Why in the world would they get so excited about it? Because they’re free. When you obey, you’re free. When you disobey, you’re in bondage. All around us we see individuals in bondage because they’re in sin, and all they talk about is freedom. They’re not free. The obedient guy dancing is free.

We’ve got David standing here mad at the Lord, when, in fact, the Lord was angry at David. About now you might be thinking, Well, I thought you said he was a man after God’s heart. I did—or, rather, God did. Does that mean he’s perfect? It does not. Having a heart for God doesn’t mean you’re perfect, it means you’re sensitive.

Because of David’s many mighty acts and the legacy he left, it is easy to forget that for a dozen or more years he lived as a fugitive and spent many hours of discouragement and disillusionment in the wilderness. He was a broken, humbled man during those days as a fugitive.

Behind the great tragedy of Saul’s life is a very interesting analogy—an analogy between Saul’s death and Christ’s death. At first glance we might say, “What in the world would we find common to both Saul and Christ?” Actually, there are six analogies worth noting.

What do you think those who survive you will write as your epitaph? How will your obituary read? What words will be used in the eulogy to sum up your life? Saul’s epitaph was a sad one, summing up the tragic life of this man who played such an important role in David’s life.

David had reached the point in life where some people think of taking their own lives. He was so far down the ladder of despair that he’d reached the bottom rung. The last stop. The place where you either jump off into oblivion or you cry out to God for His forgiveness. For rescue.

Mission accomplished! Everybody wins. David and his men go back full of food and all the wiser. Fantastic! Abigail goes home, and her husband puts his arm around her and says, “Honey, thanks. You’re a great lady . . . more precious than rubies.” No. I wish it said that. On the contrary.

My, oh my, did David learn a lesson! “Blessed be God. He kept me from murdering this man—from doing evil. I don’t have to fight that kind of battle, that’s God’s job. If vengeance is required, it is God’s to do.”

AbigaiI knew her husband, didn’t she? Everyone knew what he was like, so why hide it? Why try to cover up what he had done? She didn’t. And yet she took the responsibility upon herself. “When you sent those ten men and they had that interaction with my husband, I wasn’t there to give another kind of response.