Fleeing From Saul

Saul’s response to David’s absence had convinced even Jonathan that there was no hope of reconciliation, and he had advised him escape while he could.  Since the Philistines had returned the Ark, it had not been reunited with the Tabernacle, and they could not offer the sacrifices exactly as God had commanded.  As a result, like Samuel, the priests had begun to hold sacrifices in various places.   One of those priests, Eli’s great grandson Ahimelech held worship services in Nob.  Having been forced to flee without taking time to get what he needed, David went to Ahimelech for assistance, in I Samuel 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?”

Saul had become increasingly autocratic and even the priests were afraid to incur his wrath.  Ahimelech had undoubtedly heard rumors of Saul’s hatred toward David, and became suspicious when David was alone.  David told him he was on a secret errand and needed some food, in I Samuel 21:2-3.  “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.  Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.”

The only food Ahimelech had was the showbread which was dedicated to God and reserved for the priests to eat.  He agreed to give him that if David could promise they had not been sexually active, in I Samuel 21:4-6.  “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.

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.  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.” 

David told Ahimelech it had been at least three days since any of them had been home with their wives or had been around a woman, and while the showbread had been dedicated to God, it was little different than any other bread.  On that assurance, Ahimelech gave him some of the leftover bread from the day before.  One of Saul’s employees was there and saw David talking to Ahimelech, in I Samuel 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.”

David told Ahimelech the secret mission was so urgent he hadn’t even taken time to get his weapons and asked if he had any he could use.  Since the priests were not expected to serve in the army, the only weapons he had was Goliath’s sword, which had been placed in their care after David killed him, but he offered it, in I Samuel 21:8-9.  “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.

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.”

Knowing Doeg would report seeing him, David didn’t dare stay with Ahimelech and fled to the Philistines at Gath for safety, hoping he wouldn’t be recognized.  When he was recognized, he pretended to be insane, in I Samuel 21:10-15, hoping they would not see him as a threat.  “And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.  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?

And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.  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.  Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?  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?”

Believing that insanity was caused by evil spirits people were afraid to kill them for fear of releasing the evil spirits to attack someone else.  At the same time, they knew how erratic an insane person’s behavior could be and Achish didn’t want him around to cause trouble so David was allowed to leave unharmed.   Our treatment of the insane today is little more effective.  We either isolate them in psychiatric facilities, or keep them so drugged up they are incapable of normal emotional reactions.   When the drugs wear off and they feel things, they are terrified by the feelings and react even more violently than before.   Far too often our rush to calm them down hinders their learning to deal with those feelings, accentuating the problem.    Unfortunately, like David, some pretend to be insane in hopes that people will think they can’t help it and let them go free.