David’s Fear and Deception of the Priest (vv. 1-9)
1 Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid when he met David, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no one is with you?" 2 So David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, 'Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.' And I have directed my young men to such and such a place. 3 "Now therefore, what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found." 4 And the priest answered David and said, "There is no common bread on hand; but there is holy bread, if the young men have at least kept themselves from women." 5 Then David answered the priest, and said to him, "Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect common, even though it was sanctified in the vessel this day." 6 So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread which had been taken from before the LORD, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away. 7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD. And his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul. 8 And David said to Ahimelech, "Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste." 9 So the priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here." And David said, "There is none like it; give it to me."
Big Fear, Small God, Big Lies
It is hard to watch David sink so low that he resorts to lies to save himself. How could the young man, who but a few years past stood boldly before Goliath, now fall into such fear? David’s faith, like ours, was not yet perfected. David had to learn that the Lord alone was his strength and refuge. He could not be a man after the Lord’s own heart or a King foreshadowing the King of kings unless he was emptied of himself and gave himself into the hand of God. Fleeing from Saul’s courts, David went to Nob, where the tabernacle was located. This was a mile or two from Jerusalem and about five to six miles from Gibeah. When Ahimelech saw David, he was afraid. Does the king want something from me? Had he already received news from Doeg that David was a marked man? David sensed that he was not warmly received, and he told a lie to explain himself. It was a blatant lie, and though we understand the reason David lied, we cannot excuse him. Telling lies to escape trouble is always an indication that our faith has grown weak. Even so, our hearts pity David, for we see in God’s faithful servant the same fear of man that plagues our own hearts and the weariness we experience under sustained trials and disappointment. In such times, unless we keep up a lively communion with our Savior and bring our fearful thoughts captive to his promises, then we shall be tempted to think he has left us.
But the Lord Provided
Yet, even when we are tempted to lie to save our own skins, the Lord does not love us any less because we have strayed. He will correct us, but the Lord is never surprised by our sins. Nor when we sin are we able to bring ourselves back into his fellowship. Fellowship with him is not of our deserving. He is not good to us to repay us for doing something for him. We see this in the priest giving David and his men the holy bread that was laid out each day as a sign that the Lord provides for his people. The Lord fed David when David distrusted the Lord. This is not to make a mockery of God’s grace, as if we can sin without consequences. There were grave consequences to David and to the priests in Nob for David’s lie. But the Lord nonetheless was taking care of David. He will never leave nor forsake us. Technically, the bread was not for them, but ceremonial laws take a back seat to the preservation of life, as our Lord taught from this very incident (Matt. 12:3-4). And yet, the men were at least ceremonially clean. Even when we are in trouble and everything is upside down with trouble, the Lord is still holy. He will have us obedient and holy, when the world is burning down in sin. And now in union and fellowship with the Lord Jesus, the more wicked we see the world, the more fearful we are of what might happen to us, the more we must pursue holiness and “keep ourselves unspotted from the world” (2 Cor. 7:1; James 1:27).
Fleshly Strategies for Survival Lead to Ruin – Hopefully
Thus far, things seemed to be working out well for David. Ahimelech did not ask him too many more questions about his mission. He and his men had bread. And now, David needed a sword. Goliath’s sword had been deposited in Nob, and David gladly took it – no sword like that one! This should have reminded David of the Lord’s faithfulness and power, but David was then in the grip of fear. He took Goliath’s sword readily, but he did not think of the God who makes swords sharp when he wishes, and utterly impotent when he takes away man’s strength. There is always a fly in the ointment of sin! Doeg, Saul’s chief herdsmen, was in Nob. He saw David and would soon report this to Saul. As a consequence of David’s fearful flight, as well as the Lord’s judgment against the house of Eli, Saul had Ahimelech and 85 other priests slaughtered (2 Sam. 22:18). The Lord’s hand was behind all this, but sin is dreadful, and his sovereignty establishes our personal responsibility for our actions. Since we know he rules over all and determines all things, we must obey his word. David is humanly responsible for these deaths, for he was there, lied, and consulted the Urim and Thummim, which was reserved for the king (22:10). David was trying to save his own skin from Saul, but in the process, he sacrificed others on the altar of his fear.
We often give little thought to how much our actions influence the course of events, other people’s lives, for good or evil, even for eternity. Thus, we must not trust ourselves and our strategies but the Lord’s promises. Trusting him, we can speak the truth and leave the consequences to him. We are not allowed to lie or disobey the Lord to save ourselves. Like Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, we may not bow to the state to save our skins. If the Lord wants to save us, he will save us. We must never trust ourselves but obey him. This is the plain path in front of us. Fear screams otherwise, but David should have silenced the screaming with faith. Tell the truth – or at least be silent. Trust the Lord. Do righteousness. David did not, and many died. Thankfully, David’s schemes ultimately failed. When the Lord loves us, he will not bless our schemes and lies. He will expose them so that we see the bitter fruit of not trusting him. If our sinful strategies succeed, we should be alarmed, not relieved.
