August 10,
2007
Rise up,
LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee
before thee. (Numbers 10: 35 KJV)
1 Samuel Chapter 22 Author: Unknown KJV
As we go through life, if we are Christians and belong to the Lord we will come under trial and tribulations in order to strengthen us in our faith. It’s quite easy to get upset when we are being tested. I know I have. The last time I became upset was a couple of hours ago and last night. None of my upsets were equal to David’s upsets and when we get upset our faith is tested and we must turn things over to the Lord for resolution. As in my case part of my resolution came from within my faith knowing the Lord will take care of the real reason for my getting upset in the first place. Furthermore in my case and with David, I don’t know the ultimate resolution but I know the Lord will take care of it in his time.
David has been through a lot:
1. His family holds him in little regard because he is the youngest
2. Samuel anoints him king
3. He kills Goliath
4. He is loved by the king and people alike
5. The king gives him command of his armies
6. Saul tries to kill David personally on at least three occasions with a spear
7. He pays a dowry of 200 Philistine fore skins to Saul for his wife
8. He is hunted by Saul’s henchmen to be killed
9. Forced to leave his home, his wife, his best friend Jonathan to live as a fugitive for an unknown length of time
10. He backslides trying to depend on himself rather than God
11. He foolishly walks into the Philistine city of Gath which could have been terminal
12. The Lord rescues him because the Philistines think he is crazy and lets him go free
David
no doubt is exhilarated from the rescue by the Lord but soon comes down and
starts to wonder about things. David wonders what’s next. He knows too that one day he is supposed
sit on the Throne of the Lord before Israel but doesn’t know if that is even
possible. He has no idea what is
going to happen just as we don’t know the ultimate resolution in our time of
trial.
David
at Adullam and Mizpah
(1
Samuel 22:1-2 KJV) "David therefore
departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all
his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. {2}
And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in
debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him;
and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred
men."
There was no
place else for David to go but a cave called Adullam. Adullam translates to mean refuge. For now this cave would be David’s
refuge. The Lord arranges it so
that this is not Davis’s ultimate refuge.
In fact we should look the LORD for he is our refuge and our
strength. The Lord sends David’s
father and brothers to him as well as other men who are disgruntled with the
direction of King Saul.
David and
these men could have become marauders going after Saul and his kingdom, but
David will not allow that for his men.
He will later use these men and others for the Glory and Honor of
God.
(1
Samuel 22:3-4 KJV) "And David went
thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and
my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God
will do for me. {4} And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they
dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold."
David was a
descendant of the Moabites as his great grandmother Ruth was a Moabitess who
left the land of Moab with her mother in law Naomi and was redeemed by
Boaz. So David was able to take
care of his parents in this manner until things came more settled in his
life.
(1
Samuel 22:5 KJV) "And the prophet
Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land
of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of
Hareth."
The Lord
wanted David to be among the people of Israel and in a fortress outside of
Israel. David and the prophets got
along well because David knew they were messengers from God and heeded to their
words whereas Saul always wanted to do it his way. I’m reminded of Frank Sinatra and the
song “My Way”. Sinatra was another
Saul in his own right and was proud that he did his thing and it all worked out
OK. Perhaps in this life, but I’m
sure Sinatra is feeling the heat from the audacity of not only his song but for
his life.
(1
Samuel 22:6-10 KJV) "When Saul
heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now
Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and
all his servants were standing about him;) {7} Then Saul said unto
his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of
Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all
captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; {8} That all of you have
conspired against me, and there is none that showeth 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 showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against
me, to lie in wait, as at this day? {9} 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. {10} And he inquired of the LORD
for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the
Philistine."
Saul is
blaming his own servants for not keeping him informed of David. He mocks David by calling him the son of
Jesse because Jesse’s family was poor and among the least in Israel. David was the least of the least. That’s how God works, he always takes
the least for his work and they wind up being great men of the
Lord.
As our story goes,
Doeg the Edomite reported to Saul that he say David visiting with the Ahimelech
the priest as he was fleeing Saul.
Doeg takes the pressure off of the servants of Saul as Saul turns his
hateful anger toward Ahimelech and his entire family.
(1
Samuel 22:11-13 KJV) "Then the king
sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's
house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the
king. {12} And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub.
And
he answered, Here I am, my lord. {13} And Saul said unto him,
Why
have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given
him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise
against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?"
Since David
lied to Ahimelech and told him he was about the king’s business therefore
Ahimelech defends David and he knows nothing of the differences between Saul and
David.
(1
Samuel 22:14-15 KJV) "Then
Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all
thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy bidding,
and is honourable in thine house? {15} Did I then begin to inquire of God
for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his
servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing
of all this, less or more."
Saul
believes the priest is lying.
(1
Samuel 22:16-17 KJV) "And the king
said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.
{17}
And
the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests
of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew
when he fled, and did not show it to me.
But
the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests
of the LORD."
The king’s
officials knew well that David was most loyal. Secondly none of his servants could
commit such a terrible murder as to kill the Lord’s
priests.
(1
Samuel 22:18-19 KJV) "And the king
said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned,
and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons
that did wear a linen ephod. {19} And Nob, the city of the priests, smote
he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and
oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword."
Well we know
now that when Doeg saw David with Ahimelech together we know that he was not
visiting the Tent of Meeting to truly worship the Lord. He was there for some sort of thing
other than worship, perhaps fulfilling an obligation as an official to the
king. Doeg get’s so blood thirsty,
he not only kills the priests, but he kills everyone of the town of Nob. The Israelites got the king they wanted
when they wanted a king just like the other nations have. The kings of other nations killed their
subjects on a whim and Saul is doing the same.
(1 Samuel 22:20-23 KJV) "And one of the sons of Ahimelech the
son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. {21} And
Abiathar showed David that Saul had slain the LORD'S priests. {22} And
David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite
was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death
of all the persons of thy father's house. {23} Abide thou with me,
fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou
shalt be in safeguard."
David
regrets the lie he told Ahimelech and takes responsibility for their
deaths. He then tells Abiathar to
stay with him and he will be protected.
Both Abiathar and David were men hunted by Saul. Both men need each other, for Abiathar
was a priest and David was the anointed king.
24 The LORD bless
thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his
face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up
his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
27 And they shall
put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless
them.
Numbers
6 KJV
Have
a blessed day
Lee
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