David’s Integrity

Introduction

Good morning. It is good to see you this morning. It is indeed a blessing for us to be together this morning to worship God in spirit and in truth. I want to encourage you to please go ahead and get out your Bible this morning and make your way into the Old Testament. Make your way over into the Old Testament to the book of 1 Samuel, to 1 Samuel chapter 24. 1 Samuel 24. The vast majority of our study will be coming from the book of 1 Samuel. As you turn to 1 Samuel and get ready to study this morning, I want to begin by asking you a question.

I would have very little expectation of ever getting it back. I would have very little expectation of ever retrieving that wallet, but interestingly enough, upon arriving back in Times Square and retracing his steps and trying to find this wallet, he was eventually approached by two police officers who had his wallet, and they told him that it was found and given to them by an anonymous woman. They said that an anonymous woman found his wallet. While she was on her way to work, in fact, not only did she find his wallet and hand it to the police, but she also gave them the wallet with all the money inside. All of the money was there. $4,000. This woman didn’t take any of the money. And once El Duardo realized that, not only was he happy and relieved, but he was also encouraged.

A person with integrity has good morals and ethics.

They’re always willing to do what is right, even if it means they could have gotten away with doing what’s wrong. That’s what it means to be a person of integrity. And that you know that the Bible has a lot to say about this? Oh, yes, the Bible has a lot to say about this all throughout the word of God, all throughout the Bible, we find numerous examples of people who had integrity. Take, for example, Joseph. Remember the story of Joseph. Remember when Joseph was very young? He was sold into slavery by his brothers. He was sold into slavery by his own flesh and blood, and he eventually ended up in Egypt, working for a man named Potiphar, and Potiphar’s wife, felt an attraction for him. She tried to have an affair with him, but he refused her.

Why did he refuse her? Why did this young man refuse to have an affair with another man’s wife when maybe he could have gotten away with it? Well, the reason why is because he had integrity. He had a high level of integrity. Integrity is why Joseph refused to have an affair with another man’s wife. And it’s also why Daniel refused to eat the king’s choice food when he first arrived in Babylonian captivity. And it’s also why that good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10 stopped and helped that Jewish man who had been beaten and robbed and stripped and left to die on the side of the road. And then what about this guy right here? What about this guy that we’re going to spend a lot of time talking about in our vacation Bible school that begins this week?

What about David? I mean, does David, this man after God’s own heart, display integrity at various points in his life? If you don’t mind in the study from the Word of God, I want us to think about that. I want us to talk about that in preparation for our vacation Bible school that begins this Thursday at 6 30 p.m. I want to preach a lesson this morning that focuses on a critical aspect of David’s character, and that is integrity. I want to talk about his integrity. I want us to understand that before we can truly appreciate the things we’re going to talk about concerning his heart this week, before we can truly appreciate his bravery and his compassion and his high level of respect for God and others, we first this morning need to lay a foundation to these things by looking at the role that integrity played in his life.

In fact, probably one of the best places in the Bible to see his integrity is found right here in 1 Samuel 24. Are you in 1 Samuel 24 this morning? We’re going to read a lot of verses out of 1 Samuel 24 in this lesson, but before we do that, I want to pause for a moment or two and say a few things about the context. Can I do that for a few minutes before I jump into 1 Samuel 24? I want to pause for a moment or two and talk about the context. I want to talk about some of the things that has happened prior to what we find here in 1 Samuel 24. Now, for those of you who are very familiar with your Old Testament, and I know many of you are, then you know that up to this point in 1 Samuel 24, Saul is the king of Israel, and he’s just out of control.

He is out of control. He is so consumed by jealousy towards David and pride and ego and fear of losing his kingdom that he’s devoting all of his resources and all of his efforts to chasing and hunting him down. He wants David gone. He wants him out of the picture. He is literally chasing David all over the place. In fact, he is so paranoid at this time that he kills anyone that he thinks is conspiring against him and helping David. We see that in 1 Samuel 22. In 1 Samuel 22, the Bible talks about an occasion when Saul actually kills priest of God in the city of Nob because he thinks they’re helping David. Instead of doing his job as a king.

