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If David had rebelled against Saul, he would have been to the people an example of rebellion against the God-ordained, appointed king; David's attitude was that of denying the self and submitting to God's authority.
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Saul had been disobedient to God and was rejected by God, but this was something between Saul and God; as for David, he submitted to God's anointed, and this was his responsibility before God—24:4-6; 26:9, 11; 2 Sam. 1:9-16.
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If some will pay the price to experience the breaking of the cross by living under the cross, know and deal with their natural life and disposition, put to death the flesh, and deny themselves before God, they will certainly know God's authority and be able to bring in God's authority—this is a basic principle.
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According to the realization of the New Testament, David bore the cross every day under any kind of situation; Philippians 3:10 indicates that the strength for us to bear the cross is the power of Christ's resurrection; Christ has come into us to live in us and to bear the cross within us—cf. S. S. 2:8-9, 14.
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As David was learning the lessons of the cross, he enjoyed God's provision with Jonathan and Michal; without them, David would not have had a way to escape from Saul—1 Sam. 20:1-42; 19:11-18.
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Under God's sovereignty, David took the lessons of the cross, and eventually, he was not a loser but a gainer and a winner, not a sufferer but an enjoyer—Phil. 1:19; 3:8-9; 2 Cor. 4:7, 16-18; cf. 2:12-14.
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David's life signifies a life of brokenness; the breaking of the outer man is the breaking of our natural disposition, our self; the goal of the discipline of the Holy Spirit is for us to be a broken man; God puts us in a place of total inability and helplessness so that He can have the free way to work Himself with all His unsearchable riches into us—1:8-9; 4:16-18; 12:9-10; Hosea 6:1-3; Rom. 8:28-29; cf. John 12:3.
Morning Nourishment
1 Sam. 24:4-6 And David’s men said to him,… Do then to him according to what seems good in your sight. So David rose up and cut off a corner of Saul’s cloak without being noticed. But afterward David’s heart smote him…. And he said to his men, Jehovah forbid that I should do such a thing to my lord, Jehovah’s anointed, as stretch out my hand against him; for he is Jehovah’s anointed.David would not kill Saul but only cut off a corner of Saul’s cloak. However, even for this David’s heart smote him, because of his fear of God in that Saul was God’s anointed (1 Sam. 24:4b-7). In God’s kingdom there is a divine order of authority. Saul was not a self-appointed king; he was the king appointed and anointed by God. Saul was therefore the divine authority, and David feared God in this. David kept the God-ordained order of authority among God’s elect. By so doing, David laid a good foundation for himself to be the king of God’s elect in the coming days. If he had rebelled against Saul, then he would have been to the people an example of rebellion against the God-ordained, appointed king. (Life-study of 1 & 2 Samuel, p. 99)
Today’s Reading
David was one who knew God’s authority from his heart…. He considered Saul as lord, the anointed of Jehovah. This speaks of an important matter. Submission to authority is not submission to a person. It is submission to the anointing upon the person, the anointing which was upon him when God set him up as authority…. He acknowledged that Saul was God’s anointed. Hence, he could only seek for his own escape; he could not put forth his hand to hurt Saul. Saul was disobedient to God’s command. He was rejected by God. But this was something between Saul and God. As for David, he submitted to God’s anointed. This was David’s responsibility before God.A young Amalekite came to David to claim …that he had killed Saul. David’s attitude was still that of denying the self and submitting to God’s authority. He said to the man, “How is it that you were not afraid to stretch out your hand to destroy Jehovah’s anointed?” (2 Sam. 1:14). (CWWN, vol. 47, “Authority and Submission,” p. 139)
Although David was persecuted and suffered so much, he never fought, reacted, or responded. Using the New Testament term, he was always under the cross. He bore the cross every day under any kind of situation. He did not complain, criticize, oppose, or condemn. He was just under the cross to suffer the dealing.
Philippians 3:10 indicates that the strength for us to bear the cross is the power of Christ’s resurrection…. The Christ who is within us is the One who…has come into us to live in us and to bear the cross within us.
As David was taking the lessons of the cross, he enjoyed God’s provision…. As God’s provision to David, both Jonathan and Michal helped David to flee…(1 Sam. 20:1-42; 19:11-18). Eventually, David “graduated” from his trials under Saul…. Under God’s sovereignty, David took the lessons of the cross. Because of this David eventually was not a loser but a gainer, not a sufferer but an enjoyer. (Life-study of 1 & 2 Samuel, pp. 102-103)
David’s life signifies a life of brokenness. Although we cannot find the word brokenness in the Bible, we can see from the biblical record that…David was broken by God. David was under God’s pressure throughout his whole life; this made him one who was according to God’s heart (Acts 13:22). (CWWL, 1953, vol. 1, “Knowing Life and the Church,” p. 325)
The goal of the discipline of the Holy Spirit is for you to be a broken man…. In order for the inward man to be released, there is the need for severe dealings from the Lord. Those who have never been dealt with cannot afford the Lord a way to go on. (CWWN, vol. 57, p. 265)
Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 57, ch. 25; CWWL, 1953, vol. 1, “Knowing Life and the Church,” chs. 7, 16, 19