David Flees to Gath

I Samuel 21:1-15

“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?

 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.” (I Samuel 21:1-3)

Rumors were apparently circulating about Saul’s wild mood swings and attempts to kill David, and the priests knew he had tried to kill him at Naioth, so when David showed up alone, it aroused Ahimelech‘s suspicion.  David said he was on a secret mission and asked for food for five people if it was available.  

“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.” (I Samuel 21:4-5)

Ahimelech had nothing to eat but the shewbread which was offered to God and eaten by the priests.  If David and his men had not been guilty of sexual sin, he would give them some of that, even though it was dedicated to God and no one but the priest’s families were to eat it.

 Ahimelech understood that the intent of the law was to provide the best possible life here on earth, and that God made exceptions to the law in order to accomplish that purpose.   As Paul points out in Galatians 3:21, it was not possible to give a law that fit every situation.  “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.”  Allowing someone to go hungry would not meet the intention of the law.  That is the importance of the no longer being under the law as Christians.  Romans 7:6 states, “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”

Ahimelech did insist that it not be used in support of open sin by David’s followers, but as David pointed out that was not a problem.  He also pointed out that though the bread had been dedicated to God it was not magically changed by the dedication, but was still just ordinary bread.  As Paul pointed out in Romans 7, though a person is dedicated to God and receives a new attitude and outlook, the old flesh is not changed.

“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.” (I Samuel 21:6)

Ahimelech was convinced it would not be wrong to give David the shewbread that had been taken off the table of the Lord that morning when fresh bread was put out.  Jesus made it clear that Ahimelech was right in giving it in Mark 2:25-28.  “And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?  How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the showbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?  And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.”

“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.” (I Samuel 21:7)

One of Saul’s servants was an Edomite or descendant of Esau.  He was at the Tabernacle, worshipping and saw David when he talked to Ahimelech.

“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.” (I Samuel 21:8-10)

Still using the guise of being on secret mission, David asked if Ahimelech had any weapons they could use because the had had to leave in such a rush to fulfill their mission.  The only weapon there was Goliath’s sword, hidden behind the high priest’s ceremonial ephod.  As David said, there wasn’t a better sword anywhere.

“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?” (I Samuel 21:10-11)

With food, and a weapon, David Was equipped to make the trip west to the Philistine city of Gath, not expecting to be recognized.  Some of the Philistines recognized him as the one who had killed Goliath and defeated their armies repeatedly.  They realized he was a possible future candidate for king of Israel, and warned Achish.

“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.” (I Samuel 21:12-13)

Knowing he had been recognized and fearing he would be killed, David pretended to be insane in hopes they would decide that he posed no threat.  

“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?” (I Samuel 21:14-15)

Achish said he had enough crazy people and to just keep him away from the palace so he didn’t make a nuisance of himself.