[Brother V]

1 Samuel 22-24

Today we get:

• Saul hunting David
• Doeg the Edomite
• David and Saul in the cave

1 Samuel 22

1 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.

So David is on the run from Saul, and his entire family goes to follow 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.

Again, David was like the guy in Braveheart. All the people in distress went and joined up with him. David and his band.

So then David and his group go to Moab. Then a prophet of the LORD tells him to leave, so he does.

Saul hears where David is, and he gathers together his men.

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 sheweth 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?

First he says that David won't treat them as well as he does. Then he threatens them for not telling him about David and Jonathan.

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.

Remember, from our last reading, Doeg was there in 1 Samuel 21:7.

Doeg tells Saul that the priest gave him bread, and Goliath's sword.

11 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.

Saul asks them what happened.

14 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 enquire 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.

Ahimelech didn't know that Saul wanted to kill David.

16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.

Heck, most of his father's house was already dead. (Remember Eli and two of his boys died on the same day).

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 shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.

At least some of the kings men wouldn't kill the priests.

18 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.

Doeg killed 85 priests.

Then he went and killed everyone in Nob, where the priests lived.

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.

For unknowing treason against the king, everyone in the city of nob was killed.

20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.

Abiathar was the only surviving priest from Nob, he tells David of the slaughter. David reflects that he knew Doeg was there, and would tell Saul.

23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.

1 Samuel 23

1 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.

So David asks the LORD a couple of times if he should go fight the Philistines. Each time, the LORD says "yeah, go kick their asses".

5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

Abiathar took an ephod with him when he fled.

7 And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.

David then asks Abiathar to consult the ephod. Think of the ephod as kind of a Ouija board, except it's for asking the LORD instead of asking just some random spirit.

11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down.

12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up.

So they left.

15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.

Sherwood forest?

16 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.

How can Jonathan find David, but all the rest of the kings men can't?

Some people told Saul David was hiding in the wood, so David and his guys had to leave.

This chase continues for a while.

27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.

Darn Philistines, getting in the way of Saul hunting David.

1 Samuel 24

1 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.

Back to the hunt.

2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

David was hiding in caves? Like a common bin laden?

3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.

Apparently, the cave was big enough for Saul to stay in and for David and all his men, without Saul noticing them.

4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.

David obviously had another sharp thing, other than Goliath's sword. I don't think it'd be possibly to do anything privily with Goliath's sword.

5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.

Why would he feel bad for cutting off a piece of Saul's attire?

6 And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.

Except God delivered David into his hands. But David was just and kind, he also probably didn't realize that God had rejected Saul.

Saul left.

8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.

David says to the king that it's other people who tell him that David wants to hurt him.

10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD's anointed.

11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.

See, I don't want to hurt you, but I had to prove to you, so here's your garment.

15 The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.

David was willing to do something that Mudslimes aren't willing to do. He said, (basically) if God really wants you dead, he'll kill you himself, I won't do it.

Saul responds:

17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.

Is evil really a reward? It's more of a salary than a reward.

19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.

Ah, see, David was due being rewarded with good, and since Saul wasn't doing it, the LORD did it.

20 And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.

Saul doesn't abdicate the throne, he just removes Jonathan from it.

21 Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.

When you become king, take care of my kids.

22 And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.

So what have we learned today?

1. Saul really wanted to kill David, the only thing that stopped him from getting the job done, was a darn Philistine incursion.
2. Doeg likes to kill priests.
3. Doeg likes to kill priests' families too.
4. David will cut the tips off of 200 Philistines, but feels more guilty about cutting a piece off Saul's robe.

YIC
V

[Brother Temperance]

Originally Posted by Brother V

Doeg killed 85 priests.

Then he went and killed everyone in Nob, where the priests lived.

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.

For unknowing treason against the king, everyone in the city of nob was killed.

I've never understood why people get so hung up on the killing of "innocent" civilians, considering the amount of men, women, children, sucklings and sheep who get slaughtered in the Bible for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[Ahimaaz Smith]

Originally Posted by Brother V

20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.

I noted in my comment to Day 84 that Ahimelech was a junior priest serving the high priest Abiathar. I didn't tell the whole story, because I didn't want to spoil the surprise, but these two priests were related in a very interesting way. Compare:

And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. 1 Samuel 22:20

And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, [that] he came down [with] an ephod in his hand. 1 Samuel 23:6

And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, [were] the priests; and Seraiah [was] the scribe; 2 Samuel 8:17, 1 Chronicles 18:16,

And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, one of the Levites, wrote them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar 1 Chronicles 24:6

So it turns out that not only was Abiathar the son of Ahimelech, he was also his father's father, Ahitub, too! What could demonstrate the true extent of God's greatness more than this?

We'll be hearing more from Abiathar the priest during Solomon's reign as king.