PODCAST

Hands Off!

January 30th, 2023

Matthew 18:10-20

David and his crew are hiding in a cave from the attacking Saul, and what happens next could not have been foreseen. The king steps into the cave. He is alone and unaware of the danger. This gives David a rare opportunity to finally take the advantage. His men urge him to kill the king. They assure him this is divine providence. They quote some obscure proverb to support their insistent counsel, saying this turn of events is surely God’s will for David!

David thinks better and refuses to take their spiritual guidance.

Saul, despite his faults, is still God’s chosen, His anointed king. It will someday be David’s crown, but only in God’s own time: not now and not this way! To do something for a good reason like cutting a piece of the king’s clothes to make a point was deemed an unacceptable embarrassment and diminishing of this king, and David’s conscience soon rebuked him for it.

Bending to peer pressures, seeking to end personal troubles, or trying to commandeer God’s plans must not cause us to do what we know is wrong.

Author: Ron Dalton