While You Were Sleeping

04.22.12

1 Samuel 26.24 24 Now behold, as your life was highly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the LORD, and may He deliver me from all distress.” NASB

It seems like whenever Saul had nothing better to do, he went after David to destroy him. It seems like whenever David embarrassed Saul, things got better for a while but Saul eventually got back around to pursuing David. In this instance in 1 Samuel 26 David once again humiliates Saul by catching him, and his men, sleeping and David steals Saul’s spear and water jug. Once again a golden opportunity to end this appears but David refuses to take matters into his own hands.

Nowadays, politicians are always looking for any golden opportunity to take credit for something. Many of them are shallow and petty and leadership resumes are peppered with all kinds of activities and achievements to show some credit for a job well done. David didn’t want to be remembered as the one who took Saul out. Saul may have been a less than desirable king, but he was king and there were those who voted the party line when he was made king and they weren’t about to stand for the upstart David to take their king away. David was smart and David’s smartness was wrapped up in his relationship with the Lord. David wasn’t about to build a resume without God’s guidance.

So, David takes Saul's spear and water jug, and then from a fairly safe distant yells over to Saul something to the effect of: “Your highness, I got you again! While you were sleeping I could’ve killed you this very night and no one would have ever been the wiser. Now behold, as your life was highly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the LORD, and may He deliver me from all distress.”

In other words, David, in the sight of many witnesses, and a very embarrassing situation, took his stand with the Lord. As your life was highly valued in my sight this day may the reciprocal be God valuing my life in His sight going forward. It’s a principle of valuation: David respected Saul’s position and title in the sight of God knowing God would reward him for doing so. It’s also a principle of leadership.

We are all called to a measure of leadership simply in this: we are called to value what God values so that He may entrust us with what He values. God values His creatures and His creation; we are called to the same standard if we claim Him as our God. In the secular society in which we live, valuation is fluid, not static. In the life of the child of God in that society we are called to a higher standard to say to our fellow men: Now behold, as your life was highly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the LORD, and may He deliver me from all distress.”

As God’s children, if we are guilty in society of anything at all, may it be this: we live out our lives respecting where God has placed us, and among whom He has placed us. May we value what He values and then let the chips fall where they may as a result. May how we treat others and how we treat things be a testimony to Whom we serve...