For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed? Therefore may Yahweh reward you good for that which you have done to me this day.
This chapter helps us deal with the common temptation to get even, by showing us David’s example of trusting God and not retaliating. It also deals with how we should view securing what God has promised us. David let God determine how and when he would become king. He refused the temptation to take matters into his own hands and thereby determine his destiny (cf. 2 Kings 8:14-15). We see David growing in this chapter. He began by threatening the king, but then he backed off and declined to kill Saul. Finally he determined even to trust God to control Saul’s descendants, as well as Saul himself, and to preserve Saul’s memory in Israel. God rewarded David for his trust and obedience by giving him a peaceful conscience immediately, and safety when his own son, Absalom, rose up against him.