This Week's Story
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Saul stalks David, while David rejects revenge.
This Week’s Story relives American history and the Bible through brief inspiring stories presented on mp3 audio recordings and text for reading.
Don’t kill him! part one
“Fight, FIGHT, Figh-------t!!” Yells grew louder as more and more students ran to see two boys bashing each other on the school courtyard. The crowd’s thirst to watch the fight, especially a fight for revenge, and fought with fury, absorbed them. Forget consequences; enjoy action.
About 3,200 years ago another battle looked likely to erupt with passion. King Saul had received word that David, the man he wanted dead, was hiding with troops on the hill of Hakilah in Israel.
Immediately the king gathered 3,000 of his elite soldiers to capture or kill David. There were no fair charges against David. Simply put, the king was insanely jealous of him! Saul’s rages and jealousy of David’s successes had distorted Saul’s thinking. His daily fixation was David. Saul could not accept that for several years he had been respectfully blessed by David!
As a young man David had killed Goliath, the foreign gigantic warrior who had terrorized Israel’s military. David had given God the credit for the victory.
David often had played his harp to help Saul find relief from his episodes of depression and mental torment. David and the king’s son Jonathan were best friends. David had been married to Michal, the King’s daughter. David had led the king’s troops into battles. Each victory increased the king’s jealousy.
Saul’s obsession, forced David into hiding. He fled his home with his family and hid in wilderness areas. Many Israelites admired him and hoped that one day he would be king. Hundreds of men began to join him.
As King Saul pursued David into the wilderness of Ziph, and to the hill of Hakilah, David sent spies to follow the king’s movements. David decided to slip into Saul’s camp. Abishai, a nephew and loyal soldier, went with him. They found Saul asleep with warriors asleep around him. His spear was stuck in the ground beside his head.
Abishai whispered, “God has given you your enemy. Let me thrust his spear through him. I will not need to strike twice.”
Instantly David answered, “Don’t kill him. Who can be innocent after attacking God’s anointed one. God will strike Saul down someday or he will die in old age, but I will not kill the one He anointed.
“We will take his spear and jug of water and get out of here.”
As David and Abishai left, none of Saul’s men awoke. God had put them into a deep sleep.
David climbed the hill opposite Saul’s camp until he was at a safe distance. He yelled to Saul’s chief commander, “Wake up, Abner!”
“Who is it?” Abner answered.
“You are a great man, mighty in all Israel! Why did you not guard your master when someone entered your camp to kill the king? You and your men deserve to die for not protecting King Saul.
“Look around! Where are the king’s spear and jug of water?”
Saul knew David’s voice and called, “Is that you, my son?”
“Yes, my lord. Why are you chasing me? What is my crime? Please listen to me.”
David’s following words are a stirring contrast to an eye for an eye retaliation. Please join us in the next part of “Don’t kill him!” found at thisweeksstory.com.
Some text in today’s story is from I Samuel 26.
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