Last Sunday we saw David’s flight from Saul. David set us an example of a man who is after God’s heart. In the midst of his hardships…
• He trusts that God is present and watching over him…
• He keeps up his conversations (prayers) with God, and
• He submits to God’s way, by faith, even though he do not fully understand it.
Today we are going back to Gibeah and see what is happening on Saul’s side.
1 Sam 22:6-8
6 Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul, spear in hand, was seated under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing around him. 7 Saul said to them, "Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? 8 Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today."
We see a furious King with a spear in hand – the spear that he used on 2 attempts to kill David, and more recently, his own son Jonathan (20:33).
• He accuses his men. You have all conspired against me. (22:8) You know about David, you know about Jonathan, and none of you tell me.
• Chances are, none of his servants know about this, but no one dares to voice out. No one argues with an angry King with a spear in hand.
1 Sam 22:9-10
9 But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul's officials, said, "I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. 10 Ahimelech inquired of the LORD for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine."
One man spoke. He’s Doeg the Edomite. This is not the first time we meet this man.
• He was mentioned in 21:7 when David was at NOB and asking for bread from the priest Ahimelech. He is Saul's head shepherd.
1 Sam 22:11-13
11 Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and his father's whole family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. 12 Saul said, "Listen now, son of Ahitub."
"Yes, my lord," he answered.
13 Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?"
Did you notice how Saul addresses people he disdain? He never calls them by name.
• He never use the name David, it’s always the son of Jesse. It’s not Ahimelech but the son of Ahitub. To him, they’re unworthy to be called by their names.
• Saul thinks that everyone is conspiring against him. He is blaming everyone but himself, and no one is right except him.
The BLAME game is not new. It starts from Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve sinned. It’s the fallen nature of man.
• To BLAME is easy and cheap, but learn this, nothing good comes out of it. Don’t waste time finding a blame. It’s like you fall into a pit and you blame gravity.
• Saul got himself into such a state because of the choices he made. He is not seeing well because he is pointing fingers at everyone else.
God has given Saul awakening moments (words from prophet Samuel, his son Jonathan, and later on priest Ahimelech) but Saul wasn’t LISTENING.
HOW NOT TO BE DELUDED? REFLECT AND LEARN
Don’t play the BLAME game. When we play this game, we are giving away the power to change. Reflect and learn.
• Saul could not see his own faults and mistakes, which were obvious to many around him.
• The one who blames is depriving himself the power to change.
• “The person who cannot be helped is the person who blames others.”
The priest Ahimelech responded sincerely and in a respectful manner. He gave a very well-reasoned and well-crafted answer, and it’s the truth.
1 Sam 22:14-15
14 Ahimelech answered the king, "Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? 15 Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father's family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair."
He talked sense. This is very similar to what Jonathan did in 1 Sam 19:4-5
4 Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. 5 He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?"
Next verse says Saul LISTENED! But sadly, it lasted only for a short time.
Studies have shown that people can change their perceptions of reality to maintain their own belief.
A group of white, middle-class New York City residents were presented with a picture of people on a subway. Two men were in the foreground. One was white, one was black. One wore a business suit, one was clothed in workman’s overalls. One was giving his money to the other who was threatening him with a knife.
Now as a matter of fact it was the black man who wore the suit, and it was he who was being robbed by the white labourer. But such a picture didn’t square with the prejudices of the viewers. To them, white men were executives, black men were blue collar workers. Blacks were the robbers, whites the victims.
And so they reported what their mind told them they saw — that a black labourer was assaulting a white businessman. Em Griffin, The Mind Changers, Tyndale House, 1976, pp. 48-9
Pray for a teachable spirit! We want to REFLECT and LEARN, and be open to what God is telling us.
• God has been speaking to Saul - through the prophet, his son and the priest.
• Saul ignores everything that was said and announces his verdict.
1 Sam 22:16-19
16 But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family."
17 Then the king ordered the guards at his side: "Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me."
But the king's officials were not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the LORD.
18 The king then ordered Doeg, "You turn and strike down the priests." So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.
Even his officials showed greater respect for the priests and were not willing to raise their hands against them. They probably felt Saul’s order was irrational.
• Doeg stepped in. He is an Edomite, a foreigner, and cares little about the Mosaic Law the Jews abide by or the status of the priests.
• He stepped in and kill Ahimelech and all the 84 priests who came with him.
• And he did not stop there. He goes after everyone and every livestock in NOB.
1 Sam 22:20-23
20 But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David. 21 He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. 22 Then David said to Abiathar: "That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your father's whole family. 23 Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me."
God preserved ONE priest and kept him alive!
• David acknowledged that he was indirectly responsible for this great slaughter. He pledged to protect Abiathar. He becomes the protector of the priesthood.
How did David feel about this? Let’s take a look in Psalm 52:
For the director of music. A maskil of David. When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: "David has gone to the house of Ahimelech."
1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God? 2 Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit. 3 You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. Selah
4 You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue! 5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
6 The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at him, saying, 7 "Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!"
8 But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. 9 I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.
Evil is real, but so is God. Evil may be strong, but so is God.
• And they are not on par. God reigns. He reigns over all evil.
• Sometimes, it will look like evil has triumphed but that’s just the LOOK of it.
• Ultimately God reigns. His will prevails. The righteous will stand.
HOW NOT TO BE DELUDED? SUBMIT AND PERSEVERE
Despite the hardships and the unfortunate events, David did not give up HOPE in God. He is standing with us fighting evil. He is not to be blamed for the troubles.
Saul however refused to submit to God’s authority.
• He puts himself before God. In fact, his SELF has become his god.
• And the results? He becomes completely deluded, increasingly paranoia, often tormented in his spirit, isolated from those who cares, and hateful towards people.
• He LOST all bearings to life – the godly life, the life God meant for us to live.
David submits to God’s authority over his life.
• Despites his imperfections and misfortunes, he lives life to the full (John 10:10). He ultimately reigns (literally).
• You see, God’s blessings come, not because David is perfect but because he SUBMITS to God’s rule over his life.
What Saul had was GODLESS DELUSION. What David experiences is GODLY DESTINY.
• Saul has been given many chances. God has been speaking to him – through the prophet, loved ones and the priest.
• Are we listening to what God is saying? Are we submitting to God’s will? Is God the authority for your lives?
• God speaks to us today – through His Word, through loved ones, and through church pastors and leaders. When He speaks, reflect and learn, submit and persevere.
