This sermon: 1 Samuel 21; 1 Samuel 22
ACTIONS, CHOICES HAVE IMPACT AND CONSEQUENCE
1 Samuel 21:1-9; 1 Samuel 22:6-23
Saul pursued David in effort to kill him. David fled Saul in haste. He had no time to plan, no time to pack supplies or weapons. This period of David's life was as much a beginning, perhaps more, as was his confrontation of Goliath. For in this period of his life, David would learn and grown in full dependence on God. Up until this point, David had every reason to trust God. Life had only ever went well for him: he was chosen out of six other brothers and countless men as Israel's next king, beloved and celebrated by the people, feared by his enemies, supported by his best friend and wife. Deep down, was David still that humble boy who trusted God enough to slay a giant?
Initially, David scrambled. He left his whole life behind in a hurry; if he wanted to keep his life, he was forced to leave without a plan. He fled to a placed called Nob to see a man named Ahimelech, a minister of God's temple. David needed food. Immediately, Ahimelech was confused. It was strange to see David without company. Important in society as David had become, he no longer traveled alone.
David lied. He pretended that he had been sent on stealth mission by king Saul. He pretended that his men were hidden in specific locations. David then requested bread from Ahimelech. Ahimelech explained that he only had the holy bread, bread set aside for communion with God but that he would give some of the old, replaced, holy bread to David.
David thought he was conducting this business in secret, but as he requested a weapon from Ahimelech, an enemy overheard. Doeg, from Edom, the chief herdsmen for Saul watched as Ahimelech handed David the sword of Goliath the Philistine. David took it, "there is none like that; give it to me." From there, David fled. And so did Doeg, to Saul.
Furious and desperate to find David, Saul harassed his men for their loyalty to David. But Doeg stepped forward with news. He reported his sighting of David in Nob with Ahimelech. Saul summoned Ahimelech and accused him, "why have you conspired against me?" But David had lied to Ahimelech; when he helped David, he thought David was acting on Saul's orders. Ahimelech told Saul that he was unaware that David had lied, that Saul was in pursuit of David, but Saul still decided to punish Ahimelech. He ordered his men to kill him.
But Saul's servants would not kill Ahimelech. Saul had lost his mind; he was supposed to closely follow God, to uphold His commandments in the kingdom, but instead had made an order to murder innocent men of God. Even his servants knew better than to do it. But when Saul ordered Doeg to kill the innocent men, Doeg did so without hesitation.
ACCOUNTABILITY AND REPENTENCE DEVELOP CHARACTER
1 Samuel 21:1-9; 1 Samuel 22:6-23
Eighty-five innocent men were killed not just because of Saul's ruthless evil, but because of David's lie. A man named Abiathar escaped to find David, to tell him what had happened. When David heard, he admitted his guilt. He had seen Doeg that day, and knew that he would tell Saul. He admitted fault: his actions contributed to the death of all those people, Abiathar's family. David promised to protect Abiathar. David made a grave mistake but held himself accountable for it; and began to make what reparations he could. Two qualities that will serve any of us when we make mistakes.
It is important that we rely on God, especially in desperation. It cannot be escaped that the righteous sometimes die, on earth, at the hand of the unrighteous. The righteous will at times be harmed in some way by the actions of the unrighteous. But as children of God, it is our responsibility to consider how our actions might perpetuate that.
David did not need the bread; God would provide (Matthew 4:4). David did not need Goliath's sword, he needed to equip the sword of the Lord (Ephesians 6:17). David was about to be king; he needed to learn how to be responsible for the people. He needed to learn how to provide for the people. All of that wisdom and ability could only come from dependence on God. He needed to learn this lesson as a lonely man in the wilderness before his mistakes affected a vast multitude.
GOD IS OUR REFUGE
1 Samuel 22:1-5; Psalm 57
David departed and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Within the book of Samuel, we do not hear much from David's heart about this time... but do from the book of Psalms. In Psalm 57, we can understand why God chose David as the next king and described him as a man after God's own heart. From his place of despair, David spoke, praised and prayed to God:
1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. 2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. 3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. 4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. 5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth. 6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. 8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. 9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. 10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. 11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.
God is our refuge, whether we are in a cave or a palace. Literally, and figuratively. He is the haven in which consult, and are ministered by, Him. Our prayer, our communication with Him is essential! Our relationship with Him is built in the personal moments, in the refuge of communion with Him on a moment-by-moment, day-to-day basis. We learn from His wisdom, we are guided by His steps, we are protected by His arms, we are sustained by His love and righteousness, we are saved by His grace.
AN EFFECTIVE LEADER FOLLOWS GOD
1 Samuel 22:1-5
David's family met him in the cave of Adullam. And then, unexpectedly, many others arrived. People who were in debt, people who were discontented. David foreshadowed Jesus' arrival, His leadership over the despairing multitudes. David became a captain over them, about four hundred men. David would learn to lead, as a leader who followed God; to be a captain over whoever God chose. David was not perfect, but he loved God and learned to lean on him at all times.
God sent a prophet to direct David out of the cave to the land of Judah. David listened and let himself by directed by God.