1 SAMUEL 211-15 DAVID.
My father loves ‘country’ music. We grew up with it playing in the house constantly, in the car – in fact it seemed to haunt our every move. One of the songs my dad used to sing along with, and unlike me he can actually sing, had these lines:
‘I never promised you a rose garden, along with the sun there has to be a little rain sometimes.’
You may even know the song. I always find it very intriguing how many people, Christian people, believe that when they repented of their sin and invited Christ into their life that life from that moment on would be all sunshine and no rain. It is almost like they think: I have become a Christian now God guarantees me health, wealth and happiness. Friends nothing, nothing could be further from the truth. And nothing could be further from our human experience. Turn with me to 1 Samuel 21 and together we will see a ‘man after God’s own heart’ in the depths.
Let me set the background to this passage for you. It is always vital that a passage in the bible is placed in its context and background. David, as we saw last Sunday, had been anointed king by Samuel, he has defeated Goliath in battle, and become chief harp player to Saul. In recognition of his victory over Goliath David has been given Michal, Saul’s daughter in marriage. He has struck up a close friendship with Jonathon, Saul’s son but has had to flee for his life because Saul has tried on two occasions to kill him. He initially flees to Samuel at Ramah and they go to Naoith. But David then flees from there to Nob and the tabernacle of the Lord.
You see each and every crutch in the life of David was being removed. He had a ‘good position’ in the palace and he lost it. He had a wife and he lost her. He had wise counsellor in Samuel and he lost him. He had a close and trusted friend in Jonathon and he lost him. And as we will see at the end of chapter 21 he had lost even his self-respect. One by one the crutches of his life were removed. Before we turn to chapter 21 turn back to chapter 20 and verse 3. The words spoken by David here are important – ‘there is only a step between me and death.’ Why are these words important? Because it was at this moment that ‘fear’ entered the heart of David and ‘faith’ in God and his Word to David began to crumble. This would lead him to flee from the palace to Naoith, back to Jonathon and then to Nob – where we meet him in 21.1.
Verses 1-6 – David has fled to Nob, which was about 1.5 miles northeast of Jerusalem. It was the dwelling place for the Tabernacle and it was served by 86 priests, of whom Ahimelech (The King [God] is my brother) is the chief. When Ahimelech meets David he ‘trembles.’ We are not told why but it is reasonable to assume that he ‘trembles because he knows of the anger of Saul towards David and the danger that David’s presence places them all in. So he asks David ‘Why are you alone?’ ‘Why is no one with you?’ David lies – he makes up a story about being on a secret mission for the king and that his men are waiting in a ‘certain’ place for him. The word ‘certain’ there is a word used when trying to avoid answering a question – is a means of evasion. Maybe David does not want to place Ahimelech in any danger but the Scriptures simply report his answer – they do not seek to condone or justify the answer David gives. The Bible is very honest about its heroes and their failings.
David then makes a request of Ahimelech – ‘give me bread’. David had to flee in such haste, in such panic that he had no time to pack provisions. Ahimelech informs him that the only bread which he has is the ‘bread of Presence.’ This bread was placed every Sabbath on the holy table. There were 12 loaves, one loaf for each tribe of Israel. The priests were allowed to eat the bread after it had been replaced. This bread symbolised the sustaining presence and provision of God for his people. David asks for this bread – interesting the ‘holy bread’ becomes David’s ‘daily bread’. Even in the midst of this trial for David God was providing for him. Ahimelech inquires of David if he and his men are ceremonially clean – because no one who is not ceremonially clean can eat of the bread of presence. David assures Ahimelech that not only have they kept themselves from women but that they have departed in such haste that women were kept from them. In the second book of Samuel we will encounter Uriah the Hittite and how he refused to sleep with his wife during military action – unlike King David at that time – but that is a story for another day.
Verse 7 – here is an interesting little vignette. If this was a film this would be a little momentary glimpse of a figure in the shadows who would come to the fore a little later. David catches sight of Doeg the Edomite, who is Saul’s chief shepherd. For whatever reason he has been detained at Nob David knows this place is now compromised as far as his safety goes. In chapter 22.18-19 we read of Doeg slaughtering the priests, their families and their livestock in revenge for their helping David. The priests are entirely innocent – something which David states in the cave of Adullam when he hears of the massacre at Nob. The news of which was brought to him by Abiathor the only priest to escape with his life. Sometimes innocent people suffer because of our sin, because of our lies and deceptions – remember that.
