Gods Sabbath

D AVID C HOOSES THE W AY OF S UCCESS

201

there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave.” 1Samuel 24:2, 3. Not suspecting any danger, Saul entered the very cave where David was hiding from him, while the king’s troops waited out side. David’s men interpreted this occurrence as a clear work of providence, indicating that he should put his adversary to death. “The men said, ‘This is the day the L ORD spoke of when he said to you, “I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.”’” 1Samuel 24:4. David was tempted to take this view of the matter too, but im mediately he recognized it as a case of human problem solving. Instead, he “crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.” 1Samuel 24:4. King Saul was a tremendous problem not only to David but to the whole of Israel. He was oppressing the people, leading them away from the Lord, and thus jeopardizing God’s cause. It seemed that anyone who slew him would be rendering a fine service to both God and Israel. For David personally, Saul’s death would have brought grateful relief from an unpleasant, fu gitive life and given him the promised crown. Furthermore, the evil king had earned the death sentence by his unjust murder of the high priest and his household. The witness of circumstances really seemed to declare that God was openly inviting David, as His chosen instrument, to ex ecute Saul on the spot. Therefore David’s followers urged him to act without delay. It was a masterfully organized temptation, but David did not fall for it. Even though he had failed in other situations, here he was able to distinguish God’s guiding principle from the attractive proposition Satan was offering him. David understood that it was his responsibility to detect the true nature of this proposition, and, if it failed to measure up to God’s principles of operation, to have nothing to do with it. He acted very faithfully on this occasion. The counsels and warnings revealed in this story are of special importance to God’s children in these last days. Satan knows how dedicated they are to the Lord’s cause and interests, and he frames his temptations so that Christians will not recognize them as such. He disguises his temptations as timely God-given opportunities to advance the cause they love. Satan intends them to believe that