In chapter 25 David spares Saul's life a second time. It is difficult to understand why David returned to the wilderness of Ziph when he had experienced difficulty there before. He, like all men of clay, made mistakes!
Abishai was David's nephew and was a courageous warrior. David and Abishai entered Saul's camp by night. God had put a deep sleep upon the entire camp, so David and his nephew were not in danger. Abishai wanted to kill Saul, but David would not allow it. He again said he would not stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed. Instead, they took Saul's spear and a cruse of water.
David then went and stood on the top of a hill afar off and called to the people and to Abner. His message here to Saul was actually a plea for him to return to the Lord. In verse 18 David says, "Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? For what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?" If David had done wrong to Saul he wanted to get the matter settled. However, if he had not, then God would settle the matter for David. Note Saul's empty confession in verse 21. He says, "I have sinned...I have played the fool." But he still did not repent! man plays the fool when he runs ahead of the Lord; when he fails to obey completely; when he turns his back on his best friends; when he seeks guidance from the devil; and when he refuses to repent even when he knows he is wrong. Saul had done all these things, so he had indeed played the fool.
Chapter 27 deals with David's victories as he sought the mind of the Lord. Of course, he was not always walking in the will of the Lord, for it seems that his faith failed him when he went back to Gath to live under the protection of the enemy.