Verses 8-9 David now makes a request for weapons. Strange – he has said he is on a secret mission for the king but he has come without food or weapons. Ahimelech informs him that the only weapon is the sword of Goliath which David himself had won in battle. David says ‘there is none like it, give it to me.’ So David has now been fed and he has got his hands on a weapon for defence.
Verses 10-15 now we see another sorry episode in the life of David. If it were possible for him he falls even further. David flees from Saul to Gath and into the ‘protection’ of Acish the king. Let me tell you how strange, ironic and sad verse 10 is. Gath was the birthplace of Goliath, Acish is king of the Philistines. David is so full of fear he is seeking sanctuary with the enemies of God and his people. He has taken the sword of Goliath, whom he slew, and is going with it to the birthplace of Goliath seeking sanctuary from the Philistines. These are the people he has defeated in battle. These are the people 100 of whom he slew in order to gain Michal, Saul’s daughter’s hand in marriage. Does he really expect a good reception? But I want to stop here for just a moment and I want to say some things to us all this morning.
I am in serious trouble when Acish is my only refuge. I am in serious danger and grave peril when the enemies of God seem like the only place of sanctuary. But let me tell you this – and I believe this to be the truth – there are times when the enemies of God treat the despairing people of God better than the people of God do. There are times when the Philistines and Acish are more sympathetic, more caring and loving to a fallen and failing man or women of God than their brothers and sisters in the family of God. I am astounded, ashamed and offended by those who preach the good news of the gospel of salvation for the unsaved but no way back for the saved who has fallen or failed. So there is a ‘wee’ wake up call to us all there this morning, me included.
Well the Philistines know David’s reputation and they warn Acish about David. Once again David is in fear for his life – verse 12. So what does he do? He feigns madness. He writes graffiti on the walls and doors and allows spittle to fall onto his beard – a clear sign of madness in the east. Acish is deceived, as he would be again in chapter 27 and 29. He utters some wonderfully funny words ‘do I not have enough madmen around me, get rid of him.’ So David escapes with his life – but no self-respect and what a dishonour to the God who had called and anointed him king and whose Spirit had descended upon him.
So What? That is always a good question to ask when you read a bible passage. So what does this say to me? So what has this got to do with me today? In these last few minutes I will seek to answer that question and show the lessons I believe we are to learn from this incident in the life of David.
FEAR.
21.10 and 21.12 Fear was what drove David to run each time. If you remember back to the verse 3 in chapter 20. Fear had entered the heart of David. He feared for his life and the result was that over time that fear drove out faith from his heart. It did not drive it out completely but it thwarted its effectiveness in the life of David. Fear did not rob him of his place in the family of God, of his salvation, but it did steal away his joy of the Lord, his service for God, his belief in the promises of God, the peace of God and assurance that God was with him. Fear is the enemy of faith and it is one of satan’s best weapons to steal away our peace, our assurance, our fellowship and as a result to lead us to doubt God and despair in the situation. You see we too easily in the midst of the storm that would seem to overturn the little boat of our lives forget that in the boat with us is the one who said ‘Fear not it is I, be of good cheer.’ We forget his promises all too easily because fear of the situation and the consequences overwhelm our faith. We forget ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ Remember who it is here who has fled for his life – the man who killed a bear and a lion with his bare hands. The man who slew a giant with only a sling and a small stone taken from a babbling brook. The man anointed by God to be king, upon whom God’s Spirit had descended and rested. The one whom God promised an eternal kingdom. This is the man who because of fear has ended up fleeing, lying and pretending to be mad – some faith in God?
Yet friends we are not to despair – Psalms 34 and 56 are the two Psalms which David wrote in the cave at Adullam upon reflection of this episode in his life. Listen to some of the things which he said upon reflection:
Psalm 34.4, 8, 15, 17-20.
Psalm 56.3-4, 8, 10-13.