That’s how obsessed he is and consumed he is at this time trying to get David. In fact, this obsession he has with David leaves Israel open to attacks from her enemies. And we see that in 1 Samuel 23. When 1 Samuel 23 opens up, the writer tells us about an occasion when the Philistines came against the people of Kelah. The Philistines come against Keilah. The people of Kelah lived about 15 miles southwest of Jerusalem and near the territory of the Philistines. The Philistines began oppressing these people. And the interesting thing about this particular story is when these people start getting oppressed by the Philistines, they don’t go to Saul for help. They don’t go to the king, they don’t go to the guy who’s in charge.

Instead, they go to David. They go to a guy who’s a fugitive at this time. They go to someone who is literally the most wanted man in Israel. They go to David for their deliverance, and God blesses David to deliver them. David helps these people while Saul continues in pursuit of him. In fact, look at what Saul says in verse 7 of 1 Samuel 23. In verse 7 of 1 Samuel 23, when Saul realizes that David is going to help the people of Kelah, and remember, he’s a fugitive at this time. It says when he was told Saul that David had come to Kelah, Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand. For he shut himself in by entering a city with double gates and bars.

Do you see how far Saul away is from God at this time? This man is so far away from God. It’s ridiculous. He is so far away from God at this time. He is so consumed with David and trying to kill David that he lies to himself. He lies to himself about the will of God. He foolishly believes that God is helping him. He thinks God is helping him get David, but God’s not helping him. God is not helping Saul get David. No, God is helping David. David is being delivered by God. In fact, in the next section here, the scripture says that once David realizes that Saul is headed to Keilah, he moves south through the wilderness of Zenf. And there two important things happen to him.

The first thing that happens to David when he gets to the wilderness of Zenph is Jonathan comes out there to encourage him. And many of you are familiar with the fact that Jonathan was one of the sons of King Saul. And Jonathan was David’s friend. No, let me correct that. He was David’s best friend. And he did not agree with the things that his father was doing to David. He knew that his father was being wicked and evil towards David. He knew that David was going to be the next king of Israel. Jonathan did not agree with the things that his father did towards this man after God’s own heart, and he goes into the wilderness on this occasion to encourage him, to strengthen him, to build him up and let him know things are going to be okay.

In fact, the really sad thing about this encounter is this this is the last time they’re going to be together. This is the last time these two friends will see each other face to face. Jonathan will be killed in battle by the Philistines not long after this. And so Jonathan goes to the wilderness to encourage his friend David. But then notice the next thing, important things that happens in the text. You ready to read the word of God? Look at verse 19. Because in 1 Samuel 23, and in verse 19, after telling us about Jonathan making a trip to the wilderness to encourage David, it says, Then Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibba, saying, Is David not hiding with us in the strongholds of Horash or the hill of Hakaliah, which is on the south of Jeshimon.

Now then, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to do so, and our part shall be to surrender him unto the king’s hand. Saul said, May you be blessed of the Lord, for you have had compassion on me. Go now, make more sure and investigate and see his place where he’s where his haunt is, who has seen him there, for I am told that he’s very cunning. So look and learn about all the hiding places where he hides himself and return to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And if he’s in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah. Then they arose and went to Zenph before Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon and the Arabi to the south of Jeshemon.

When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David, and he came down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon. Saul went on one side of the mountain, David and his men on the other side of the mountain, and David was hurrying to get away from Saul. For Saul, his men were surrounding David and his men to seize him. But a messenger came to Saul saying, Hurry, come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land. So Saul returned from pursuing David and went to meet the Philistines. Therefore, they called the place the rock of escape. David went up from there and stayed in the strongholds of Engedi.

So there are a few observations we need to make from this text. First, I want you to notice how in this text, right away, we’re introduced to some bad people. We’re introduced to some rats, some people who rat out David, the Ziphites. The Ziphites are rats. They go to Saul at Gibba and they say, We know where David is. We know where he’s hiding. He’s in the wilderness of Horash. The Ziphites try to help Saul get David. And in verse number 21, Saul shows us again just how far away he is from God. He uses the Lord’s name in vain. He says to these people, Blessed are you in the name of the Lord. May the Lord be with you. You’ve had compassion on me. It’s all about him.

It’s all about his ego. It’s all about his selfishness. Instead of doing the work of a king and using the Lord’s army to protect Israel from her enemies, Saul is using the army to find one man.

