For many years, David has been one of my favorite Bible characters. He has become a friend to turn to, and his life has encouraged mine. I especially resonate with his earliest years; the ones spent preparing for his leadership role in Israel. Many of those years were spent on the run, and the sweet psalmist of Israel penned many of his best works during that chaotic time. Because the texts explaining his life are precious to me, I am going to write a series of articles on the early years of David's life (1 Samuel 16-2 Samuel 1), with some snapshots of his later years on the throne (2 Samuel 2-24) and I will release these teachings once per month. As always, thank you for reading and I pray God ministers to your heart as we inspect His word. You can find all articles here.
Parents all over the world want their children to know of their love. Though none show it perfectly, this heart comes from the original parent, God, who is the Father of all humanity. He is the better, ultimate, and righteous parent, and He works hard to communicate His love for His children. He desires that we know how valuable we are in His sight, how strong He is to work on our behalf, and that He has a plan for our lives.
In the story before us, David has forgotten God’s love, God’s strength, and God’s plan for his life. He had, after all, fallen under the wrath of Saul, and now he was a man on the run. His faith was beginning to wane, so with tears, he told Jonathan, “There is but a step between me and death” (1 Samuel 20:3). And with Jonathan's help, David ran into the wilderness, wild with fear. But, there, God would pursue him. David’s name means "beloved" and, though he could not feel the love of God at that moment in his life, it was there, flowing like a strong and mighty river from God’s throne. As David ran, and as he descended into terror, God would whisper His love into David’s heart, just as He will often whisper His love into yours.
Some stories in David’s life remind us of Christ. When we read of how David gripped the sling and stones and rushed towards Goliath, we are reminded of the determination with which Jesus defeated the giants of sin and death. His secret anointing and private consecration for the work of God remind us of the secret anointing of Jesus: first in the manger, then at the Jordan, and one day publicly as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. At various moments in David’s life, we are reminded of the Son of David, Jesus Christ the righteous.
But at other moments in David’s life, we are reminded not of Christ but of humanity because David passed through the same human process we often endure. Filled with weakness and sin, David was not the Messiah, but only a foreshadowing of He who would be born in Bethlehem centuries later. And here, in this movement of his early life, David forgot, as we often do, that God loved him, was able to help him and had a plan for his life. God, however, did not forget and worked hard to remind the man if only David would listen to God’s voice.
God Loves You (21:1-6)
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?” 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. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread—if the young men have kept themselves from women.” And David answered the priest, “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away. (1 Samuel 21:1–6, ESV).
During David's time, Israel worshipped God at the tabernacle they had built for Him in the days of Moses. Since the tabernacle was a tent, it was a transient house of God that could be moved from place to place. It would not become permanent until the reign of David’s son, Solomon, who would build a temple for God in Jerusalem. In the early years of Saul’s reign, it is sometimes difficult to track the precise movements of the ark of the tabernacle. But here, during David’s flight from Saul, we discover the tabernacle was located in a small settlement of priests in the town of Nob.
David did not know where else to go, so he ran to God's house. Ahimelech, the priest at the time, trembled when he met David, for David was a man of war, a known emissary of Saul, and his visit was unannounced; What is this warrior doing in my town? “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” he asked. The answer which poured from David’s mouth was filled with deceit, for he said, “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. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here” (1 Samuel 21:2-3).
Ahimelech, not knowing David was running from Saul, but thinking he was on a special mission from Saul, sought to oblige David. As he scanned the city in his mind’s eye, he could find only one place any extra food might be found. The tabernacle had a steady supply of bread brought into it, for the priests were to place fresh loaves before the LORD, inside the tabernacle, every day. The old bread was replaced daily, and Ahimelech had a few loaves of that old bread on hand. Though a non-priest like David was technically forbidden from eating this old bread, Ahimelech surmised that, at that moment, David’s life was more important than God’s ceremonial law. Quickly, after checking to make sure David and his men were otherwise ceremonially clean, he gave David the bread.
As Ahimelech handed David the bread, David could have heard the whisper of God say, “I love you. You are important to me.” We can say as much because Jesus Himself utilized this story in defense of His disciples many years later. One day, when walking through grain fields on the Sabbath day, His disciples began to pluck heads of grain. This was perfectly permissible, according to the law. God had declared travelers were allowed to eat just enough to keep them moving on their journey as they passed through the fields of Israel, a gracious way to share one another's burdens. But the Pharisees had outlawed the practice on the Sabbath. They had decided that plucking a head of grain for personal consumption while traveling was tantamount to reaping a harvest, which was clearly forbidden on the Sabbath, a weekly day of rest God had given to His people. They had instituted hundreds of other laws of equal ridiculousness, and on this day, they questioned Jesus about His disciples, “Why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
Jesus had many different ways of defending His Sabbath practices to the religious leaders of His day, but for this particular line of questioning, Jesus replied by asking, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry?” (Mark 2:23-28). He then proceeded to retell the story to the Pharisees, men who most certainly had read the story but without any real understanding. Jesus wanted them to remember how David “entered the house of God…and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him” (Mark 2:26). Jesus concluded, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).
