Arrows and Bread

Recap:

So David has been on the run from Saul, there have been several attempts on his life - and only by the grace of God has he survived.

Saul is pursuing him personally and only by divine intervention was that plot thwarted.

As we get into 1 Samuel 20 we find several conversations that show us the heart of King Saul and bring a separation of Jonathan and David

Tonight we have two sections:

Arrows 1 Sam 20.

Bread 1 Sam 21

1. David’s Appeal to Jonathan 1 Sam 20:1-4

Read 1 Samuel 20:1-4

1 Samuel 20:1–4 KJV 1900

1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life? 2 And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so. 3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. 4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.

Did you catch the unbelief in Jonathan that his father would actually do such a wicked thing -

David assures him that Saul is hiding his true intent from him

1, 2 Samuel (12) Jonathan Protects and Covenants with David (20:1–42)

After witnessing four attempts on his life in one day, David certainly had no reason to doubt Saul’s determination to kill him. Yet to escape the king’s attacks, David would have to abandon the two most significant people in his life, his best friend Jonathan and the wife of his youth, Michal. Even if he were to escape and live, would life be worth living under those circumstances?

Hoping he was wrong but fearing he was right, David “fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan” (v. 1) to discuss the matter further. Perhaps the fault was David’s; perhaps he had committed some “transgression” (Hb. ʿavôn; NIV, “crime”) or “sin” (Hb. ḥaṭṭāʾt; NIV, “have wronged”) against Saul. If so, then he could repent, make reparations, and so end the nightmarish attacks; his life of love and friendship could return to him once more.

Even though Jonathan didn’t see it, David was convinced by the cold hard facts that pointed to only one conclusion - “Saul was passionately determined to kill David.”

He was so convinced of this that David gave his famous proverbial statement of mortality, “as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.” (1 Sam 20:3)

Jonathan who is a true friend, finally says, “Okay David, I will do whatever you need me to do.”

So they concoct a test, a pretty intelligent test of the character and heart of King Saul

2. A Test of Arrows at the New Moon (1 Sam 5-11)

The New Moon was coming up which was “a time set aside for feasting and celebration related to the beginning of a new lunar cycle” LOGOS Bible Sense

The new moon marked the beginning of each month in Israel’s lunar calendar.

It was both a sacred time and a communal meal, celebrated with sacrifices, offerings, and sometimes a festive banquet.

Numbers 28:11 spoke of the specific sacrifices for new moons -

Numbers 10:10 tells that trumpets were blown over burnt offerings and peace offerings

It was a very important celebratory feast that every kingdom official was expected to be at.

David’s absence from this feast would be conspicuous and noticeable because it was expected that members of Saul’s court (and especially a general like David) would attend.

But David and Jonathan got their heads together and decided David would be absent on purpose - he was going to hid himself in the field unto the third evening

The wording of the KJV says, “and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat” (1 Sam 20:5) meaning that he is supposed to dine with the king, and has always eaten the New Moon meal with the king - He is expected to be there.

They are setting the tension: The feast provides the stage for Saul’s paranoia to be revealed.

David’s absence at the table forces Saul to show his hand.

Jonathan’s defense: He uses the excuse of a family sacrifice in Bethlehem to cover for David.

Thus, the New Moon Feast in this chapter functions like a litmus test—a holy occasion that exposes Saul’s unholy heart.

This is more than a test - David and Jonathan actually make this a covenant between them

1 Samuel 20:8–9 KJV 1900

8 {David speaking} Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father? 9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?

Listen to their covenant

1 Samuel 20:12–17 KJV 1900

12 And Jonathan said unto David, O Lord God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee; 13 The Lord do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the Lord be with thee, as he hath been with my father. 14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the Lord, that I die not: 15 But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the Lord hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David’s enemies. 17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

They devised a secret method for sharing the answer -

I have always been intrigued by spies and their methods of communicating the espionage tradecraft is full of all types of ways to pass messages

They devised a method -

1 Samuel 20:19–23 KJV 1900

19 And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel. 20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark. 21 And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the Lord liveth. 22 But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the Lord hath sent thee away. 23 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord be between thee and me for ever.

So David hides himself in the field and waited - wouldn’t that be some anxious waiting -

Meanwhile at the palace

1 Samuel 20:25–26 KJV 1900

25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place was empty. 26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.

But Saul begins to be bothered by the absence of David -

1 Samuel 20:27–34 KJV 1900

27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day? 28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem: 29 And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king’s table. 30 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. 32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? 33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. 34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

Jonathan goes out into the field at the appointed time with a little lad with him

1 Samuel 20:36–42 KJV 1900

36 And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee? 38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. 41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. 42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

David has left and we move into the next section I’ve entitled BREAD:

You can outline 1 Sam 21 this way

Provision at Nob (bread, sword).

