Man on the Run

Text: 1 Samuel 21-:1-23:29

Theme: David’s years as a fugitive teach him to trust in the Lord as his ultimate protector.

Date: 06/27/21 File name: King_David_04 ID Number: OT09-21

Many Christians regard Charles Haddon Spurgeon as one of the greatest preachers of Christendom, and perhaps the greatest Baptist preacher of all time. He regularly preached to crowds of more than 5,000, and his sermons sold nearly 20,000 copies a week, and were translated into twenty different languages. His collected sermons are still in print that make up a 60-volume book set. During his lifetime, Spurgeon was a prolific writer and had more than 140 works published. He founded an orphanage, several charitable and religious institutions, and a theological college for training pastors. More than a century after his death his life leaves a huge mark upon the Church.

What most people don’t know is that Spurgeon’s prolific ministry was marked by great adversity. After giving girth to their twin boys, Spurgeon’s wife, Susannah became a virtual invalid, hardly ever getting out of the house and seldom hearing her husband preach. Spurgeon himself suffered from gout, rheumatism, kidney problems, high blood pressure, and depression. There were time when he was literally carried on a couch onto podium where he preached propped up on an elbow. He died at the age of 57.

In addition to his physical suffering, Spurgeon endured undeserved ridicule and slander from both secular and religious sources. His preaching was popular with the masses, but London papers called him vulgar and common. He was regarded as rude and rough be the Anglican clergy because he had no formal theological education. Even his fellow Baptists deserted him when he expressed concern that the Baptist Union was becoming doctrinally compromised.

Still, through all the pain and adversity Spurgeon continued to preach and minister. He remained faithful to his call, and his character was strengthened through the experience. His unwavering trust in God prevented him from caving in to the adversities he faced. Spurgeon believed God designed the afflictions of his life to help develop his character, to prepare him for the ministry that lay ahead. He trusted the ultimate victory over adversity and setbacks belonged to the sovereign Christ.

In chapters 21-23 of 1 Samuel, David, alone and on the run, watched his privileged life in the court of King Saul fall apart. The king who had first promoted him and made him a son-in-law now sought to kill him. Even though God’s hand, however, was still upon David, he would have to learn how to seek after the Lord’s own heart in the bad times as well as the good. Each step in adversity and setbacks taught David godly character.

In these chapters we see that David’s faithful response stands in stark contrast to Saul’s evil designs. David’s experiences teach us that trusting God during difficult times not only builds character but also glorifies God.

David and the Priest

David and the Pagan King

Saul’s Slaughter of the Priests

David and the Judahites

I. DAVID AND THE PRIEST

1. at the end of chapter 20 we find David and Jonathan biding each other a tearful farewell

a. both of them have concluded that Saul’s pursuit of David is relentless and the King will not relax until David is dead

“Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’ ” And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.” (1 Samuel 20:42, ESV)

b. David is now a fugitive a man on the run, and a man with a price on his head

2. from Gibeah, which is Saul’s capitol city, David heads northeast to Nob

a. today Nob is known Mount Scopus and is a mountain in northeast Jerusalem

1) today Hebrew University sits atop this high place

b. in David’s time it was where the Tabernacle was set up with the Ark of the Covenant inside

1) Nob was were the descendants of Aaron resided and performed their ministry of sacrifice on behalf of Israel

3. when David show up by himself Ahimelech the priest is deeply concerned

a. it’s not a secret that King Saul’s jealousy has led to a deep paranoia which is accentuated by the angel of judgment that periodically troubles the king

b. anyone who harbors David is libel to experience the King’s wrath

“Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?”” (1 Samuel 21:1, ESV)

4. David’s answer is simply not truthful

“And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.”” (1 Samuel 21:2–3, ESV)

a. it’s interesting how some Old Testament scholars deal with this passage

1) some maintain that David is being truthful, and that the king did send him, but the king he is referring to is God

a) David tells Ahimelech that the king had charged him with a certain matter, and David arrives alone because no one is to know anything about his mission and instruction

ILLUS. Sounds like Mission Impossible doesn’t it. “You mission Jim, if you decide to accept it ... As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.”

2) other scholars think that David is being deliberately vague to perhaps give Ahimelech cover for when Saul’s men undoubtedly show up

3) some are just honest — David lied

a) he doesn’t know who he can trust, he’s in a desperate situation, he’s not completely learned to depend upon the Lord, and so he lies

5. this is the incident where David eats the shewbread and refers to the cakes or loaves of bread which were always present, on a specially-dedicated table

a. the cakes were to be left on the table for a week, and then be replaced with new ones on the Sabbath

b. Jesus uses this event as an example of personal need in a crisis outweighing the letter of the Law

“At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.” (Matthew 12:1–7, ESV)

6. David also leaves Nob with a weapon

“Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.” 9 And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.”” (1 Samuel 21:8–9, ESV)

7. at Nob, God provided David with food and a mean to defend himself

A. LESSON: TIMES OF TROUBLE REVEAL GOD’S PROVISIONING

1. like David, we learn to trust God through the “school of hard knocks”

a. David had to learn to live and relate by faith, trusting in God’s purposes and will

b. he had to learn that God would make him king and bless him at the right time and the right place

