Saul again confessed that he had sinned, as he had done when he had sacrificed at Gilgal (v. 21; cf. 15:24, 30) and when David had spared his life in the cave (24:17). Nevertheless he seems to have failed again to follow through with genuine repentance (cf. 27:1). He also admitted that he had played the fool (similar to Nabal) and had committed a serious error.266The writer did not record Saul as having gone this far in admitting his faults in the preceding chapters.
David returned Saul's spear to him (v. 22) and with it the symbol of the right to rule. Perhaps David did not return the jug of water to remind Saul that he still had the power to end Saul's life. He was confident God would repay each of them eventually, and he determined to wait for Him to do so (v. 23). David acknowledged that Yahweh was his real deliverer (v. 24).267Saul could have overwhelmed David's smaller band of followers. Instead he departed with a prophetic declaration of David's final success (v. 25; cf. 24:20). The text does not record another meeting of David and Saul before Saul died.
The main lesson of chapter 26 appears in verse 23: "the Lord will repay"(cf. Prov. 20:22; 24:29; Rom. 12:17, 19). The Lord Jesus Christ is our greatest example of one who trusted the Father to vindicate Him (cf. Luke 23:46). Our vindication does not always come in this lifetime, as David's did. Sometimes it comes after death, as Jesus' did. Another great revelation is God's patience with Saul. God gave him many opportunities to repent and to experience God's blessing within the sphere of his judgment (cf. 15:26), but Saul did not repent.
David had borne witness twice to Saul's guilt before God (chs. 24 and 26; cf. Num. 35:30). God proceeded to put him to death not long after this (ch. 31). David became God's instrument in passing judgment on Saul for his sin and so became a blessing to all Israel.
