1 Samuel 26:17

1 Samuel 26:17 says, And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.  When David called out to Abner, though he didn't recognize David’s voice, Saul did.  Saul asked if this was his son David, though he was trying to kill him and had given his wife to another man.  I guess he wanted to make himself sound friendly to David, and people who really hate Christians today often want to make themselves sound friendly.  David told Saul that it was him, even though that left him fairly close to Saul who was doing his best to find and kill him.  We as followers of Christ should never be unwilling to identify who we are, even to our enemies.  Verse eighteen adds, And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?  David once again asked Saul why he as trying to kill him and asked what evil had he ever done to Saul.  If people are out to destroy us as Christians today,  it should never be because we are out to harm them.  Verse nineteen continues, Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.  David said if God was behind Saul’s actions, then together they would bring an offering to set things right.  All we can do ultimately is ask people to examine their reasons for hating us and attempt to make things right under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  If they will not listen to reason, there is little more that we can do. David also said he was forced to live away from God's people in the land where idols were worshipped, which could lead him into temptation to stray away from God.  We should never allow anyone or anything to drive us away from the fellowship of our fellow Christians.  Verse twenty concludes, Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.   David compared himself to a flea or a partridge, insignificant to be hunted by Saul with the intention of killing him.  We should offer no physical threat to people today as Christians.  Verse twenty-one states,Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.  Once more,  Saul said he had played the fool and asked David to return to him.   I don't believe he was sincere, but for that moment he may have been. We may receive sincere apologies from people of the world today, but they probably will never last.  Verse twenty-two adds, And David answered and said, Behold the king’s spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.  David then told.Saul to send a young man to get Saul’s spear.  He still did not go into the camp to return it.  If our enemies make promises of peace to us today, that doesn't mean we are to let our guard down and move into their camp.  Verse twenty-three continues, The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’s anointed.  David said that God would deliver to every man his righteousness, and that God had delivered Saul into his hand that day, but he would not put forth his hand against God's anointed.  Today, even if we have an opportunity to physically destroy our enemies, that doesn't mean that we should, even if it seems that God put us in that position.  Verse twenty-four says, And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.  David said just as he delivered Saul from death that day, he would ask that God deliver him from all his tribulations as well, and most of David's tribulations were caused by Saul.  Ultimately,  we can only place the outcome of our tribulations in God's hands.  Verse twenty-five adds, Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.  Saul then asked that David be blessed and said that he would do great things and prevail.  Of course, this was the source of the problem to start with.  Saul thought David was going to take the kingship away from him and his family.  Of course, God had already done this, just as He has already taken His kingdom away from everyone who will not accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord today.  Then, David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.  Though Saul had once again made promises, David did not just immediately return to fellowship with him.  Just because people make promises of peace with us as Christians today doesn't mean that we are to blindly put our life in their hands.  We may go on our way while they go on their's, but we cannot just accept their words of peace.