1 Samuel 21 David Dodges

David dodges two different issues today. But they both relate to him running from Saul. He needs food and he needs protection.

David goes to Nob where the Tabernacle of the Lord is. While there, he asks for, and receives, food and weaponry. He also is discovered by one of Saul’s men. That discovery will have dire consequences in a little while.

The next stop on David’s flight is Gath. This was the home of Goliath and the people there recognize David and remember his deeds. David escapes with his life by pretending to be insane.

David does a lot of ‘pretending’ during this time. The first part, I would even call it lying, but I don’t know what God had to say about it. David was only able to flee because of his ‘lies’. Let’s rejoin the story and hear how he gets himself into and out of trouble.

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David fled Gibeah and headed south. He is desperate and in need. He has no food or weapons. These are crucial for his survival. He has no means to buy bread and he has to be careful so he is not seen and arrested. David goes to the one place he knows he can find relief; the house of the Lord.

Nob is not far from Gibeah but it takes David all day to make the journey. He had to dodge patrols and remain hidden from other travelers. He cannot afford to have anyone let slip his current whereabouts or his destination. He is too well known to go unnoticed and anyone loyal to Saul probably knows that Saul is searching for him.

David reaches Nob late in the day. The evening sacrifice is long over and the Tabernacle has ceased its daily routine. The priest tasked with night time duties is the only one in residence at this time of night. Most in the city are beginning their night time routines. David carefully makes his way to the Tabernacle. Ahimelech the priest sees him approaching.

Ahimelech recognizes David immediately. He is not used to seeing soldiers in the city and certainly not alone and at night. Something doesn’t feel right to him. He approaches David and questions him.

“Why are you alone, and no one with you?” (verse 1b).

David had worked on his answers all day. He couldn’t come out and say he was running from the king who wanted to kill him. He would be gambling with his life on the hearer’s loyalty to the king. He didn’t want to put anyone in the position of having to choose whether to report him or not. He had settled on a story that could be taken as truth, so long as no one checked the facts too closely. It was also cleverly designed to prevent future questions.

“The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place…” David pauses to make certain his listener is coming along on his false trail. When no resistance appears, he continues with his ruse. “…Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here” (verses 2-3).

The priest is not expecting this request. A request for prayers, possibly, but food, very unexpected. This was not a grocer. But he wants to help David who is on the king’s errand.

“I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread–if the young men have kept themselves from women” (verse 4b). This isn’t exactly allowed but David’s circumstances seem dire.

David is quick to respond in the affirmative. “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” (verse 5).

Ahimelech breathes a sigh of relief that the conditions set forth are met. He is willing to bend the rules a little but not outright break them, even for David, Saul’s champion.

David waits while Ahimelech retrieves the bread from the Tabernacle. It was what was already taken from the altar earlier in the day.

Someone else is waiting and watching. It is someone a bit more suspicious of David. He has heard rumors floating about regarding the king’s displeasure with David. This man was always on the lookout for something he might be able to use to his advantage. He was Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief herdsmen. He hoped to curry the king’s favor with a report on David’s movements.

When Ahimelech returned with the bread David addressed his other urgent need.

“Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste” (verse 8).

Ahimelech is surprised by David’s request and his explanation. This was a house of worship, not a house of war and wouldn’t a soldier have his weapons at the ready all the time? But who was he to question David, Saul’s champion. He quickly remembered the one weapon that was in the Tabernacle. The one David had placed there himself.

“The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here” (verse 9a).

David’s eyes light up at the mention of that sword. He had forgotten he had it placed here in Nob. It was after all his spoils of war.

“There is none like that; give it to me” (verse 9b).

Ahimelech retrieves Goliath’s sword and gives it to David. David ties the scabbard across his back and tests its weight. It is a good weapon and he is stronger now than he was the last time he held it. It is still too long to be tied at his waist for it would drag the ground. He will practice drawing it from his back a little later. For now he thanks Ahimelech.

As David leaves Ahimelech he has to walk as a man who is not in hiding. Ahimelech must not know of David’s true status. David walks boldly down the streets of Nob until he is out of sight of the Tabernacle.

Doeg crosses his path and makes sure that David sees him. He hopes to wring coins from David in exchange for his silence. But David walks past him as if he hasn’t seen him. Doeg moves to intercept David but a look and one word from David stops him in his tracks.

David fixes Doeg with steel eyes and growls “Don’t” with a shake of his head added for emphasis. David can only hope the Edomite will be frightened enough to give David time to escape. As soon as David can he returns to the shadows and ensures that Doeg has lost sight of him.

David has been on the move for several days. He is traveling mainly at night to avoid being seen. He is still concerned about his meeting with Doeg. He fears the herdsmen will report his movements to the king. Looking back over his shoulder to ensure he is not followed has become a regular and necessary part of his journey.

David didn’t have a firm plan in mind when he left Gibeah. He has been making it up as he goes along. The stop in Nob was out of desperation. Now he NEEDS to choose a direction. Wandering aimlessly will surely get him caught but he has indulged in some ‘aimless wandering’ as a counter measure. This way no one will know for certain where he is headed.

David is hiding in a grove of trees as he waits for nightfall. He is near his hometown of Bethlehem. He longs to rush headlong into his father’s arms but knows without a doubt that Saul will be on the look-out for him in Bethlehem. David wouldn’t be surprised to find that his own family is under observation.

David turns his eyes towards the valley pass, where not too many years ago, he faced the giant Goliath. He remembers the faith Saul put in him that day as he walked towards the giant. He wishes their relationship could go back to how it used to be back then. Strange as it seems, David feels that his killing Goliath is inexplicably linked with Saul’s attitude towards him.

