Hunting Fleas

Chasing Fleas - Saul Pursuing David

I Samuel 24:14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? After whom doest thou pursue? After a dead dog. After a flea.

Introduction:

David had escaped from Saul, who had surrounded him in the wilderness of Maon, but left him to fight the Philistines. Saul returned and continued his pattern of pursuing David, whom he considered a threat to his kingship. He chased David in Engedi. While there, he went into a cave to “cover his feet.” There is a question about the meaning of this euphemism. Some say it was to take a nap; others, to go to the bathroom. At any rate, while? his troops guarded the outside, he went into the cool cave, not knowing that David and his 600 men were hiding in the depths of the same cave. His men told David that God himself had put Saul in such a position to allow David to kill him and end the decade long chase. David crept forward and cut part of the clothing of Saul. He stopped his men from killing Saul, saying that who can kill the anointed of the Lord and be guiltless. God Himself will deal with Saul, which later proved to be true.?

Then David did something which was a great risk. After Saul had left and rejoined his troops, he called to the king, who recognized his voice, and bowed himself to the ground. He told Saul that he was making a great effort to kill him, but that was like going and hunting a flea or a dead dog. He showed Saul that he could have killed him, and that some had urged him to kill Saul, but that he would not do so. He would not attack the anointed of the Lord. Saul acknowledged that he was wrong, and that David was more righteous than he was, and that he had played the fool. He stated that David would eventually be the king of Israel, and that he would not chase him any more (that last statement was not true – King Saul resumed chasing him later.)

The author, our late pastor Clarence Sexton, makes some interesting points.

Chasing fleas

Many individuals including Christians have real difficulties with priorities. Instead of pursuing things of eternal value, we chase after the things of this world which seem so important today but in the light of eternity, are really fleas. Satan lures us with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We chase after houses, cars, clothes. We seek positions and publications and professional titles and certificates. In the light of eternity, we are chasing fleas. Saul was king of Israel but neglected his duties to try to get rid of David. He would have been much better taking his responsibilities seriously than trying to stop what God had promised to occur – David eventually becoming king.

David spared the king’s life

For over a decade, David and his men were constantly running from Saul. But David trusted God’s protection and Saul’s position. It would have been easy to rationalize: God has already anointed me as king. God has given up on Saul. This must be his method – to allow me to execute judgement on Saul and take over as king. But David did not work in this way. He trusted that God had anointed Saul king, and that God was fully capable of disciplining and/or removing Saul in His time and using His methods. Indeed, when David got in trouble was when he ran to the Philistines a short time later. And indeed, God did permit Saul to be killed by the Philistines a bit later, and David became king.

David stayed his men

David’s men received a powerful visual lesson about David’s trust in the Lord. When he had the chance, he refused to kill Saul our give permission to others to kill him. We will find that he spares him again on a separate occasion. David showed his men what it means to truly trust God with his life. What an encouragement to them to follow such a leader. David was willing to build on a solid foundation of trust in God.

David spoke to Saul

David did reach out to Saul. He showed him that he had no desire to destroy him or replace him, but to put everything into the hands of God. When he spoke, Saul could have turned and fought against him. Saul did not and showed remorse for what he had done, but not real repentance. He did leave David and seemed to encourage him to return to Jerusalem. However, his mind again changes, and two chapters later we find him pursuing David again. A few years later, Saul dies by the hands of the Philistines. God dealt with Saul, just as David had said.