Taking Jesus’ insights from this episode in David’s life helps us understand the value God was placing on David at the moment the bread -- unlawful for David to eat -- was handed to him by God's priest. It was a subtle way for God to say, “You are mine. You are loved. You are valuable to me. Your welfare is more important to me than the ceremonial law.” It was not a resounding shout from God but a subtle and small voice reaffirming His care for David.
You are of great value to God. He will often declare it to you straightforwardly, most effectively in the proclamation of the gospel. When we look to the cross of Christ, we see our value and His love. But might there also be millions of ways He seeks to whisper His love into your heart? Are there not thousands of ways He will try to remind you of your value to Him? Should not every beautiful sunset be accompanied by His voice: “I made that for you”? Should not the smell of the rain delight us in His goodness? Should not the gift of laughter tell us He has designed us for delight? Should not the interaction with the smile of a newborn baby whisper His love to us?
It seems there are many subtle ways God communicates His love. If only we would pay attention. From the cosmos to the cross, the Father communicates His love for you. The taste of your favorite foods, the beauty of the changing seasons, or the majesty of the way each animal moves ought to remind us of God’s intricate design, a message of His care. If only we would hear His whisper of love, like the one He gave to David.
God Is Able To Help You (21:7-9)
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. 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.” 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 21:7–9, ESV).
Upon receiving the bread, David then asked for a spear or a sword. He had flown from Saul without a weapon of any kind. He told Ahimelech it was because the king’s errand required haste, cover for the fact he was actually running from the king. Again, Ahimelech scanned the small settlement of priests. There was only one word he could conjure up in his mind, the sword of Goliath the Philistine. Ahimelech was sure to give his own commentary on the weapon, calling it “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 like that here” (1 Samuel 21:9).
The movements of the sword of Goliath, like the movements of the tabernacle, are lost to history. It was last seen in the hand of David after he slew the giant. He had placed it in his tent. Years later, in this episode, it resurfaced in the city of Nob. Of all the words in all of Israel, this was the one sword Ahimelech could produce for David on this particular day. As readers of the story, we know this was the sovereign hand of God. It was not a coincidence this sword was placed in David’s hand. If the showbread was meant to remind David of his value before God, this sword seems designed to remind David of God’s ability to help him. Again, God seems to have whispered in David’s ear, “I am strong. I am able. Remember Goliath? Trust me again!”
In the battles and trials of life, God will often straightforwardly declare His ability to us. It may come in during a sermon. It may come straight from the lips of a trusted friend. It may be found as you read His Word. But God will often declare His ability and trustworthiness to us.
At times, though, God will whisper His ability into our hearts. The message will be the same -- trust me, child -- but the method of communication will be more subtle. You might come across an old acquaintance, a person with whom you used to engage in various forms of sin, and God will remind you of the progress He has given you. You might drive past an old place of sin, a beach or a bar, or a campus, and recall how far He has taken you. You might come across a memory of a time when God pulled you out of financial difficulty and remember His power and ability to provide for you. You might react in patience and grace, rather than anger and wrath, to someone else’s mistake. At that moment, God is trying to whisper to you, “Look how strong I am. I have changed you. I have helped you. I can help you again.”
David should have taken one look at the sword of Goliath and been bolstered in his faith in God. He should have remembered the previous victories and become solidified for the coming trial in his life. We ought to be able to do the same, and much more so, for we can look back on the greatest victory of all, the cross of Christ, along with every victory every biblical hero received from God. Together, they communicate God’s power and ability to our hearts.
God Has a Plan for Your Life (21:10-22:23)
And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 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?” And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 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. Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 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 21:10–15, ESV).
The sword and the bread did not break through into David’s mind or heart, however, and he descended further into madness by running to Gath, the Philistine hometown of Goliath, with Goliath’s sword in hand. There were no photographs of David floating around Gath. And David was older at this point, perhaps stronger and more bearded than when he defeated Goliath, so there's a chance they would not recognize him. But it is still incredible to us that he sought refuge with the Philistines -- until we remember the dark places we often run when in need of comfort.
Eventually, though the Philistine king had received David, the servants began to whisper, “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?’” The slain and struck down in the song were Philistines. The hero David had killed was Philistine. The servants wanted to know, how could king Achish allow such a man into his courts?
