Scripture
3At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave! 4“Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe. 5But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. 6He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.” 7So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul. 1 Samuel 24:3-7
Observation
David had his victory handed to him on a silver platter. King Saul was sitting in a very vulnerable position and he would not have been blamed for concluding this was God’s plan all along. David had the confirmation of his men around him all saying the same thing and their words sounded both spiritual and logical, “Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” Notice David’s men appealed to his personal wishes while God wanted David to hold out for the Divine Dream. A wish is a temporary aspiration while a dream is an overall assignment. I’ve been to the En Gedi and there are caves dotting the countryside. Out of all the caves in all the land Saul just happened to enter the one David and his men were hiding in? That had to be God right? So, David crept forward with the full intention of cutting Saul, but due to check in his heart he only cut a corner of Saul’s robe. Then David’s felt convicted about even this small act of defamation outside of God’s timing. There are no coincidences. This was arranged by God to test David’s heart. Would David try to cut corners (literally) and grab the kingdom for himself or would he wait on God’s timing and have it handed to him? Instead of grabbing the possibility, David held on to the promise he had received from God, “You will inherit the throne of Israel.” God didn’t say, “you will take the throne of Israel.” The robe was a symbol of Saul’s authority and David’s sensitivity to the Lord. He knew that even this small act was a sin. Even partial obedience is disobedience. There was no short cut to the throne. The Son of David knew this as well. Satan offered Jesus a short cut to the throne and a way around the cross. He could achieve everything in one fell swoop- “Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9“I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me. 10“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’(Mt. 4:8-9) Satan was offering Jesus a throne without a cross, a quick way to reign without any suffering. Jesus knew that to choose this short cut was to choose to worship self rather than God. Jesus endured the worst torture, He laid down His own will, and now He reigns on high over all. David would endure the waiting, the wilderness, the wandering and would eventually inherit the throne of Israel in God’s timing. There’s no such thing as a shortcut when it comes to God’s will. God’s will is worth waiting for and we are all learning to wait on God’s will right now.
Application
During these first 40 Days of quarantine (it ends May 1st) at home, I’ve been finding much inspiration from the long arduous journey of Frodo the Hobbit and his friends. In trying to keep his crew focused away from the Inns he says this statement that holds true today, “Short cuts make for long delays.” Beverly Sills put it this way, "There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." Oh, how I’ve longed to cut this quarantine short, to roam free the way I did before, to skip this season of waiting in favor of getting back to “normal”. The journey of David and the journey of Jesus is the journey of Scripture and is our journey too. A friend shared some facts they had accumulated about how important these 40 Days are to our spiritual journey and I wanted to share them here: The official lockdown started March 23 and will likely end May 1st. That is EXACTLY 40 days. The Latin root of the word "quarantine" is "forty". So what does the Bible say about 40? The flood lasted 40 days. 40 years Moses fled Egypt. 40 days Moses stayed on Mount Sinai to receive the Commandments. Exodus lasted 40 years. Jesus fasted for 40 days. 40 days for a woman to rest after giving birth. The optimum number of weeks for human gestation is 40. A group of theologians thinks the number 40 represents "change”. It is the time of preparing a person, or people, to make a fundamental change. Something will happen after these 40 days. Just believe and pray. Remember, whenever the number 40 appears in the Bible, there is a "change". Please know that during this "quarantine" rivers are cleaning up, vegetation is growing, the air is becoming cleaner because of less pollution, there is less theft and murder, healing is happening, and most importantly, people are turning to Christ. The Earth is at rest for the first time in many years and hearts are truly transforming. Remember we are in the year 2020, and 20 + 20 = 40. Also, 2020 is the year of the United States Census. Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, was born during a census. Lastly, 2020 is perfect vision. May our sight focus on the Lord and living according to His perfect vision for us knowing He holds us in the palm of His hand. May these days of "quarantine" bring spiritual liberation to our souls, our nation, and our world.” There’s no such thing as a shortcut when it comes to God’s will. God’s will is worth waiting for and I want to be transformed inwardly even the circumstances around me look largely the same as the past 40 days.
Prayer
I lay down my wishes for this moment and I grab ahold of the long-term dreams You have given me. Both David and Jesus made their way through by coming back to Your promises on a daily basis. This is my way through as well. Instead of trying to make something happen in my timing, I choose to trust Yours. I don’t have the whole picture of what You’re up to but I do know this is a trust test for my heart. No cutting corners Lord, I’m just coming clean with my pride. No shortcuts Lord, I’m following Your timing even if it doesn’t make sense.
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