If you read through I and II Samuel, you will find that David seemed to be constantly getting himself in a mess. Today’s text finds him running from Saul for his life. Saul has shown his jealousy and hatred for David by trying to kill him. Jonathan, Saul’s son, has warned David of the impending danger, and David has fled the area. In seeking help, he goes to the priest for food and possibly shelter. He is hungry and asks for bread while there.
I Samuel 21:1-3 “Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know anything of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place. Now therefore what is under thine hand? Give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.”
Ahimelech, the priest, questions David. David lies because he fears for his life. He is not on a mission for the king; no men are with him. Some commentators believe some of his servants had left with him but are elsewhere searching for food or help. He asks for bread, but there is none except the shewbread. It is placed in the Tabernacle to remind God’s people of His provision. The bread that Ahimelech the priest had was the week-old bread he had removed from the table to be eaten by the priest.
Now, David asks for a weapon from the priest. David says he does not have his own because the king’s business requires hast. Again, David lies. The only weapon available in the temple was the sword he used to cut off the head of Goliath. It was Goliath’s weapon. David was familiar with it, and it pleased him, so he took it.
I Samuel 21:8-9 “And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.”
It is amazing what fear will do to a man who had stood against a giant with complete trust in God. Had David drifted from his deep relationship with God? Had he allowed his faith to be replaced with fear? When we read about David before he became so popular, he was trusting God to kill a bear, a lion, and a giant! A giant no one else would tackle. Not even the most experienced warrior in Israel. Now, tired, hungry, and alone, he lies to meet his needs. I wonder if many of David’s problems could have been avoided if he had continued to trust God as he did in his youth.
While meeting with the priest, David is spotted by Doeg, who is in charge of the servants of Saul. Later, when Saul is feeding his anger, paranoia, and jealousy, he remarks that everyone has conspired against him, even his own son. He even tries to kill Jonathan because of his anger. After this pity party from Saul, Doeg hears him and tells of David’s time with the priest. The result is that David’s sin cost the priests and their families their lives.
I Samuel 22:8-10 “That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that showed me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
David’s sin was costly to the priest, to Jonathan, and to those who had watched David be bold for the Lord. His best friend conflicted with his father, the priests and their families were murdered, and David’s testimony was marred. Now, this brave warrior was running for his life. He was trusting in himself to save his life. Doing so distanced him from God. We find in Psalm 56 that David is turning back to God in repentance and trust. He is in Gath where he was seeking refuge, but no refuge is to be found. When he is at the end of himself, he again seeks God.
Anytime we take matters into our own hands, the end result will not go well. David lied, in a panic, he failed to seek God first. He thought he had things under control. He never expected so many lives to be lost because of his actions. God hates sin, any sin, and it will always cost those involved and usually hurts those who have nothing to do with it, just like the families of the priests that Doeg murdered.
Sin cannot be hidden from God. God made the declaration in Numbers 32:23, that sin would be revealed, and God does not lie. We can choose to repent, and we will be forgiven, but we cannot choose our consequences.
Numbers 32:23 “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out.”
You may think the only way David survived was to lie. If so, you are discounting God’s power. The only reason David lived was that God had another plan for him.
