This morning, I am teaching kids about one of the times David spared King Saul’s life in 1 Samuel 24. At the moment, David had the perfect opportunity to do away with the king. And if he followed Saul’s example, David would have done just that.
King Saul was pursuing David. Saul’s anger caused him to abandon the work of governing and pursue his young rival. He wasted time and only became more obsessed with killing David. It reminds me of a quote by Mark Twain.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
Mark Twain Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2022. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/mark_twain_120156, accessed January 16, 2022.
Mark Twain
Saul did not meet his doom in this story. But he eventually did in a war. The story could have been so much different if he didn’t forget his duties and try to kill David. Saul may have been prepared for his final battle. Instead, he focused on a little threat while a much larger one was brewing.
On the other hand, David did the right thing. As a result, he became king without killing his rival. His people considered his reign legitimate because of the way he treated Saul. David showed that refraining from anger is a much better course.
Anger makes us bitter and stupid. We can’t think straight if we don’t manage it. It causes us to do and say things we will later regret. What’s more, it can make us lose focus on more important matters.
“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
Psalm 37:8 (NIV)
do not fret—it leads only to evil.”
Let’s be careful about what makes us angry. It can lead to a lot of stupid, evil things.