The object lesson that David presented to Saul had a double application. David proved that he was not trying to kill Saul because Saul was the Lord's anointed. Furthermore he showed that it was inappropriate for Saul to seek to kill him because he, too, was the Lord's anointed, as Saul now knew (v. 20). David modelled for Saul what the king's dealings with him should have been.
"Our tendency is to say, Oh, just leave it alone. It'll all work out.' But David didn't leave it alone. He said, King Saul, you're listening to false counsel. People are telling you lies about me. Why do you listen to them?' Then he said. Let me give you proof, verbal and visual proof, O King!' . . .
"David told Saul the whole unvarnished truth; he told it to the person to whom it mattered most. Not to his comrades or to Saul's friends or to the people of Israel, but to Saul himself. He came to terms with the individual with whom there was the battle."242
By addressing Saul as his lord (v. 8), his king (v. 8), and his father (v. 11), David expressed respect, submission, and affection. People sometimes used the term "father"to imply a covenant relationship, and David may have had that in mind here (cf. 26:25).243He was Saul's son-in-law and successor (son) under Yahweh's covenant with Israel (cf. 18:3; 20:16, 42; 23:18; 2 Sam. 9:1).
David called on Yahweh to judge (respond to his actions) and to avenge (reward David for his dealings with Saul; v. 12; cf. Deut. 32:35; Rom. 12:17-21). He promised that he would not usurp God's role by judging Saul or by rewarding him in kind for his evil deeds. He may have compared himself to a dead dog and a single flea (v. 14) to help Saul realize that he viewed himself as harmless and insignificant, beneath Saul's dignity to pursue. These comparisons may also have been warnings that Saul should not think of David as helpless and insignificant. David also voiced his reliance on God to defend and save him (v. 15; cf. Ps. 35:1).
David's defense here reminds us of Samuel's apologiato the nation when he reached the end of his career (ch. 12).