You see this man who had a heart which was after God’s heart came back to the Lord and the Lord did not reject him but restored him. David, because of fear, had fled, lied and acted the madman and the world saw another failed servant of God and despised and mocked him. Even the people of God wrote him off – but God’s promise and God’s will for David’s life were not thwarted. You see deep in the heart of David he still desired God. His heart still hungered after God and from that little spark God fanned into flame again faith and David was restored. Learn from that this morning. The world may look at you, and maybe even the people of God may look at you, and write you off as a follower of Christ because you have fled, denied, lied and played the madman but deep in your soul you know you still believe in God, you still desire him and his love – he will not and he has not rejected you this morning. It matters not how bad you think you have been. It matters not how far you think you have fallen. It matters not the lies, the deceptions, the fear, the doubts and the madness you have played – it matters only this morning that in your heart you desire to come back to God, back to Christ. Listen to these words of Christ ‘Come to me all that are burdened and heavy laden and I will give you rest.’(Matthew 11.28). You burdened by your sin this morning? You heavy laden in your heart by fear, failing, lies and your madness? Then come to Jesus and he will give you rest.
Secondly there are times in all our lives, in all our Christian experiences when the situations around us, the trial and the tribulations seem more real than the presence of God. The result is that we question and doubt God’s love for us. We doubt and question his presence with us. We are left wondering even if we ever really knew God. Friends those are the times when we need to rest not on past experiences and not on our own strength. Those are the times when we must rest on and in the promises of the Word of God. The promise of Christ never to leave us nor forsake us. The promise of God that he would be with us till the end of time. The promise of God which says that in this world you will have trouble but in the midst of that trouble you will have peace because Christ is with you by the presence of His Holy Spirit within you. David had to remember that he had been chosen, called and anointed by God. He needed to have all his life’s crutches (position, family, friends, self-respect) removed so that he came to a point where he depended on God and God alone. It took only a moment, an instance to call David, to anoint him to be king but it took a lifetime to prepare him to become a king. It takes only a moment and instance for you and I to be converted but it takes a lifetime to become a disciple.
Friends let me finish with this to you this morning. I believe that many of you know the truth and the reality of being a Christian. You may even be able to point to a moment in time, a date, when you were ‘saved’, when you repented of your sin and invited Christ into your life to be Lord and Saviour. But the reality, the truth this morning is that you are not a disciple of Christ. Your walk before God and with God is dead. You are like David this morning – lying to cover up your fleeing. You are even seeking refuge with the enemies of God. This morning God is calling you out of such madness, away from such deceit and deception and back to himself. This morning I believe God would do a work in many hearts – a work of restoration and renewal. For some it may be that today is the day when you know you just have to get right with God – then come to Jesus, repent of your sin and accept his forgiveness. For some it may be that fear, circumstance and situations have led you to doubt the reality of God’s love and presence in your life. You can’t put your finger on it but it has all gone cold and you are wandering in darkness and despair this morning. You are hiding in your own cave of Adullam today and God whispers to you in this quiet moment – come home, come back into the fold, come back into my warm embrace of love and into your father’s arms. And so this morning you need to come back. You need to confess that you have run away, that you have doubted and deceived – but that is okay because he knows and he loves you with a passion this morning. He desires that you would come home. For some of you God would say to you this morning – don’t take that step because it is going to lead to fear conquering faith. Don’t seek the presence of my enemies – sanctuary is found in me, in my Word and abiding in my Spirit – so this morning God is telling you trust me and don’t flee. And finally some of you this morning he saying – be gentle with them, be loving towards them, welcome them home. Stop being critical. Stop playing judge, jury and executioner. My Son died for these people and I love them and so must you. They are precious to me, as you are. So when they fall and fail, as you will, do not add to their burden. Do not add to their guilt and shame. Do not add to their pain but seek to bring them home and when they take those steps back towards home and me don’t put fences and barriers up.
David fled because of fear. He lied and others suffered as a consequence. He deceived and played the madman losing his self-respect and dishonouring God. But the wonderful thing about this story is that when he reflected on what he had done, when he repented God restored him and welcomed him home. Take hope this morning and allow the words of Jesus to echo in your soul – ‘Be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid.’ Amen.
