Wiki-Lessons: 1 Samuel 22

David takes his parents to the king of Moab for protection from Saul, but David was told by a prophet of God to return to Judea. Meanwhile, Saul demands that his soldiers tell him where he may find David —

(1Sa 22:9-23 ESV)  9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “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 provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11 Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king.  12 And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.”

And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 

13 And Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?”

14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and captain over your bodyguard, and honored in your house?  15 Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, much or little.”

16 And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house.”  17 And the king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the LORD.  18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod.  19 And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.

20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.  21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.  22 And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house.  23 Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”

Notice the character of Saul and the character of David. David tried to protect Ahimelech by not telling him he was helping the king’s enemy, but Saul nonetheless ordered the death of 85 priests! David could hardly be held accountable for all those deaths, but he confesses, “I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house.” And he offers his protection to the last remaining son.

We later see Abiathar serve David for many years as priest, only to turn on David near the end of his life.

(1Sa 23:28-29 ESV) 28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.  29 And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of Engedi.

David then hid out at Engedi, a freshwater stream that flows out of rock and into the Dead Sea, creating an oasis in the desert. Engedi is surrounded by caves, many of which are very difficult to reach on foot.

(1Sa 24:1-3 ESV) When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.”  2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks.  3 And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave.

(1Sa 24:4-7 ESV) 4 And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.'” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.  5 And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

6 He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD’s anointed.”  7 So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.

(1Sa 24:8-22 ESV)  8 Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage.  9 And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm’?  10 Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’s anointed.’  11 See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it.  12 May the LORD judge between me and you, may the LORD avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you.  13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness.’ But my hand shall not be against you.  14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea!  15 May the LORD therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.”

16 As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.  17 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil.  18 And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the LORD put me into your hands.  19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the LORD reward you with good for what you have done to me this day.  20 And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.  21 Swear to me therefore by the LORD that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.”  22 And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

Notes:

David repeatedly refuses to attack Saul. In the earlier accounts, David frequently inquires of God for direction, via Abiathar the priest. Saul, of course, killed the other priests and has no concern for God’s will.

David fights off Philistines for the people, despite running for his life. Saul finds the Philistines a distraction from chasing David — even though the defense of the people is his job.

Notice that Saul deploys 3,000 troops to capture David, even though the Philistines are raiding his people.

We wonder why David felt pangs of conscience over cutting Saul’s robes. It seems likely that kingly robes were highly symbolic to the Israelites. Samuel’s tearing of Saul’s robe demonstrated the end of his kingdom. Jonathan gave his robe to David, perhaps symbolizing his surrender of the throne to David. David’s cutting of Saul’s robe may well have been interpreted as a demand for the throne — as an act of violence against his status as king.

Instead, David choose to rely on the power of God rather than the power of his own hand. He knows that the throne shouldn’t come to him by assassination.