Saturday, June 11, 2016

Bible Study Notes in 1 Samuel- Chapter 21


1 Samuel 21



-David is now on the run from a king who wants him dead. He ventures to Nob, due south of where he had been in Ramah and Gibeah and straight north of Jerusalem. There he meets Ahimelech the priest, who came out trembling in fear as David arrived. He may have had some suspicions and wanted to know why David was all alone. David told him a lie. He said that he had been commissioned by the king to a matter no one was to know about with men meeting him at a certain place. He beseeched the priest for some provisions such as bread and supplies for this mission. Ahimelech informed him however that there was no ordinary bread available. Only the consecrated bread offered to the LORD in His table of Presence was attainable. The priest offered it to David only if he and his men had been sexually pure from women. David assured him the vessels of these were holy, so the priest gave him the consecrated bread that he had removing it from the table of the LORD’s Presence (1 Samuel 21:1-6). This was unlawful (Leviticus 24:5-9), but the priest put David and the nation’s needs ahead of religious ceremony. Jesus used this Scripture to defend some of His disciples’ actions when they were accused of breaking Sabbath traditions of men (Matthew 12:1-8).

-*Application* David’s lie seemed to have been insignificant enough, but nowhere in Scripture is this sin commended. In fact, 85 priests ended up dying because of this seemingly innocent little fib (1 Samuel 22:9-19). Dishonesty is never right, even when we are in trouble. God can still take care of us when we are fully straightforward.

-Now one of the servants of Saul was there that infamous day. His name was Doeg. He was an Edomite, the chief of Saul’s shepherds. This would prove fateful as events unfolded in Israel (1 Samuel 21:7; 22:9-19).

-Since he was empty handed, David proceeded to deceivingly ask for weapons from the priest. Unaware of any growing tension within the kingdom, Ahimelech offered to the national hero the spear of Goliath the Philistine, whom David had actually killed. David took it and departed, fleeing towards the enemy’s camp in Gath to Achish their king. Obviously he had a reputation there as the Philistine servants of Achish remembered the songs of the Israelis, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” The Bible represents David at this time as taking these words to heart with a great fear of Achish, king of Gath. Therefore, he disguised his sanity before these pagans and acted insanely in their company scribbling on the doors of their city gate and letting saliva run down his beard in a messy drool. Achich couldn’t even understand why his men would bring this lunatic into his presence behaving as a madman. He told them there were plenty of crazy people around him already. He didn’t need David in the presence of his house thinking he had lost his mind (1 Samuel 21:8-15).

*Application* Once again, we see David in a state of desperation and deceiving with his conduct. This was period of doubt and fear in this young man’s life. We all go through seasons like this when we have the promise and call of God, yet things don’t seem to be working out like we thought they would right away. Let’s learn the lessons from David here and keep trusting in the LORD with honest hearts and actions even during dark times of distress and complications.



Verse to Memorize: 1 Samuel 21:6

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