1 Samuel 21:1-2 David went to Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” 2 David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place.
On his uncertain path David goes to the right place — the house of the LORD.
Ahimelech is afraid when he sees David: To Ahimelech something seems wrong that a prominent man like David is wandering around the villages of Judea by himself. Clearly Ahimelech knows nothing of the conflict between David and Saul.
The king sent me on a secret mission: This is a plain lie. David lies about the secret mission, lies about what Saul says, lied about having men with him because David is all alone.
I understand why David lies and I even sympathize with him a little after all he’s been through up to this point. But in God’s eyes and in God’s word there is never sufficient justification for a lie. (9) Exodus 20:16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. Leviticus 19:11 “Do not lie. “Do not deceive one another.
People lie for various reasons: To make themselves look better to others, for personal or financial gain, or, as David does here, to protect themselves. (to protect ourselves from people finding out the truth about us). Every lie is a sin against God. In this context, David, in lying to protect himself, as well as for personal gain, is essentially saying; God you can’t protect or provide for me, so I’ll have to lie to achieve these things myself.
This lie, as all sin does has consequences, and David would come to horribly regret this lie: 1 Samuel 22:18b-19 That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep. (David’s lie played a part in this) And he will continue to lie and deceive.
1 Samuel 21:3-6 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.” 4 But the priest answered David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here—provided the men have kept themselves from women.” 5 David replied, “Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men’s bodies are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!” 6 So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.
David is hungry. He needs food for now and for later. The tabernacle of the LORD has a table that holds twelve loaves of consecrated/holy bread (bread of presence-showbread) symbolizing God’s continual fellowship with Israel.
(Exodus 25) Leviticus 24:5-9 “Take the finest flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf. 6 Arrange them in two stacks, six in each stack, on the table of pure gold before the Lord. 7 By each stack put some pure incense as a memorial portion to represent the bread and to be a food offering presented to the Lord. 8 This bread is to be set out before the Lord regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant. 9 It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in the sanctuary area, because it is a most holy part of their perpetual share of the food offerings presented to the Lord.”
This passage in Leviticus does not specifically say that only priests can eat the showbread, it does establish the principle that it must be regarded as holy and can’t be distributed casually. So that’s why Ahimelech asked David for a basic level of ceremonial cleanness before he gave him the showbread.
Ahimelech gives David the old showbread, which had been taken from before the LORD, in order to put hot bread in its place.
In giving David the bread, Ahimelech may have broken with priestly custom but not with God’s Word. Ahimelech understood that human need was more important than Levitical tradition or custom.
When Jesus’ disciples were criticized by the Pharisees for breaking religious custom by picking and eating heads of grain on the Sabbath, Jesus used what Ahimelech did to explain the matter: Matthew 12:1-8 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!” 3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
Jesus approved of what Ahimelech did, and Jesus honored him by standing on Ahimelech’s same ground.
The point with Ahimelech and Jesus is powerful: human traditions are never more important than God’s word itself. If God had said, “Only the priests can eat this bread,” it would have been different. But God never said that. To put the only in there may seem logical, but it is adding to God’s Word. We must never elevate our understanding, interpretation or our application of God’s Word to the same level as God’s Word itself.
1 Samuel 21:7-9 Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; he was Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief shepherd. 8 David asked Ahimelek, “Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s mission was urgent.” 9 The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.” David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”
We meet a character we will meet again. Doeg was chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul, and he was not an Israelite but an Edomite.
Chief shepherd: The word translated chief means mighty, but can also be used to mean violent or obstinate. Doeg will show himself to be a violent and obstinate man.
I understand why David feels like he needs a weapon. But it’s also sad that David continues his lies and deceit. It’s sad because just a short time ago David, standing before Goliath, said: Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.”
The uncertain path has taken a man whose faith once towered above all those around him and reduced it to a place where he uses lies and deceit for provision and protection. What has changed? Has God changed? Only David’s circumstances have changed. David has allowed the circumstances of life to blur his focus on the God he once relied on for provision and protection. (Here we see why the uncertain path was necessary)
As David holds the sword of Goliath (There is none like it). God’s desire here is that David would remember how he came to possess it in the first place. Because he didn’t get it with lies and deceit. He got it through a bold trust and faith in God.
David can have the sword of Goliath, but he would be better equipped if instead he had the faith that killed Goliath.
1 Samuel 21:10 That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.
David is now among the Philistines. He must be at a low point in his life to think he could find peaceful refuge among these enemies of Israel — especially since he is carrying Goliath’s sword into Goliath’s hometown. (Recognize him)
1 Samuel 21:11-12 But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” 12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath.
The Philistines of Gath recognized David as the king of the land. These ungodly pagans understood David’s destiny better than King Saul.
The song and dance about David that swept through the nation of Israel seems to be also popular among the Philistines. David’s reputation has preceded him.
David knows that they know who he is. He is the one who killed and decapitated their champion warrior Goliath. He was the one who has killed many Philistines, including the 200 he killed for their foreskins. (David is very much afraid) PRAY
It is only from David’s words in Psalm 56 that we can truly understand what happened here. The title of this Psalm identifies it as the song he wrote, revealing to us the events and where his heart was when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Psalm 56 describes David’s journey from fear to praising God while captive in Gath.
For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam. When the Philistines had seized him in Gath. (Understand this)
Psalm 56:1-13 Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies are in hot pursuit; all day long they press their attack. 2 My adversaries pursue me all day long; in their pride many are attacking me. 3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? 5 All day long they twist my words; all their schemes are for my ruin. 6 They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, hoping to take my life. 7 Because of their wickedness do not let them escape; in your anger, God, bring the nations down. 8 Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll—are they not in your record? 9 Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me. 10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise—11 in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me? 12 I am under vows to you, my God; I will present my thank offerings to you. 13 For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life. Psalm 56 shows/tells us that the slide/fall that started on the uncertain path from Jonathan and continued into Gath has now stopped. David is on higher ground again. David while captive in Gath repents and calls on the Lord. (That happened before these next verses)
1 Samuel 21:13-14 So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. 14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? 15 Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?”
David humiliates himself before the Philistines and acts like a madman. But the plan worked. Achish decides David is not a threat to him and that he is a pathetic man and lets him go.
Was David operating in the Spirit or in the flesh when he pretended madness? Some believe that David was in the flesh and trusting in himself.
But the change of Psalm 56 happened before David’s release and while he is captive. (David wrote another Psalm specifically about his release from Gath)
Psalm 34 is David’s declaration of joy when he escaped from Gath with his life. The title of Psalm 34 reads, A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Achish, who drove him away, and he departed.
Psalms 34:1-4 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
It makes sense that the LORD would guide David into a path of escape that would humble him. When David tried to protect himself with lies and deceit and tried to find refuge among the ungodly, he really was acting crazy.
When David repented (before his release, while captive in Psalm 56) asked for mercy, and trusted again in the LORD, it was as if the LORD said, “You’ve been acting like a madman. Keep the act going and I’ll get you out of this.”
David is especially joyful (in Psalm 34) because he knew the LORD had delivered him out of a mess that David himself had created. God’s amazing goodness is shown when He delivers us when we repent and cry out to him.
Contrast-Saul & David
And in the chapters ahead, we will see the original David, the man of faith, once again. David has his focus back, and it’s not on the uncertainty of the path, but the certainty of the destination.
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