Thinking about Goliath has given David an idea. He knows it’s a risk but the land of the Philistines is one place Saul would NEVER look for him. He could go there and ask for protection. He ponders this and as the day draws to a close the idea has fully taken root in David’s heart. He will go to Gath and ask the king’s protection. He will offer his services as a warrior in exchange for the king’s protection. He has met the Philistines in battle enough that his reputation, and the giant’s sword strapped to his back, should carry a great deal of weight.

Night falls and David emerges from his hiding place. He takes one last look at the town of his birth before setting out for the land of the Philistines. If David’s plan is successful, it may be a long time before he sees it again. He prays his family will be safe from Saul’s zealous anger in his absence.

Once reaching the border of Israel, David is no longer afraid to travel in the daylight hours. It feels good to have the sun on his back again. Even though he no longer fears being captured by Saul’s troops he has to be watchful for Philistine soldiers. He will need to interact with a few to make it into the city, but the fewer the better, until he is under the king’s protection.

David has been extremely fortunate in his journey in the land of the Philistines. He has made it to the gates of Gath without being challenged. It is the middle of the day so the city gate is not heavily guarded. Travelers on foot move in and out without being detained. The guards still scrutinize carts and wagons moving in an out and are readily available should a need for their services arise.

David decides to try his luck and simply walk past the gates. No one notices his entrance and he breathes a sigh of relief, until he hears a loud voice call out, “You there. Hold!”

David tries to pretend he didn’t hear the order and hopes that he wasn’t the one being called to, but a moment later a heavy hand lands on his shoulder emphasizing the words just spoken. David doesn’t try to resist. The hand on David’s shoulder belongs to a fine-looking soldier. Beside him are two more who are eying him suspiciously. They seem to be looking over the top of his shoulder. This seems strange to David until he realizes they are looking at the sword of Goliath that he is carrying. He knew the sword was distinct but was hoping that not every soldier would recognize it.

“Where did you get that sword” barks one of the soldiers.

Before David can give his answer another soldier steps forward and issues orders.

“Bring him. Let Achish deal with him.”

David is shoved roughly in the direction of the king’s palace. He is shoved and pushed so quickly through the streets that he has to fight to maintain his balance. He has already thought over the offer he will make to the king when he finally stands before him. He hoped he would be coming into his presence with a little more dignity.

Achish is in his throne room when the group of soldiers and David arrive. They wait at the door to be recognized and granted an audience. Finally Achish motions them into the room. David is standing between two of the soldiers.

“What is it captain?” asks Achish.

“We found this man entering the city. He bears Goliath’s sword.”

One of Achish’s servants steps closer to him.

“Permission to speak my lord.”

“What is it?”

Achish’s servant directs his hand towards David to indicate the object of his inquiry.

“Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” (1 Samuel 21:11).

David’s heart nearly stopped beating within his chest at these words. “They could decide to kill me where I stand and be done with Israel’s champion” he thinks to himself. As he was contemplating this danger Achish narrows his eyes for a better look. David only has seconds to decide what to do.

David’s face assumes a lopsided goofy grin and he begins drooling. He plops himself down and starts drawing on the floor with his finger. Next, he hops up and moves to the wall of the throne room. He begins drawing with his fingers on the walls, mumbling to himself, letting his spittle run down his beard and working his way around the room ‘making marks’ with his hands. He even turned and rubbed the hilt of Goliath’s sword against the wall trying to ‘write’ with it.

King Achish is disgusted at the display. He believes David’s act to be genuine. He believes David is insane. Achish looks at his servant who is still watching David then gestures towards David with his hand. “Behold, you see the man is mad!” He turns to address the soldiers next. “Why then have you brought him to me? Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” (1 Samuel 21:14).

Both Achish’s servant and the soldiers feel sufficiently rebuffed by the king. But there remains one more issue the soldiers want to address.

“What of the giant’s sword he carries? Surely it should not be left in the hands of a mad man. He could hurt himself or someone else with it.”

“This is a concern. Relieve him of it then throw him outside the city. We have enough mad men of our own to care for. This Hebrew one can find his own way home.”

Hands grab David again. They quickly remove the sword he carried and place it in the waiting arms of Achish’s servant. Then David is pushed and shoved again through the city streets, all the way to the outside of the gate. With one great shove he is propelled to the ground.

“Be gone Hebrew dog before we lock you up instead. We have no room for crazy men such as you.”

David slowly picks himself up off the ground. He continues his act of insanity until he is out of sight of the gates of Gath. This was NOT a good plan after all. David has no idea where to go next and now he doesn’t even have a weapon to defend himself with. Goliath’s sword would never have been one he could use in battle; because it was so unwieldy, but it did offer a measure of protection if he were attacked by bandits. He will have to be careful as he makes his way back into the territory of Judah. And he has time to think of where to go now as he walks.

(to be continued)

David wasn’t counting on his fame getting him into trouble. He was hoping to capitalize on it instead. He did capitalize on it in Nob but couldn’t in Gath. Caught between a rock and a hard place.

God protected David in each of his encounters. I don’t know how God felt about David’s ‘stretching the truth’, but I’m sure David worked it out with Him. I wonder if David asked God what to do before heading to Gath. I have a feeling he didn’t. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have turned out so scarry. But God’s hand was STILL on him, or he wouldn’t have gotten away. Even when we take a ‘wrong turn’, God is STILL in control and can bring us back to His path.

Father God, thank You that You don’t abandon me when I step off the path You created for me. Thank You that I’m NEVER so far away that You can’t hear me calling for help. I wonder if David was letting some prayers drop and he let the drool drop from his mouth. I know I would have been.

Keep me walking on Your paths Father God. I don’t know exactly where they are going, or what waits ahead, but I trust that YOU DO. That’s enough for me.