Unexpected Mercy

God’s Mercy in David’s Dark Season

As I've reflected on 1 Samuel 29, we see when we look at this text is the quiet mercy of God at work. It rescues David from a hard situation where it’s difficult to find an easy way out. David has gone into the land of the Philistines and has been serving as a mercenary and vassal of Achish.

Listen to that - mercenary? David? If we are reading this text with rosy eyes and thinking David is always good and Saul is always bad, we miss the real depth of each person. Like us, they have their good moments and they have their dark and regretful moments. This season has been one of those dark moments for David.

This season has David on a dangerous path. God has gone quiet in the text. David is reasoning in his own head and not talking to God. I think this is a dark night of the soul for David. I think he is struggling spiritually with God and the season he’s been in.

What Mercy Really Means

It seems like the most unexpected time for David to receive any mercy. In fact, I found myself not wanting David to get off so easy. It didn’t feel right. But, that’s how mercy works. It’s not a reward and it doesn’t just come to those who deserve it. Mercy is NOT getting what you deserve.

My feeling made me realize it’s because I can forget just how much God has been merciful to me but more importantly, just how much i didn’t deserve it. I don’t deserve the mercy of God. And it can be so easy for us to be tidy religious people and forget the great debt that God has forgiven of us. How merciful he has been toward us. And if you’re like me, we need to go back and remember our chains and remember the life you’d have if not for God’s mercy. God didn’t just make you a better person and clean you up a little. You deserved and were entitled to nothing. You were an enemy of God. You participated in killing the son of God and yet God was merciful to you.

God Gives Mercy as He Wills

The point is: God gives mercy as he wills. It’s not random or pointless. God is working.

God gives mercy to those who don’t know they need it, aren’t looking for it, and haven’t asked for it.

Recognizing the Quiet Mercy of God

David doesn't seem to recognize the quiet mercy of God here. Maybe on his walk home he feels conviction. Maybe something will awaken. Hopefully something shifts in David because the next chapter will be the hardest test of David’s journey. He’ll have everything and everyone taken and it will press him.

Until then, we should marvel before God’s mercy.