The more God providentially protects David. God, through his providence, forces Saul to stop pursuing David because the Philistines begin raiding the land. Did you notice that? The Philistines began infiltrating Israel. And I believe that’s the providence of God at work. Saul is forced to stop looking for David and get back to work. He’s got to stop looking for David and get back to doing what he should have been doing in the first place. Being a king, doing the work of a king, fighting against the real enemies of God’s people. And so throughout this chapter, Saul is obsessed. He’s paranoid, he’s consumed. He’s looking for David all over the place, but God is with his servant. He’s taking care of him. Now that brings us to the main chapter before us now.

Chapter 24. Because in chapter 24, beginning in verse 1, the scripture says this. Now when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. Then Saul took 3,000 chosen men from all of Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the rocks of the wild goats. He came to the sheepfolds on the way where there was a cave. And Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner rests of the cave. So let me stop right there for just a second. So notice geography matters here. Geography matters. At the end of chapter 23 and at the beginning of chapter 24, the writer wants us to know that David has relocated to Engedi.

He’s in Engedi. I’ve actually been to Engedi before. Engedi is located on the western shore of the Dead Sea. It is in the Judean wilderness, which means it is hot and it is dry, but there is a fresh water spring there, and there are a lot of caves. I’ve seen them firsthand. There are caves all over the place and in Getty. And the text says that after Saul put the Philistine fire out, he and his army of 3,000 soldiers pursue David there. They pursue David in this landful of caves. In fact, unbeknownst to him, and the cave where he goes to relieve himself. That is a euphemism for going to the bathroom. David is hiding in there with his men. Talk about picking the wrong place to go to the restroom.

Saul goes to relieve himself in the very cave that David and his men are hiding in. And the question is, what is David going to do? What is David going to do in this very tempting situation where he has his enemy all alone and he has an opportunity to kill him and get his revenge.

Because the Holy Spirit can say better than me. Verse number four, it says, The men of David said to him, Behold, this is the day which the Lord said to you, Behold, I’m about to give your enemy to your hand, and you shall shall do to him as it seems good to you. Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly. It came about afterward that David’s conscience bothered him, because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe. So he said to his men, Far be it from me, because of the Lord that I should do this thing to my Lord, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the Lord’s anointed. David persuaded his men with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul.

And Saul arose, left the cave, and went on his way. Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, My Lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the ground and prostrated himself. David said to Saul, Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, Behold, David seeks to harm you? Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord has given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you. And I said, I will not stretch out my hand against my Lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed. Now my father see, indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand.

For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and perceive that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying and wait for my life to take it. May the Lord judge between you and me, and may the Lord avenge me on you, but my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancient says, out of the wicked comes forth wickedness, but my hand shall not be against you. After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog or a single flea. The Lord therefore be the judge and decide between you and me, and may he see and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.

A lot going on there in that text. So notice a few things. First, notice here how we see that David is a real man. He is a real man of God. He doesn’t cave to peer pressure, does he? He doesn’t cave to the peer pressure of his men. He doesn’t listen to their erroneous advice that they say is the will of God. He doesn’t do something that would have eliminated his suffering, but would have been a sin in the eyes of God. He doesn’t do that. While he does secretly cut Saul’s robe, because of his godly conscience, he refused to kill him. He refused to retaliate against him. He refused to seek personal vengeance. He chose to spare Saul’s life because he was still God’s anointed king.

And he wanted Saul to know that he understood that. He revealed this to Saul. He let Saul know that he wasn’t his enemy. He wasn’t out to get him, because if he was, he would be dead. If he was, he would not have been standing in that moment. He would not have made it out of that cave. In fact, that piece of Saul’s robe that he had cut off, that was evidence of that. That was evidence to Saul that David was not secretly trying to harm him and destroy him and take away his throne because if he was really trying to do that, Saul would have been killed right there in that cave. David here shows integrity. He shows a high level of integrity. And I want you to notice four practical lessons, four practical lessons that we can learn from that.

1. Integrity Involves Doing Right in Every Circumstance

Here are four lessons about integrity that we learn from David on this occasion. And the first thing is this. First, we learn that integrity involves doing right in every circumstance. It involves doing what is right in every circumstance. Remember, David is suffering at this time in his life. He’s being treated unfairly.

