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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