During the setting up of the kingdom of Israel, God officially established His authority on earth. When the Israelites entered Canaan they asked God for a king, and God sent Samuel to anoint Saul as their first king (1 Sam. 10:1). Saul was chosen by God. God set him up as the authority, that is, as His deputy authority. But when he became king, Saul did not submit to the authority of God. He violated God’s authority. In refusing to kill the king of Amalek and the best of the sheep and oxen, he rebelled against God and disobeyed His words. Therefore, God set Saul aside and anointed David (1 Sam. 15-16). However, David was under Saul’s authority. He was one of Saul’s subjects and was even a soldier in Saul’s camp. Later, he even became Saul’s son-in-law. Both of these men had the anointing upon them. But Saul often sought to kill David. There were two kings in Israel. One was set aside but still sitting on the throne. The other was chosen but not inaugurated. At this juncture David was in a very difficult situation.
In 1 Samuel 24 we see Saul chasing David in the wilderness of Engedi. When Saul went into a cave to cover his feet, David and his followers were in the innermost part of the cave. His followers suggested that David kill Saul, but David rejected the temptation. He dared not rebel against authority with his own hands (vv. 1-7). David was anointed by God. Concerning the throne, he stood in the proper position of God’s plan and will. Who would have had anything to say about him being king? What would be wrong if David helped himself become king? Would it not be a good way to help God to accomplish His will? But David deeply felt that this could not be done. If he had killed Saul, it would have been in the principle of rebellion against God’s authority, because God’s anointing was still upon Saul. Although Saul was rejected, he was still God’s anointed and still set up by God. If he had killed Saul, David could have become king immediately, and God’s will would not have been delayed. But David was a man that denied his self. He would rather see his kingship postponed and God’s plan delayed than to become a rebellious one. As a result he was eventually made God’s authority.
At one time God set Saul to be king and David was under Saul’s authority. If David had killed Saul, he would have gained the kingship at the price of rebellion. He would have fallen on the ground of rebellion. David dared not do this. This is the same in principle as Michael not daring to bring a reviling judgment against Satan (Jude 9). Authority is a tremendous matter.
If a man is to serve God, he must submit to authority. Submission is higher than our work. Even if David set the whole kingdom in order, this would avail nothing without being under God’s authority; he would still be like Saul. In the Old Testament Saul loved the best of the sheep and the oxen and would not destroy them, but rather saved them for offering. This is in the same principle of rebellion as Judas in the New Testament, who betrayed the Lord Jesus out of his love for thirty pieces of silver (Matt. 26:14-16). Offerings cannot cover up rebellion. If David wanted to accomplish God’s will and plan, he could have killed Saul. Then he could have served God right away. But David dared not do this. He waited for God to work. He was willing to be submissive. David only cut off the skirt of Saul’s cloak, and even then his heart smote him. His feeling was as sensitive as a New Testament believer. What we condemn is not just murder; even the cutting off of another’s garment with a little knife is wrong and is rebellion. Backbiting, an evil eye, or a grudge in the heart may not be murder, but they are similar to the cutting off of another’s garment, and they proceed from a spirit of rebellion.
David was one who knew God’s authority from his heart. He was chased by Saul many times, yet he still submitted to God’s authority. He considered Saul as lord, the anointed of Jehovah. This speaks of an important matter. Submission to authority is not submission to a person. It is submission to the anointing upon the person, the anointing which was upon him when God set him up as authority. David knew of the anointing on Saul. He acknowledged that Saul was God’s anointed. Hence, he could only seek for his own escape; he could not put forth his hand to hurt Saul. Saul was disobedient to God’s command. He was rejected by God. But this was something between Saul and God. As for David, he submitted to God’s anointed. This was David’s responsibility before God.
God wants His authority to be upheld in an absolute way. He has to recover this matter. Look again into 1 Samuel 26. A similar thing happened in the wilderness of Ziph. A second temptation came. Saul fell asleep, and David came into the place where he slept. Abishai wanted to kill Saul, but David forbade him. He swore and said, “Who can stretch forth his hand against Jehovah’s anointed and be guiltless?” This is the second time that David spared Saul. He only took Saul’s spear and water jug (vv. 7-12). This was an improvement from the previous time. He did not take anything from Saul’s body. Instead, he only took something from beside his body. He gave up the chance of saving his own life to submit to and uphold God’s authority.
According to 1 Samuel 31 and 2 Samuel 1, Saul killed himself. A young Amalekite came to David to claim the credit, saying that he had killed Saul. David’s attitude was still that of denying the self and submitting to God’s authority. He said to the man, “How is it that you were not afraid to stretch forth your hand to destroy Jehovah’s anointed?” (2 Sam. 1:14). Then he ordered that the young messenger be killed.
Because David maintained God’s authority, he was called a man after God’s heart. His kingdom has been preserved until now, for the Lord is a descendant of David. Only those who submit to authority can themselves be the authority. This is a serious matter. We must uproot rebellion from among us. In order to be an authority, there must first be submission to authority. This one matter is crucial. Apart from this, we have no way to go on. The church is an organ of submission. There is no need to fear the weak ones in the church; there is only the need to fear the rebellious ones. We must submit to God’s authority from our heart. Only then will the church be blessed. The way ahead depends on us. We are here to spend our days in a sober way.
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