Prayer and Emotion, Revenge and Mercy (1 Sam 24.12, 15, 19)
May the LORD judge between me and you! May the LORD avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you…May the LORD therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you. May he see to it, and plead my cause, and vindicate me against you.”
“So may the LORD reward you with good for what you have done to me this day.”
After David’s escape from the wilderness of Ziph, David and his men go to En-Gedi. Saul finished defending his land from the Philistines and then seeks information on David’s whereabouts. He receives word that it is En-Gedi. He sets out with his men, and, without knowing it, camps at a cave where David and his men are hiding deep inside. That evening, Saul walks outside the camp to relieve himself at the entrance to the cave. David’s men urge an attack—God has delivered Saul into David’s hands!
David demurs. Instead, he sneaks up behind Saul in the darkness and cuts off a bit of the king’s robe. David waits until Saul began to leave. He follows him out and, once they are outside the cave, calls out to him. He bows before him, and pleads his case: he intends the King no harm. As proof, he shows him the piece of cloth and reveals that he had the chance to kill him, but did not. He then offers the first prayer above. It is both a petition and a prayer-vow: he asks God to just between the two of them and to avenge David, and he vows that he will not ever lay a hand on Saul. He repeats the request that God judge between them and vindicate David of any wrongdoing.
Saul is moved. He cries and tells says that David is the better man of the two. He asks God (the second prayer above) to reward David for his behavior, and says that this action proves David will someday be king. When that happens, Saul has a request of David: he wants him to promise not cut off his family. Of course, David and Jonathan have already made a covenant to this effect (and David keeps his promise).
We see here the unstable nature of Saul’s personality. He goes from a desire of murderous revenge to weeping humility. It is not the first time, nor the last, that we will see this sort of manic emotion from Saul. He is a tormented soul.
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