How do you live with the actions and choices made throughout your life? Are we to live in constant fear of what we do in life? How can we have confidence to press on in difficult times? Did these thoughts of doubt and fear go through David’s mind after the wicked deeds of Saul in 1 Samuel 22? In 1 Samuel 21 David has departed from Jonathan after he learned with certainty that Saul was desiring to kill him. David’s flight from Saul leads him to Nob where Ahimelech the priest lived and served the Lord.
David had nothing with him as he fled so he needed provisions and he seeks help from Ahimelech in Nob. David doesn’t tell why he is away from Saul but he expresses the urgency of his need for help to Ahimelech. The renown of David had grown throughout Israel because God had faithfully helped David as he fought for Israel. There was no reason to make Ahimelech worry as to what David was doing in Nob so food and the sword of Goliath were provided to help David on his journey. While David was talking to Ahimelech another man Doeg the Edomite, a servant of Saul, was also present waiting to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and he overheard the talk.
As David continued to flee from Saul people who were downcast, discontented, and oppressed were drawn to him because God was bringing men to David that would serve him and that he could command. There were almost 400 men that joined David but I wonder how many other people came to David along with the men. When people are counted in the Bible it always talks of the men who could go to war but that doesn’t include the children and families of these men. David’s father, mother, and brothers were also drawn to seek out David as he fled Saul. There would easily be over 800 people who were now with David. I imagine that the people coming to join David were a great encouragement to him in a time when he felt alone and feared for his life.
When Saul heard from Doeg the Edomite that David had sought out Ahimelech in Nob for assistance he sent for all the priest from Nob to come before him. Ahimelech had no idea that Saul was seeking to kill David so he had nothing to fear of Saul. Saul accuses Ahimelech and his household of siding with David to usurp the throne to which they didn’t know anything of the dispute but Saul still seeks to kill all of the priests of the Lord and the people of Nob but his guards wouldn’t lift a hand against the priests of the Lord. You would think that the unwillingness of the men serving Saul to kill the priests would clue him into the fact his actions were wrong but Saul just turns to Doeg the Edomite to put the priests and everyone living in Nob to death.
What was the oppression of Saul’s rule like for the people of Israel? Did the Israelites finally regret asking God for a king to rule over them? When Samuel anointed Saul as king over Israel he told all the people that as long as they remained faithful to God that their king would remain faithful and follow God as well. Is Saul’s disobedience a reflection of the spiritual state of Israel? Were the people drawn to David the ones who saw the wickedness of Saul?
How did David feel when he heard the news of Saul killing the priests? In 1 Samuel 22:22 David says to Abiathar, the sole survivor of Ahimelech’s family, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have brought about the death of every person in your father’s household.” Looking at David’s actions it is easy to wonder if his going to seek help from Nob had caused all of the calamity for Ahimelech’s whole family but we must not count out the truth that Saul and Doeg are wholly accountable for their actions in killing the priests of the Lord. In the end God ordained and allowed the events to happen for His own purpose and glory. I cannot fully understand God’s actions but I trust that He is sovereign in all He does and there is never a need for God to explain His purpose.
When we are faced with situations that seem to spiral out of control as David did we need to remember that God is the one who is truly in control of all that happens around us. We need to live life with a bold confidence that as we seek to love God and love the people around us that God will work everything to bring glory to Himself. This will not mean that as we follow God through life we will not doubt our direction in life or our actions but we need to always turn back to trust the fact we life for a sovereign God who is always working in our midst to fulfill his promises.
