Discerning God’s Will in Confusing Times, 1 Samuel 24 Bible study banner

Discerning God’s Will in Confusing Times

1 Samuel 24

Paul J. Bucknell

Perplexing moments | Inner testings | Personal resolve | Questions

Have you ever wanted to please God but felt confused about what He truly desired? There’s no doubt that the dilemma David faced in 1 Samuel 24 falls into one of those common situations. Although the situation is not easy to follow, it is quite predictable: (1) We face a certain issue; (2) a decision must be made; (3) yet we are uncertain about God’s will in that moment; (4) so we struggle, sometimes intensely; and (5) we make a decision, hoping it glorifies the Lord.

Deep down in our hearts, we need to be convinced that God’s will is the best choice, or we will be like an airplane that never gets off the ground. The following verses not only confirm that God’s will is good and achievable but also proven and tested. We can always trust the Lord for the very best, removing any doubts about what is truly best. If David or we argue from a place of doubt, we will never choose God’s ways. We need to mature enough to reach that point, like David did. These scriptures reassure us of the trustworthiness of the Lord’s words and ways.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

“As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried (proven); He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him” (Ps 18:30).

In the end, we need to make a decision. It’s good that we can trust God with the results and, as in this case, see the good done not by ignoring our feelings but by remembering the importance of God’s Word.

During such times, we need to quickly and carefully search for the facts, be aware of our immediate reactions and tendencies, and closely examine God’s Word to understand what God truly desires. David likely had less than a minute to process this. It was difficult, but it was God’s test for David. This is why, even when David’s friends urged him to proceed, he refused to comply. Likewise, Jesus, even when facing certain death, chose the path of suffering. The key is to identify what God is trying to accomplish through the situation. When we understand what primarily pleases Him, we can find extra grace to not seek to please people but to endure the situation by doing what pleases our Lord. Knowing that what you choose pleases God gives you extra strength, even if others protest your decision.

1. Handling Perplexing Moments (1 Samuel 24:1-4)

How should we handle a sudden new situation that appears in our lives?

24:1 Now it came about when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, saying, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. 2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3 And 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 recesses of the cave. 4 And the men of David said to him, “Behold, this is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.’” Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly.

Earlier, the anointed King David had to run for his life because King Saul was pursuing him. He was searching for anyone connected with David. So, we read in chapter 22.

2 And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him. 3 And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me” (1 Sam 22:2-3).

An Unfortunate Choice

Chapter 24 begins by emphasizing that King David's jealousy was not incidental, nor was it due to a localized concern for David’s presence. Instead, it stemmed from a genuine fear of the establishment of David’s kingdom. 24:2 states, "Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.” Saul took his best men and chased after a man of Israel whom God had clearly raised up. It is evident that Saul was not seeking God’s will. He did not trust that God’s will, timing, method, and purpose were good, as the verses above highlight. No matter how much you justify your actions (for example, protecting God’s kingdom of Israel, which God had set up through Saul), when we oppose God’s will, we are fighting against God Himself.

Killing David became King Saul’s full-time occupation.

David, of course, along with his men, became true victims in this contest to see how long he and his few men could survive such an evil pursuit.

What made it a perplexing time?

As we read on, however, God arranges for David to kill King Saul. There he is, in a cave with his men, vulnerable and seemingly deserving to die. This appeared to be David’s chance, right? Wrong, even though he had many reasons to justify killing King Saul.

  • He should protect himself from this mad tyrant (4).

  • David was also anointed king; he could confront his attacker and solidify his kingship (3).

  • Moreover, David was responsible for delivering justice for the wrong, right (4)? Think about it. Saul should be avenged for his massacre of Nob’s godly priests.

  • Saul was also mistreating many people, including David.

But something didn’t seem right with all of these factors. David refused to kill King Saul and instead cut off a piece of his robe with his sword. In an instant, he had a chance to put an end to this crazy chase and confirm his kingship, but David still didn’t raise his sword against Saul.

Confirmation or Confusion?

What made this worse was his men’s opinion. They strongly told David, “Behold, this is the day of which the LORD said to you!” They were right that the Lord had created this unique situation, but does the opportunity mean it is God’s will? Or was this a test of his values? He would soon be king. What kind of respect should he give the king, even if people disagreed with his policies? But King Saul was anointed by the Lord, and what right does he have to go against the Lord Himself?

So, although David’s men urged him to strike the king and it seemed very clear to them as God’s obvious will, David was not so sure. All the signs pointed to a shared desire for revenge among David’s men. They even used religious words to persuade David: “Behold, this is the day of which the LORD said to you!” Needless to say, if Saul had the chance, he would kill all these men without a second thought. Even if it troubled David, couldn’t he have ordered his men to attack Saul? They would have happily killed King Saul for him.

What did David do? What would you do? Unless we have private and quiet times before the Lord, the world’s voice will seem to make a lot of sense, and we, in turn, will make colossal mistakes. Perhaps, some of you have already made such decisions and discovered the bad consequences of reactive decision-making, that is, doing what you feel is right in the moment.

Without private times with God, we will make colossal mistakes.

Don’t underestimate the value of the quiet times you spend with the Lord. If we do not regularly meet with Him, we may struggle to prioritize His words during confusing times.

Perplexing moments | Inner testings | Personal resolve | Questions