HATRED

While Saul was still on the throne, David was annointed to be the next king of Israel. Later, David was invited to the palace and he comforted Saul by playing the harp for him when he was depressed, became best friends with his son, Jonathan, and was made commander of Saul's army. After being made commander of the army, David killed Goliath, the Philistine, and as he and the Israelite army returned home, the women from many towns came to celebrate and cheer for King Saul and they sang and danced. "This was their song: 'Saul has killed thousands, and David his ten thousands!'(I Samuel 18:7)". Saul became angry and jealous of David after that time; for he seemed to have won the hearts of the people. Saul put David in harms way, tried to have him killed many times, and he pursued after David to kill him. David was warned by both Jonathan (Saul's son) and Michal (Saul's daughter, David's wife) to leave before he was killed by their father.

Do you ever feel like when you are doing something good at work, through ministry, or just trying to help those around you, that the enemy tries to send others that may say "just the right thing or do the right thing" to mess up your good plans or upset you; those "things" may build up and allow anger and hatred to rise up in you and ruin the good you were trying to conduct. Or do you ever feel like when you are trying to do noble and righteous acts for God's kingdom the enemy sets up road blocks, whether it be that someone tries to sabotage you or that things aren't properly prepared as they should have been due to someone else's lack of doing their part, or it could be that you are running late to a very important meeting that will move you to the next level in life. Whatever those adversaries are in your life, remember to not allow hatred or anger to get the best of you.

For many years David fled, from Saul, in caves and the wilderness. Each time Saul was close, David continued to flee to another spot. One day "at the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave! (I Samuel 24:3)" David's men whispered to him "Now's your opportunity. Today is the day the LORD was talking about when he said, 'I will certainly put Saul into your power, to do with as you wish.' (I Samuel 24:4)" Instead of killing him, David chose to cut off a piece of Saul's robe. For David said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him. (I Samuel 24:6)” After Saul left the cave David shouted to Saul, "...My lord the king! (I Samuel 24:8)" “Why do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you? This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn’t true. For the Lord placed you at my mercy back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will never harm the king—he is the Lord’s anointed one.’ Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me. (I Samuel 24:9-11)"

Another instance in I Samuel 26 happens where Saul chases after David once again. David and Abishai slipped into Saul's camp where they found Saul and his warriors sleeping. David once again spared him by telling Abishai not to kill him for Saul was God's annointed one.

David could have killed Saul in both of those instances out of pure hatred for Saul having tried to kill him; however, David showed his respect for the appointed king and demonstrated to God how much he loved him by being obedient to him. When our enemies come our way to destroy us, we too should allow love, generosity, and respect to reign in our lives. Hatred is a very powerful emotion that can cause us to sin and only makes us bitter if we hold onto it. Give the "Saul's" in your life grace and shower them with kindness.

I pray that the things the enemy tries to put in your way to make you stumble, be removed and that you allow those times to let God's light shine through you. Give all things to God and He shall set you free!



In the end, it seems that David continued to love and respect Saul and love his son, Absolom regardless of their plots against him.