Peril at Gath (fear, madness).

Preservation by God (escape).

1. Provision at Nob (1 Sam 21:1–9)

David flees to Nob and meets Ahimelech the priest.

Ahimelech is startled by David’s presence alone (suspicious, since a commander usually had men).

David lies, saying he is on a secret mission from the king.

David asks for bread: the only bread available is the holy bread (shewbread), normally for priests only.

Ahimelech gives it to him since David and his men (though absent) were ceremonially clean.

David also asks for a weapon; the only one there is the sword of Goliath, which had been kept wrapped in cloth at Nob.

David takes Goliath’s sword—fittingly, the weapon of the enemy he once defeated.

Now this deceit of David will come back to haunt him as Saul will come in and ruthlessly kill these priests.

1 Samuel 22:7–19 KJV 1900

7 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; 8 That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth 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 sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? 9 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. 10 And he inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. 11 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. 12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord. 13 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? 14 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? 15 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. 16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house. 17 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 shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord. 18 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 (85) that did wear a linen ephod. 19 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.

Doeg the Edomite slew 85 of the priests - (

2. Peril at Gath (1 Sam 22:10–15)

David flees to Achish, king of Gath (ironically, Goliath’s hometown).

The servants recognize him: “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Didn’t they sing of him, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”

David realizes he is in danger—fear grips him.

To escape, he pretends to be insane: scribbling on doors, drooling down his beard.

Achish dismisses him: “Do I lack madmen, that you’ve brought this one to me?”

3. Preservation by God (1 Sam 22:10–15)

David escapes from Gath unharmed.

This close encounter inspired the writing of Psalm 34

Psalm 34 KJV 1900

A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. 1 I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 3 O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: And their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encampeth Round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. 8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: Blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: For there is no want to them that fear him. 10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. 11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 What man is he that desireth life, And loveth many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep thy tongue from evil, And thy lips from speaking guile. 14 Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And his ears are open unto their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, And delivereth them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: But the Lord delivereth him out of them all. 20 He keepeth all his bones: Not one of them is broken. 21 Evil shall slay the wicked: And they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. 22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: And none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

And also Psalm 56

Psalm 56 KJV 1900

To the chief Musician upon Jonath-elem-recho-kim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath. 1 Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; He fighting daily oppresseth me. 2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: For they be many that fight against me, O thou most High. 3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. 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. 5 Every day they wrest my words: All their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, They mark my steps, When they wait for my soul. 7 Shall they escape by iniquity? In thine anger cast down the people, O God. 8 Thou tellest my wanderings: Put thou my tears into thy bottle: Are they not in thy book? 9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: This I know; for God is for me. 10 In God will I praise his word: In the Lord will I praise his word. 11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid What man can do unto me. 12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. 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?

In Gath, David was indeed “caught” in a tight spot — recognized, brought before the king, and surrounded by suspicious servants.

2. Narrative Harmony

1 Samuel 21 gives us the historical outline: David fled to Gath, was recognized, and narrowly escaped by feigning madness.

Psalm 56 gives us David’s emotional perspective: he felt as though he had been “seized” by enemies — trapped, with no escape but God’s mercy.

In other words: the psalm captures the existential reality of being in enemy hands, even if he wasn’t locked in chains.

3. Later Connection (1 Samuel 27 & 29)

Later on, David does return to Gath (1 Samuel 27) and actually lives there under Achish’s protection for over a year.

But the “seized” event of Psalm 56 almost certainly refers to the first visit in 1 Samuel 21, since that’s where he was in immediate danger and cried out to God.

When David gets away from Gath - he goes to the cave of Adullam and he gathers a group around him of four hundred men -

listen to this rag-tag team

1 Samuel 22:2 KJV 1900

2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

He moves his mother and Father to Moab until he knew what God wanted him to do next. - He was looking out for them - taking care of them

Gad the prophet tells him not to stay in the stronghold but to go to the land of Judah - where he goes to the forest of Hereth

Then I love the mental image the Bible gives us of Saul

1 Samuel 22:6 KJV 1900

6 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;)

It is here the story circles back to when David went to Nob that I mentioned earlier.

Skipping to verse 20

1 Samuel 22:20–21 KJV 1900

20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the Lord’s priests.

1 Samuel 22:22 KJV 1900

22 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.

He seemed to blame himself - and take responsibility for his deceit it is a tragic ending

The jealousy that is as cruel as the grave has caused the death of many people and yet Saul remain unchanged - he will pursue David, he wants to see him dead

Next time we will how God brings Saul within reach - and how David responds.