Saul Orders The Priests Killed

David had fled for asylum to Gath, but upon learning he had been recognized, he didn’t dare stay, hiding out in the cave Adullam, accompanied by his brothers and about four hundred other men.  Fearing for his parents safety, he took them to the king of Moab for safety, in I Samuel 22:3-4.  “And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.  And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.”

 

The prophet Gad warned David not to stay in the cave as his presence there was known so he went and hid in a forest, in I Samuel 22:5.  “And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.”

 

Saul learned that David had been in the cave Adullam.  In his obsession, he accused his followers of selling out to David and betraying him, in I Samuel 22:6-8.  “When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;) Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?”

 

In an effort to relieve Saul’s anger, Doeg the Edomite told about seeing David visiting with Ahimelech the priest, in I Samuel 22:9-10.  “Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.  And he inquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

 

Doeg successfully turned the anger away from Saul’s followers by redirecting it toward God’s priests.  Like many narcissists or sociopaths, once Saul got an idea into his mind, no amount of evidence or logic would change it, as we see in I Samuel 22:11-19.  “Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.  And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.  And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

 

Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?  Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.

And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.  And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not show it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.  And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.  And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.”

 

While Doeg worshipped at the Tabernacle, he had no real fear or respect for God and he killed eighty five of the priests at Saul’s command.  Saul’s refusal to obey had turned God away from him, and his killing the priests started turning the people away from him, although he didn’t realize it at the time.  David protected the one priest who had escaped, gaining people’s respet when they learned about it, in I Samuel 22:20-23.  “And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.  And Abiathar showed David that Saul had slain the LORD'S priests.  And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house.  Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.”