1Samuel 26:4 - Prayer Tents



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1Samuel 26
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Obsessed with a Single Flea

26Some Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Did you know that David is hiding out on the Hakilah Hill just opposite Jeshimon?"H2130H935H7586H1390H559H1732H5641H1389H2444H6440H3452 2Saul was on his feet in a minute and on his way to the wilderness of Ziph, taking three thousand of his best men, the pick of the crop, to hunt for David in that wild desert.H7586H6965H3381H4057H2128H7969H505H977H376H3478H1245H1732H4057H2128 3He camped just off the road at the Hakilah Hill, opposite Jeshimon. David, still out in the backcountry, knew Saul had come after him.H7586H2583H1389H2444H6440H3452H1870H1732H3427H4057H7200H7586H935H310H4057 4He sent scouts to determine his precise location.H1732H7971H7270H3045H7586H935H3559 5Then David set out and came to the place where Saul had set up camp and saw for himself where Saul and Abner, son of Ner, his general, were staying. Saul was safely inside the camp, encircled by the army.H1732H6965H935H4725H7586H2583H1732H7200H4725H7586H7901H74H1121H5369H8269H6635H7586H7901H4570H5971H2583H5439 6Taking charge, David spoke to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother: "Who will go down with me and enter Saul's camp?" Abishai whispered, "I'll go with you."H6030H1732H559H288H2850H52H1121H6870H251H3097H559H3381H7586H4264H52H559H3381 7So David and Abishai entered the encampment by night, and there he was—Saul, stretched out asleep at the center of the camp, his spear stuck in the ground near his head, with Abner and the troops sound asleep on all sides.H1732H52H935H5971H3915H7586H7901H3463H4570H2595H4600H776H4763H74H5971H7901H5439 8Abishai said, "This is the moment! God has put your enemy in your grasp. Let me nail him to the ground with his spear. One hit will do it, believe me; I won't need a second!"H559H52H1732H430H5462H341H3027H3117H5221H2595H776H6471H259H8138 9But David said to Abishai, "Don't you dare hurt him! Who could lay a hand on GOD's anointed and even think of getting away with it?"H1732H559H52H7843H7971H3027H3068H4899H5352 10He went on, "As GOD lives, either GOD will strike him, or his time will come and he'll die in bed, or he'll fall in battle,H1732H559H3068H2416H3068H5062H3117H935H4191H3381H4421H5595 11but GOD forbid that I should lay a finger on GOD's anointed. Now, grab the spear at his head and the water jug and let's get out of here."H3068H2486H7971H3027H3068H4899H3947H2595H4763H6835H4325H3212 12David took the spear and water jug that were right beside Saul's head, and they slipped away. Not a soul saw. Not a soul knew. No one woke up! They all slept through the whole thing. A blanket of deep sleep from GOD had fallen on them.H1732H3947H2595H6835H4325H7586H7226H3212H7200H3045H6974H3463H8639H3068H5307 13Then David went across to the opposite hill and stood far away on the top of the mountain. With this safe distance between them,H1732H5674H5676H5975H7218H2022H7350H7227H4725 14he shouted across to the army and Abner son of Ner, "Hey Abner! How long do I have to wait for you to wake up and answer me?" Abner said, "Who's calling?"H1732H7121H5971H74H1121H5369H559H6030H74H74H6030H559H7121H4428 15"Aren't you in charge there?" said David. "Why aren't you minding the store? Why weren't you standing guard over your master the king, when a soldier came to kill the king your master?H1732H559H74H376H3478H8104H113H4428H935H259H5971H7843H4428H113 16Bad form! As GOD lives, your life should be forfeit, you and the entire bodyguard. Look what I have—the king's spear and water jug that were right beside his head!"H1697H2896H6213H3068H2416H1121H4194H8104H113H3068H4899H7200H4428H2595H6835H4325H4763 17By now, Saul had recognized David's voice and said, "Is that you, my son David?" David said, "Yes, it's me, O King, my master.H7586H5234H1732H6963H559H6963H1121H1732H1732H559H6963H113H4428 18Why are you after me, hunting me down? What have I done? What crime have I committed?H559H113H7291H310H5650H6213H7451H3027 19Oh, my master, my king, listen to this from your servant: If GOD has stirred you up against me, then I gladly offer my life as a sacrifice. But if it's men who have done it, let them be banished from GOD's presence! They've expelled me from my rightful place in GOD's heritage, sneering, 'Out of here! Go get a job with some other god!'H113H4428H8085H1697H5650H3068H5496H7306H4503H1121H120H779H6440H3068H1644H3117H5596H5159H3068H559H3212H5647H312H430 20But you're not getting rid of me that easily; you'll not separate me from GOD in life or death. The absurdity! The king of Israel obsessed with a single flea! Hunting me down—a mere partridge—out in the hills!"H1818H5307H776H6440H3068H4428H3478H3318H1245H259H6550H7291H7124H2022 21Saul confessed, "I've sinned! Oh, come back, my dear son David! I won't hurt you anymore. You've honored me this day, treating my life as most precious. And I've acted the fool—a moral dunce, a real clown."H559H7586H2398H7725H1121H1732H7489H5315H3365H5869H3117H5528H7686H7235H3966 22David answered, "See what I have here? The king's spear. Let one of your servants come and get it.H1732H6030H559H4428H2595H259H5288H5674H3947 23It's GOD's business to decide what to do with each of us in regard to what's right and who's loyal. GOD put your life in my hands today, but I wasn't willing to lift a finger against GOD's anointed.H3068H7725H376H6666H530H3068H5414H3027H3117H14H7971H3027H3068H4899 24Just as I honored your life today, may GOD honor my life and rescue me from all trouble."H5315H1431H3117H5869H5315H1431H5869H3068H5337H6869 25Saul said to David, "Bless you, dear son David! Yes, do what you have to do! And, yes, succeed in all you attempt!" Then David went on his way, and Saul went home.H7586H559H1732H1288H1121H1732H6213H6213H3201H3201H1732H3212H1870H7586H7725H4725


The Message (MSG). All Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. More details.
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