The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
The words belong to David's confrontation with Saul, the established monarch determined to hold fast his power, while David was only a shepherd lad holding God's promise of the throne, with Saul pursuing him and David fearing for his life. David had the opportunity to kill Saul yet refused to lay a hand on him because Saul was the Lord's anointed, even regretting that he had cut off a piece of Saul's robe. In the verse he refuses personal revenge and leaves both the judgment between himself and Saul and the vengeance against Saul to the Lord. By sparing Saul he demonstrated his innocence, and Saul acknowledged that David had repaid evil with good and asked the Lord to reward him.
Though utterly helpless in himself, David trusted God's word and promise and withstood the power of the whole world, showing what faith accomplishes and how God's word prevails over human power and policy used to support evil. For anyone accused, the verse models appealing to the Lord to judge between the two parties and leaving vengeance to Him instead of taking it into one's own hands or claiming personal revenge. David's stand places him in the world's true nobility and royal line, which the youth of today are called to join.
The words belong to David's confrontation with Saul, the established monarch determined to hold fast his power, while David was only a shepherd lad holding God's promise of the throne, with Saul pursuing him and David fearing for his life. David had the opportunity to kill Saul yet refused to lay a hand on him because Saul was the Lord's anointed, even regretting that he had cut off a piece of Saul's robe. In the verse he refuses personal revenge and leaves both the judgment between himself and Saul and the vengeance against Saul to the Lord. By sparing Saul he demonstrated his innocence, and Saul acknowledged that David had repaid evil with good and asked the Lord to reward him.
Though utterly helpless in himself, David trusted God's word and promise and withstood the power of the whole world, showing what faith accomplishes and how God's word prevails over human power and policy used to support evil. For anyone accused, the verse models appealing to the Lord to judge between the two parties and leaving vengeance to Him instead of taking it into one's own hands or claiming personal revenge. David's stand places him in the world's true nobility and royal line, which the youth of today are called to join.