2. in times of adversity, it is easy to forget God’s beneficent grace

a. if we lose a job or face an illness, we immediately worry about how we can provide for our families

c. but God is faithful — we need to learn to trust him in the bad times as well as the good

3. learning to trust God is a lifelong process

a. David has previously had moments when he trusted God deeply, i.e. Goliath and his military exploits among the Philistines

b. but we also see moments when David fully trust God — as when he lies to Ahimelech

c. difficult times can deepen our trust in God

1) Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, gently reminds us not to worry about what we will eat or drink or wear

2) instead, he calls us to seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness first, “and all these things will be given to you” (Matthew 6:33)

4. but there is intrigue afoot in chapter 21 — David is not the only servant of Saul at Nob that day

“Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD. His name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul’s herdsmen.” (1 Samuel 21:7, ESV)

a. it’s almost a throwaway verse, what does it have to do with anything?

b. we shall see its implication in chapter 22

II. DAVID AND THE PAGAN KING 21:10-22:5

1. David’s flight from Saul now takes him to Gath ... twenty-three miles west of Nob

“And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”” (1 Samuel 21:10–11, ESV)

a. why Gath? this is the home of Goliath and Goliath has four brothers who may be spoiling for some revenge

2. it could be that David goes to Philistine country to protect his family and friends

a. if he’s outside of Saul’s kingdom, perhaps Saul will no longer see him as a threat

3. at first, David may have hoped that no one from Gath would recognize him

a. that thought is quickly gone

b. he hears people talking about him

“And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard.” (1 Samuel 21:12–13, ESV)

c. in the ancient Near East, insanity was considered to be either 1) demon possession or 2) judgment by divine affliction

1) either way, you didn’t want anything to do with such a person

2) King Achish determines that David is not a threat and demands that David be escorted to Judah’s boarder where Israel can take care of their own mad men

“Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”” (1 Samuel 21:14–15, ESV)

A. LESSON: TIMES OF TROUBLE REVEAL GOD’S FASHIONING

1. David’s behavior here is a far cry from the courageous young man who stood up to Goliath

2. David would need to move from fear to faith as his relationship with the Lord matured

a. God is not yet done fashioning David into the man after God’s own heart

3. similarly, God is not done fashioning us

III. SAUL AND THE PRIESTS 1 Samuel 22:6-23

1. I don’t want to spend a lot of time here, but it needs to at least be mentioned

a. in this passage, Saul slaughters Ahimelech and the other priests of Nob and all their families for providing food for David and his men

2. it is one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the Israelite monarchy

1 Samuel 22:6–22

Saul see conspiracy everywhere, vs. 6-8 — he’s convinced that David is bribing his royal court and fellow Benjaminites behind his back

this is where Doeg reappears in the story, vs. 9 — he tells the king what he saw and heard take place between Ahimelech and David

Saul is convinced that Ahimelech and all the priests of Israel are conspiring against him

Ahimielech protests reminding Saul that David a loyal servant of the king, the king’s son-in-law, the captain of Saul’s bodyguard and highly respected by all of Saul’s household

Ahimielech protests their innocence saying they know nothing of royal palace intrigue

when the king’s officials refuse to kill the priests, he orders Doeg to do so and that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod

sadly that was not the end of it

“And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.” (1 Samuel 22:19, ESV)

A. LESSON: YOU CAN’T BLAME YOURSELF FOR THE EVIL OTHERS DO

“But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. 22 And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house. 23 Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”” (1 Samuel 22:20–23, ESV)

1. David blames himself for not doing something about Doeg, but you can’t live your life thinking about what someone else will or will not do when you’ve acted in good faith and with a clear conscience

ILLUS. I’ve known spouses who blame themselves for the adultery of their husband or wife. I’ve seen parents blame themselves for the immorality of a son or the crime of a daughter.

a. in VERY rare cases is it ever true that we are responsible for the evil of others

1) it is tempting, however, to sometimes blame ourselves for the sin of others

2) the only people responsible for the evil they commit is the person who commits the evil

b. as a result of this incident David would pen the 52nd, Paslm

Psalm 52:1-9

3. 1 Samuel 23 ends with Saul in hot pursuit of David and his followers

a. he is within striking distance when he receives word that the Philistines have invaded the Kingdom. 1 Samuel 23:24-29 ... the result is Psalm 54

The story ends with a lesson for all of us; When you’re chasing imaginary enemies, real enemies will often strike. Today we call it 'Tilting at windmills' and it refers to attacking imaginary enemies. It comes from the book The Ingenious Knight of La Mancha which is about the knight 'Don Quixote' and his loyal servant Sancho Panza. Quixote proposes to fight injustice through chivalry. He doesn’t understand that most of the “enemies” he fights against aren’t real. Jesus understood this when Peter chides him about all his crucifixion talk. Jesus realizes at that moment that his real enemy is not Peter, but the Devil who is using Peter.