had he
wanted to kill Saul he would be dead by now. His spear and jug of water were
the proofs.
Too shocked to respond, Abner was speechless. Saul
who must have heard the conversation asked the same question he asked at Engedi, “Is this your voice, my son David?” David then
acknowledged that it was he. He then went on to reason with the king. He was
prepared to make an offering to right whatever wrong he had done if it was the
LORD who had wanted Saul to deal with him. He insisted that he had done no evil
that warranted his death. David re-iterated to the king of what he had already
said to him earlier in 1 Samuel 24. In referring to himself as a flea and a
partridge David was not demeaning himself. He was trying to show Saul that he
was not a threat to him and truly Saul should not fear him. He reasoned with
Saul and showed him that he did not have a justifiable reason to do what he was
doing. By pursuing him this way, Saul would be guilty of driving David away
from the true God into the service of other gods. We come away with this
important principle. It is important to know what’s right, but it is more
important to do what’s right. Knowing is just one part of the equation, real
solution to an issue comes by acting on what one knows is right. So act
rightly!
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