1Samuel 21-22 Lying ranks right up there in the list of sins as that which God hates. [Prov 6:16]
The anointed King David rose to prominence as the Goliath killer, unafraid of his size and character. Yet, as we read this chapter, we find that fear of King Saul drove David to sin to protect himself. Where was God then? It seems like we are doing another lap around the wilderness and we are back to Prov 29:25 again “the fear of man is a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.” How often does this verse reveal our heart and our actions, like the old saying of putting the cart before the horse.
David’s sin of lying led to tragic results when Doeg the Edomite killed the high priest and the other priests. This won’t be David’s first lie which causes us to wonder why did God choose him to be the next king. The answer is what God told Samuel. I don’t look at the outward man but the heart of the man. One of the character qualities of David is that of repentance when his sin was revealed.
We are quick to criticize David but fail to see how often we too make critical mistakes when it comes to self-protection because of the fear of man. Remember the words of Isaiah “God is the one you must respect, He is the one you should fear.” [Is 8:13]
Today, stop and slow down; think before you act and repent when your sin is revealed.