There are many things about King David that that earned him the description: “a man after God’s own heart.” Remaining submissive to Saul is one of those things.
1. David was a better leader than Saul. 1 Samuel 18:7 says that the people were celebrating that David was a better leader than Saul. David had tremendous character to remain submissive to a leader who didn’t have the same leadership capacity that David himself had. A reminder to all those in second-chair (or third, fourth or fifth-chair leaders) is that your leadership capacity isn’t a reason to stop submitting to your leader.
2. God had removed his anointing from Saul. We read that God told Samuel that he had rejected Saul as king in 1 Samuel 16:1. Samuel went to anoint the next king. The fact that God had rejected Saul as king did not remove Saul from the position of king. It can be tempting to look at our leader and conclude that God has rejected him as leader. We can start questioning his leadership capacity and decision making ability. The fact is, God may have rejected the leader, but it is not our responsibility to replace the leader. That is still in God’s hands. A friend of mine recently used a line that is appropriate: “The interaction between God and man is often mishandled.”
3. Samuel had anointed David as the next king. 1 Samuel 16:13 records the time that Samuel anointed David to be king. This happened before David even entered Saul’s service. One of the hardest places for an individual to be, especially when they realize they are the next leader, is the position of follower. David entered Saul’s service knowing that God had rejected Saul as king and knowing that he was going to be the next king!
David was such a man of integrity. For David to remain submissive to a rejected king and to remain submissive to a king who was trying to kill him required that he was submitted to The King of kings.