Betrayed by people, accused of doing things he did not do. He’s being forced to run around all throughout the wilderness, and he has done nothing wrong. This is an innocent man being treated unfairly by the king, and he still does what’s right. He is suffering terribly at this time in his life, but he refuses to kill the source of his suffering when he had a great opportunity to do so. When he had a great opportunity to eliminate the source of his misery and his grief, he does not do it. He does not kill Saul, not because Saul is a righteous man and he deserved to be spared. Instead, he did this. He refused to kill Saul because of his high level of respect for God. Because of his high level of respect for God’s choices, because Saul was God’s anointed.

Saul was God’s choice at this time. He was the king of God’s people until God removed him. David says that in verse 6 and in verse 10 of this text. David doesn’t eliminate his suffering. When he had the opportunity to do so because he had integrity, and that teaches us something. That teaches us that integrity involves understanding. That even though I may be able to get away with my evil when it comes to people, even though I may be able to hide cheating on my tests from my teachers, or looking at ungodly things on my computer from my spouse, or smoking dope and drinking from my parents, or lying on my taxes to the government, or gossip from the elders, or fooling around with my boyfriend or my girlfriend from the brethren.

Even though I may be able to hide these wicked acts from people, I can’t hide them from God.

Jesus sees everything, and the decisions we make have an impact on him. They demonstrate our respect for him. David teaches us that integrity involves doing right in every circumstance, even when we’re suffering.

2. Avoiding Getting Even With Your Enemies

Avoiding getting even with your enemies.

Right.

He is using his army to try to get rid of David. He cannot stand David. And yet, when David has a great opportunity to retaliate and get some revenge, he gives them grace. He gives them kindness and compassion. And isn’t that what Jesus tells us to do when it comes to our enemies? In Matthew chapter 5 and verse 44 in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, We are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. And then look in your Bible, please what the Apostle Paul says in Romans the 12th chapter. Because in Romans chapter 12 and in verse number 17, in Romans chapter 12 and in verse 17, the apostle Paul says this. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone.

Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine I will repay, says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, you feed him. And if he’s thirsty, give him a drink. For in doing so, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Notice how what David gave Saul when he had the opportunity to kill him is exactly what God wants us to give our enemies today. God wants us to give our enemies the same thing today. When someone gossips about us, when someone is trying to destroy our good name with other people, when someone insults us, when someone’s trying to destroy our family, when someone treats us unfairly, when someone’s always trying to find fault with us, and they’re nitpicking everything we do, and may they hurt us so bad that they scar us for a very long time, and we wake up in the middle of the night of the night thinking about it.

3. Integrity Involves Consulting God

When people do that kind of stuff to us, instead of trying to get even, instead of retaliating, instead of giving in to our own ego and pride and making it our mission to hit them back twice as hard, God wants us to show them grace. God wants us to show them kindness and compassion. God wants us to pray for them and do good towards them and trust that he will bring about vengeance and make things right in his time. That’s what the Bible says. And David teaches us that. He teaches us that integrity involves avoiding getting even when it comes to your enemies. And it also involves consulting God. Consulting God. Someone says, Where is that Sean in the text? Well, go back to 1 Samuel and go back to chapter 23, please.

Because remember, I told you at the beginning of the lesson that there was an occasion, there was an occasion when some people needed David’s help. They needed David’s help. And so the scripture says, when you go back to 1 Samuel 23, the people of Keilah, they come to David for deliverance from the Philistines. And look at what verse 2 says in 1 Samuel 23. Verse 2 says, So David inquired of the Lord. He asked of God, saying, Shall I go and attack these Philistines? And the Lord said to David, Go and attack the Philistines and deliver Keilah. But David’s men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more than if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines? Then David, here it is again, inquired of the Lord once more.

And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I would give the Philistines into your hand. So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines, and he led away their livestock and struck them with the great slaughter. Thus David delivered the inhabitants of Keilah. Now drop down to verse 9. Look at verse 9. Verse 9 says, Now David knew that Saul was plotting evil against him. So he said to Abathar of the priest, bring the Ephod here. Then David said, O Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard from certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account. Will the men of Keli surrender me into their hand? Will Saul come down?

