Gospel Reflections #1005: Vengeance ONLY in God's Hands

1 Samuel 26:2 ‘Saul set out with three thousand elite troops of Israel and went down to the wilderness of Ziph to search for David there.’

This passage describes the scene in which King Saul, intent on killing David, once again marched out to the wilderness of Ziph at the head of three thousand elite soldiers of Israel. 

Previously, when David had saved his life in the cave at En Gedi, Saul had promised through his tears, ‘I will never harm you again.’

Yet here, he has casually broken that oath and has begun pursuing David once more.

To capture David, a single fugitive, Saul mobilised the nation’s elite forces.

This speaks volumes of Saul’s abnormal fear and obsession with David.

It symbolises his reckless attempt to use force to thwart God’s plan—that David would become the next king—despite being a king chosen by God himself.

The trigger for this renewed pursuit was a tip-off from the people of Ziph.

It shows that Saul took immediate action upon receiving this information, revealing that his hatred had not abated in the slightest.

From this verse onwards, David has further opportunities to kill Saul, but he leaves vengeance to God, declaring, ‘Do not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.’

The Bible tells us that there is suffering in this world.

If we were to experience being driven into a corner time and time again, as David did, our hearts would surely be broken.

But God protects our hearts.

Even in the midst of suffering, God protects us so that our hearts do not break.

Just as David entrusted his vengeance to God, we too should entrust all our emotions to Him.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.