Homeless and Mad
1 Sam 21:1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
Ahimelech the priest, was priest in the tabernacle of the Lord, where the sacred altar and the Ark of the Covenant were. David leaving behind all goes to the tabernacle of the Lord, what better place to go?
Psa 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psa 91:2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Psa 24:3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
Psa 24:4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
Psa 24:5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Ahimelech was afraid, cautious, not understanding why David, the king's son-in-law was alone and came to him, perhaps looking weary with eyes puffy from tears. Why are you alone, David? David the one admired by all is now alone and looking bad. David was learning to be "street smart." Sometimes trickery is employed by the desperate and downtrodden.
1 Sam 21:2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
Why did David lie? Perhaps he wanted to be protected, not trusting the priest to protect him from Saul. Lack of trust and desperation of the flesh and soul caused David to sin by lying. Lying is not good, he did not trust the priest with the truth: he was fleeing from a mad Saul. Later in a Psalm he would write of his regrets for lying.
Psa 119:28 My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.
Psa 119:29 Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.
Psa 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.
We must walk in truth as God is in truth. Man's words and wisdom are not God's words. God's word stands forever.
Rom 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
1 Sam 21:3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
This was the showbread. Twelve loaves were placed on the altar representing the twelve tribes of Israel.They were to be in the presence of the LORD continally.
Lev 24:5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.
Lev 24:6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD.
Lev 24:7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 24:8 Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.
1 Sam 21:4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
David said there were young men with him. Sacred bread could not go to an unclean person. David assured him that they were free of ceremonial uncleanness.
Jesus refers to this story. David was given the hallowed bread. Later Jesus would use this example when he was being accused of law breaking by the Pharisees.
Mat 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
Mat 12:2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
Mat 12:3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
Mat 12:4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
Mat 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
Mat 12:6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
Mat 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
Mat 12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Lev 24:9 And it shall be Aaron's and his sons'; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD made by fire by a perpetual statute.
1 Sam 21:5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
1 Sam 21:6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
The bread was eaten by the priest after it was replaced by new bread. This was bread taken from the altar that was being replaced. The Lord doesn't want old bread, nor do we want stale bread. The word of God is the bread of life. We do not want yesterdays bread but fresh bread, like new manna from the heaven. Yet, in the natural, this bread would feed the bodies hunger. Old bread will feed the flesh, but new spiritual bread will feed the soul.
1 Sam 21:7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
A servant of Saul was in the tabernacle. He was to be the devil's servant.
1 Sam 21:8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.
1 Sam 21:9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
The sword of Goliath, much too large for David. Why does he need this sword? Did it remind him of the Lord's victory? Why does he need the enemies sword, when the Lord delivered Saul with the shepherd's sling and a rock through faith? There was no other like it, but it was a natural sword, fashioned by the enemies of Israel. What David needed was the sword of God, the word of God and the Spirit of God. He was fleeing from the devil king Saul, but was also fleeing from faith in His God. He was relying on his own devices, using lies and trickery to survive. This was a low time in David's lie and a test of character. When we rely on our own thoughts, we fail; we need faith.
David went to the Lord's house for help, yet he continued to lie and use his own help. He should have spoken the truth and surrendered all to the Lord. The priest also deserved to hear the truth. Share the truth with God's shepherd, they are to give you counsel from God. David's not sharing would cost the priest his life.
1 Sam 21:10 And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
Fear causes people to run, but where can we go but to the LORD and his promises? Gath was the land of the giants. Goliath was from Gath, so why did David flee to the enemies kingdom? He went to Gath dragging the sword of Goliath. What did he hope for? Out of fear we often do foolish things. We are to walk in the Lord's strength and trust him, for our ways are foolishness.
1 Sam 21:11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
A downtrodden, needy man walks into the enemies land for help, but the enemy sees him for what he had been. The enemy mocks him reminding him of what he was, but now his God had failed him? No, God had never failed, we fail when we allow fear to cause us to go out into the world. The world is not your friend, the LORD is your help.
David wrote a Psalm about this time in Gath Psalm 56, he recommitted his life to trust in the LORD at this time.
Psa 56:1 To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath. Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
Psa 56:2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
Psa 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
Psa 56:4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
Psa 56:5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.
Psa 56:6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.
Psa 56:7 Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.
Psa 56:8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
Psa 56:9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
Psa 56:10 In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.
Psa 56:11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
Psa 56:12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.
Psa 56:13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?
1 Sam 21:12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
1 Sam 21:13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
David pretended to be a madman to free himself from yet a new group of enemies. He scratched the doors of the gate and allowed spit to fall upon this beard. He must have been a repulsive sight to them.
1 Sam 21:14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
1 Sam 21:15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
David's acting would save his life and allow him to escape. How was this trickery different from the earlier lies? This was done trusting in the Lord, the previous lies and trickery were entirely the thoughts of David, from fear and without trusting the LORD.
Psalm 34, was wriitten to rejoice in the Lord's salvation after his escape from Gath.
Psa 34:1 A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psa 34:2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
Psa 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
Psa 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Psa 34:5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
Psa 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
Psa 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Psa 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Psa 34:9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
Psa 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
Psa 34:11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Psa 34:12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
Psa 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Psa 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Psa 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Psa 34:16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Psa 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Psa 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Psa 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
Psa 34:21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
Psa 34:22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
How beautiful is the salvation of the LORD.
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