Just your servant is heard. O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell your servant, and the Lord said he will come down. Then David said, Well, the men of Keilah, these people he just helped, surrendered me and my man into the hand of Saul. Then the Lord said, Yes, they’re going to rat you out. That’s my interpretation. Yes, they will surrender. They will surrender you. They’re going to rat you out. So notice a couple of important observations here. Notice how before making important decisions, before trying to figure out where to go, what to do, how to find safety, the scripture says the first thing David does is he consults God. He prays to God. He gets direction from God. And when God tells him what to do, he doesn’t argue with God.

He just does it. He always consults God first. And the question is, do we do that? Before making major decisions in our lives, before making minor decisions in our lives, do we consult God? Do we consult God through his word? Do we consult God through his people and their godly wisdom? Do we pray to God? Do we talk to God? Do we ask God, God, please help me make good decisions. God, please help me see your will for my life in your word. God, please help me have a humble heart that is willing to listen to godly counsel given to me by godly people. God providentially put me on a path that will first and foremost bring you glory. That’s integrity. Integrity involves consulting God, asking for God’s direction, consulting his word and his people when making very important decisions.

4. People With Integrity Can Convict Those Who Don’t

And then the fourth and final lesson, I think we learn here about integrity from David.

People with integrity can convict those who don’t have integrity. And we see that when we finish up the text, going back to 1 Samuel 24. Because in 1 Samuel 24 and in verse number 16, after David reveals to Saul that he had an opportunity to get revenge and kill him, but he refused to do so because he has respect for God and God’s choices.

Look at that. He’s weeping. He said to David, You are more righteous than I, for I have dealt, for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you. You have declared today that you have done good to me, that the Lord delivered me into your hand, and yet you did not kill me. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safely? May the Lord therefore reward you with good in return for what you’ve done to me this day. Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. So now swear to me by the Lord that you would not cut off my descendants after me, and that you would not destroy my name for my father’s household.

David swore to Saul, and Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold. So very quickly, I want you to notice a few important things from this text. First, notice how after David reveals that he refused to kill Saul, even though he had a great opportunity to do so, Saul softens his heart. He softens his heart. He gets some humility. He acknowledges that David is a righteous man. He has integrity. He has respect for God and those who have been anointed by God. He has been treated treating David unfairly and wickedly, and he will be the next king of Israel. Saul acknowledges all of those things.

With most kings did in the ancient world.

Saul says, Please promise me you won’t do that. He’s convicted by David’s integrity. Integrity convicted him. And unfortunately, this conviction is only going to last for a short amount of time. You know that, right? Unfortunately, after this, Saul’s going to change his mind again, and he’s going to start searching for David and trying to kill him, and David’s going to have to spare his life again just two chapters later in chapter 26. But here we see that the integrity of God’s people has the power to convict. It has the power to convict the wicked. It has the power to convict those who are doing evil against us. It has the power to convict a bully at school and over time wake them up to their evil.

It has the power to convict a spouse who may have a habit of talking down to us and treating us in a very harsh way. It has the power to convict ungodly co-workers and even jealous brethren. When we commit ourselves to always doing what’s right and avoid getting revenge and we trust God and we seek to bring God glory over time, we might convict some people. We might convict the wicked. We may cause some wicked people to start evaluating their hearts and their ways and repent. That’s what David does here. David’s integrity convicted a man who didn’t have any.

Conclusion

While he certainly wasn’t a perfect man, you know that. David was not a perfect man, but he still had integrity. Integrity was one of many godly qualities that he displayed on numerous occasions. And if you want to study more about this man and how you can be a person after God’s own heart like he was, then you know what you need to do. You need to show up Thursday at 6 30. You need to be here Friday at 6 30. You need to be here Saturday at 10 o’clock in the morning because we’re going to talk a lot about this guy. There’s a lot to be learned from David. But maybe there’s somebody here this morning who needs to come to one who served God at an even higher level than David.

Maybe there’s somebody here this morning who needs to come to Jesus. You need to come to Jesus for the first time through faith and repentance and baptism for remission of sins, or maybe you’ve left Jesus and you need to come to him once again. We’re getting ready to sing a song of invitation at this time. And if there’s anyone here who needs to respond to the gospel, whether for the first time or come back to the Lord again, this song is for you. Come to the front. Let’s stand. Let’s sing together.