“He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself” (1 Samuel 24:3).
Federal Visionists and other budding theologians routinely miss the import of passages such as this because they have rejected Reformed hermeneutics.
The Reformed faith has always insisted that the most basic hermeneutical principle is distinguishing between law and gospel. Some have difficulty understanding this, but it is as simple as recognizing the differences between indicatives and imperatives.
The law comes to us in imperatives, such as “abide in me,” “deny yourself” or “repent and believe.” These are commands, which are designed to bring terror.
The gospel comes to us in indicatives, such as “there is none who does good,” “there is none righteous,” or “all our righteousness is as filthy rags.” These are indicatives, which are designed to bring comfort.
Every verse in the Bible is either law or gospel, either terror or comfort. Being Reformed means having the skill to distinguish the law from the gospel. On the other hand, confusing law and gospel is the quickest ticket to Rome and her suburbs (e.g., CREC, CoE, EO, etc.).
So, what is 1 Samuel 24:3? Is this law or gospel? Clearly, this is an indicative statement, which means that this is gospel. Thus, Saul’s bowel movement is designed to bring you comfort, not terror.
