1 Samuel 22:1-23

David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

And David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. And he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother stay with you, till I know what God will do for me.” And he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

Now Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day.” Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, 10 and he inquired of the LORD for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11 Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king. 12 And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 And Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?” 14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and captain over your bodyguard, and honored in your house? 15 Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, much or little.” 16 And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house.” 17 And the king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the LORD. 18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. 19 And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.

20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. 22 And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house. 23 Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”

(ESV)

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David left Gath and hid in the cave of Adullam. His family joined him there—probably because they feared retribution from Saul. All those who were battling under Saul whether in distress, debt, or discontent joined with David and he became commander over them. David had a following of about four hundred men.

David went to Mizpeh of Moab and asked the king to give safety to his parents while he waited for God to reveal His plan. David’s great-grandmother, Ruth, was a Moabite. His stay in a Moabite stronghold was only temporary because the prophet Gad told him not to remain there but return to the land of Judah. The Law forbade establishing friendly treaties with the Moabites (Deu 23:2-6) so David moved his hiding to the forest of Hereth in Judah.

When Saul heard about David’s whereabouts he became enraged. He referred to all his servants around him as people of Benjamin. This suggests that he had given government positions of highest authority to his fellow kinsmen (which was not an uncommon practice). Saul implied they all had much to lose if David took the throne. Then he accused them of conspiring against him and keeping the fact that Jonathan had made a covenant with David from him. Then Doeg the Edomite revealed that he had seen David in Nob. He spoke of Ahimelech giving David provisions and the sword of Goliath. He added that Ahimelech had inquired of the Lord for David.

Saul summoned Ahimelech and his family. Just like David, and Jonathan before him, Saul referred to Ahimelech only as “son of Ahitub”. Saul accused Ahimelech of conspiring and aiding David in his rise against him. Ahimelech defended his actions first by pointing out that David was Saul’s faithful servant, his son-in-law, the captain of his bodyguard, and highly respected in Saul’s household. Secondly what he had done for David was not unusual. Finally, Ahimelech affirmed his loyalty as a servant of Saul who knew nothing of the supposed conspiracy.

Saul sentenced Ahimelech to death along with his entire household for what he had done. Saul instructed his guards to execute the priests but they refused. Perhaps they refused because they could see there was no conspiracy. David was previously the captain of the bodyguards and he had told Ahimelech that his men who served were careful to obey God’s law. As such, they would have been unwilling to lay a hand on the priests of God. But Doeg the Edomite had no such restraint and he killed eighty-five priests who were authorised (wore the linen ephod) to serve in the worship of the Lord. Then Doeg went to Nob, the city of the priests, and wiped out everyone, man, woman, child, infant, ox, donkey, and sheep. This kind of annihilation is similar to the ban God put on Canaanite cities that would lead Israel to sin against Him (Deu 20:17-18). That this act was perpetrated against those who served to point Israel towards God and away from sinning is an abomination. Saul truly was a king like all the nations (1 Sam 8:5).

Abiathar, one of Ahimelech’s sons, managed to escape and let David know what had happened. David confessed that he had known that Doeg the Edomite would tell Saul and so he was guilty of the death of Abiathar’s entire family. David invited Abiathar to stay with them and offered him protection.

Saul had lost all reason and given way to fanciful thoughts no longer based in reality. He had convinced himself that David was the bad guy and that everyone else was on David’s side against him. Our thoughts can be dangerous when we don’t seek out wise counsel based on the word of God (Heb 4:12). On the other hand, like Saul’s guards, we should ignore the evil direction of those who are operating outside of God’s way (Acts 5:29). What is guiding your thoughts?


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