Upon hearing the words of the servants, “David took these words to heart and was much afraid” (1 Samuel 21:12). David felt his only move was to feign insanity. As spittle ran down his beard, David clawed on the doors of the city gate. Achish, believing David to have gone made, said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 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 21:15). With that, David was gone, released back into the wild.
But notice the questioning words of Achish’s servants: “Is not this David, the king of the land?” David was not yet king, but these Philistines already viewed him as such. Samuel’s visit to Bethlehem and his anointing of David was a distant memory in David’s mind, but not in the mind of the Philistines. They saw David as he did not see himself, the future king of Israel. Again, there are no accidents in the story. The bread was there to communicate God’s love for David. The sword was there to communicate God’s ability to David. These whispering Philistine servants were there to remind David that God had a plan for his life. The title “king of the land” should have snapped David back into the reality that God had anointed him to be Israel’s next leader. God -- truly -- had a plan for David’s life.
As believers, “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). God has a plan for our lives, good works for us to walk in. God will shout this to us in the form of Bible teachings and readings, but He will whisper it to us all throughout life. His still and small voice will cause us to remember the early days and early giftings of our Christianity. A person will become receptive to the specific way God has crafted us. An opportunity will come across our path. In each, God may be whispering, I have a plan for your life.
God worked hard, as a loving Father, to communicate his love and strength and plan to his man. But David’s ears were closed to the whispers of God, so God would resort to the louder forms of communication. After departing from Gath, David ran to the cave of Adullam. His spirit was reviving, for he had written the thirty-fourth psalm in response to the episode at Gath. Now, in the cave, he wrote, at the very least, the fifty-seventh and one-hundred-forty-second psalm.
In the cave, he began to revive, God’s voice broke through to his heart, and he was restored. Soon, they began to gather to him. First, his family, then hundreds of distressed, indebted and imbittered men. He became captain of them, a group of 400. He began to assume responsibility for the huddled mass of people, realizing he needed to care for his family. He flew to Moab — he was an eight Moabite from his great-grandmother Ruth — and secured the safety of his family. Then the prophet Gad arose and told David to return to Judah, to go back to the very place he was endangered. In obedience, he went. And, sure enough, once among God’s people, God used him to bless God’s people, for Saul had gone even more insane. It seems one of his servants, a descendant of Esau, an Edomite, named Doeg, had been in Nob on the day David had visited Ahimelech, the priest. Though Ahimelech knew nothing of Saul’s rivalry with David, Doeg made it sound as if the priests had chosen the side of David and had become plotters against Saul. Saul had called the priests, questioned them, and refused to be reasoned with. Soon, Saul ordered their execution, carried out by the hand of Doeg the Edomite. Only one priest escaped: the son of Ahimelech, a young man named Abiathar. David assured him, “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 22:23). With that word, the reader can discern the full shift in the Davidic mindset. Our episode began in fear and trepidation, but it ends in confidence. David was certain Abiathar would be safe with him because David finally knew he himself was safe. David had come to remember God’s love, God’s strength, and God’s plan for his life.
But how had David come to finally hear the voice of God on these matters? How had he finally come to ascertain God’s love and ability and sovereign plan? How had God’s voice broken through? First, David heard God in the cave of Adullam, for nothing can replace a believer’s personal time with God (1 Samuel 22:1-2). Second, David heard God from the mouth of the prophet, for nothing can replace the authoritative declaration of God’s word in the life of a believer (1 Samuel 22:3-5). Third, David heard God once he took responsibility for Abiathar, for nothing can replace the act of service and sacrifice in the Christian life (1 Samuel 22:6-23).
If you want to hear the whispers of God’s love and ability and plan for your life, engage in the three elements David engaged with in our episode. Spend time with God alone, reading your Bible, learning His word for yourself. Pray to Him, and exercise your personal faith in a personal God. But also spend time before the authoritative declaration of God’s word. Many are peddlers of the word (2 Corinthians 2:17), but some seek to tell you plainly what God’s word means and then what it means for you. Seek out such teaching and preaching so that you might know God more. Finally, serve God by serving others. When you lay your life down for another, you learn much about how God feels and thinks. His compassion will become more deeply yours as you give your time and energy and passion to another. Through all these mediums, God will speak and declare to you His steadfast love, His ability and strength, and His plan for your life, so do not neglect them. God will resort to the whispers, but He prefers to clearly and loudly shout His heart to His people, so give Him the time and space to do so. We often forget, as David did in our story, that God loves us, is able to help us, and has a plan for our lives. But God does not forget and works hard to remind us -- if only we will listen to his voice.
