"The Life of David": 6 David's Conscience 1, Temptation 0

Focus passage: 1 Samuel 24: 1-22

Your character shows when things get tough. Lying comes naturally when you are backed into a corner desperate to save your skin. Anger erupts when someone hits you or slanders your character. It is easier to be good when things are going well. Maybe that is why the Lord sometimes throws hard times at you. He will send someone to you who needs help at a time when you are busy. He will back you into a corner and expect you to tell the truth. It is in those times of trial and temptation that character is forged and the dross flaked away. David has been hiding safely at the oasis of Engedi near the Dead Sea. Just when it seemed that David was beyond the reach of the army of Saul, his character is tried by a fateful encounter.

• Temptations test our character v. 4 David is hiding in a cave with some of his 600 men when his enemy Saul decides to come into the cave unarmed. David’s men sees this opportunity as a sign from God. God has given Saul into David’s hands to end the conflict. David will not kill Saul, but instead decides to show mercy. He takes a corner of Saul’s robe. David may have wanted to Saul, but his conscience will not let him kill the king and be as ruthless as Saul has been to him.

• Conscience lifts us higher v.5 After Saul leaves the cave, David’s conscience kicks in. Looking at the fragment of cloth in his hand, David remembers that he had promised Jonathan that he would not kill Jonathan’s father Saul. The ugliness and anger that Saul has been chasing me with for all these years has made me just like him. God unleashed David’s conscience and taught him not to sink to Saul’s level. He was to have the heart of God not live in hate.

• Doing the right thing v8 David now wants to make things right. He could have stayed in the safety of the cave and let Saul wonder how his robe was damaged. Instead, David steps out of the cave and bows down prostrating himself with his face to the ground. He exposes himself to the opposing army and shows himself to be a noble man. He wants to treat Saul with honor and confess what he has done. He wants to make things right and trust the Lord to protect him.

The final score is conscience 1 and temptation 0. David’s character is seen by all in attendance. He wins the first battle as he resists the temptation to kill his enemy. He wins the second battle by honoring the king and admitting what he had done in the presence of all. It is not enough to just admit your sin and take the consequences. You have to trust the Lord and try to make things right. Others will notice. In this case Saul admits that David is “more righteous than I” (verse 17). Killing Saul would have made David just like Saul. Doing the right thing endeared David to others who followed him because of his character as well as his bravery. God has a way of using trials like this to shape his people. He builds their character so that they can overcome future temptations and thrive in life.