David’s Fear and Flight to the Philistines (vv. 10-15)
10 Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?" 12 Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them, feigned madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? 15 "Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"
Fear Quenched David’s Courage
That very day, David left Israel. He knew Doeg would expose him to Saul (2 Sam. 22:22). David fled to Achish¸ the king of Gath. David went to Goliath’s home city carrying Goliath’s sword? Has David gone mad? He must have thought, as in some sort of later Greek epic, that the Philistines would receive him, since their enemy Israel had become David’s enemy. Would they consider him a trophy or tool? Perhaps David was not thinking that much but had given up. One thing is certain. David was not trusting God’s promises to him. Has David forgotten that he is the Lord’s anointed? That he has God’s promise that he will be king? Has he forgotten the victory over Goliath? Well, if he had, Achish’s servants had not forgotten. They had been listening to Israel’s music: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” Thus, foolishly fleeing to the Philistines, David’s fear followed him. Where faith is low, there are no safe spaces, no resting place for the soul. When David’s faith was strong, he could lie down on the battlefield and sleep securely. It is not our enemies or our circumstances that ruin us, but our fears. When the Lord is big, fears grow smaller, until they leave us altogether. Fear cannot stand before faith when faith is feeding upon the Lord’s promises, his presence, and his protection. When we stop feeding fear with promises, however, courage is quenched. Every shadow spooks us. Every event is part of some conspiracy to ruin us.
Fear Reduced David to Acting Like a Madman
And thus, consumed with fear, the man who stood in the Lord’s name before Goliath, began acting like a madman. He scratched on the doors and let his spit fall down on his beard. I suspect that Achish had hoped David would be an unexpected ally, but he does not need a madman serving him. It was an interesting ploy on David’s side. It seemed to have worked, but the reprieve was only temporary. David would have to face his fears and return to faith – or slink off into the historical oblivion and judgment of all who refuse to believe God’s promises. However it occurred to David to save his skin by pretending to be insane, it is an ugly picture of denominations and congregations that change their doctrine to avoid the world’s disfavor – or the husband who will not confront sins in his wife, the parents who appease their children’s whims rather than face them squarely. Trouble is coming for us in this life (Acts 14:23). There will be no untested saints in heaven’s receiving line. The Lord always throws faith into the fire. As in David’s case, sometimes those fires can burn for years – a besetting sin, an abrasive boss, marital hardships, bad health and disease, living in an ungodly nation, like Lot in Sodom. We cannot shirk the responsibility of facing the troubles that the Lord sends to us. If we flee from maturity, a kind of madness stalks us – a madness of unbelief, of forgetfulness of the Lord’s promises, and of the unrest that consumes our soul when we do not rest in the Lord and his promises. David pretended to be mad, but fear is a madness that paralyzes, discourages, imagines monsters behind every corner, and hides the Lord’s goodness and love behind our sinful craving for trouble-free lives and untested faith.
David’s Later Reflections on His Fear and the Lord’s Faithfulness (Psalms 34,56)
The Reality of Fear
The headings of Psalms 34 and 56 indicated that they were written during this season in David’s life. He probably wrote them sitting in the Cave of Adullam. One thing they have in common is an honest declaration of David’s fear. We are commanded not to be afraid of men, but the reality is that unless we keep up constant communion with the Lord and hold fast to his promises, fear will rise to attack us. And even if we are seeking to walk with the Lord, he often tests us through trouble and threats. We hear of pending war or some new scheme of the Babel-builders in our day. Unless our first thought is, “The Lord has done this,” we are sowing seeds for fear – what are they doing to us? What will happen? What should we do to fight this or protect ourselves? Prudence need not be motivated by fear, but it often is. Rare is the prudence and preparation that is motivated by trust in God’s promises, that he will take care of us, and that we then prepare or act in obedience to his promises, not reacting to the threats of men in fear or anger. Believer, prepare for fear to attack you. It may never be anything big and dramatic – a bad cough that will not go away, lingering physical maladies, a neighbor who is displeased with something you said or did and threatens to sue you. The list of our earthly woes can be very long indeed! But the list of God’s promises is longer!
The Believer’s Path to Overcome Fear
Psalm 56 is dripping with David’s fear. He sees his enemies ready to swallow him up (vv. 1-2). David confesses his fear (v. 3), and then immediately turns to the remedy – trust God. And specifically, trust his word (v. 4). This means that when troubles and fear arise, we must train ourselves in godly thinking and living so that we remember God’s promises. We must know them, think about them constantly, how secure they are because of the blood of Jesus Christ once shed for us, and how much they are our promises by the Spirit’s sealing work in our lives. For, men will twist our words (v. 5), gather against God’s people (v. 6), and treat us badly (v. 7). Sometimes, we wander and cry (v. 8), for through trouble, the Lord reminds us that we are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Ps. 119:19) – which lines some have suggested were also written during this time. David had to learn, as we do, that “here we have no continuing city” (Heb. 13:14). Our heaven and our peace are not here. They will never be here. And thus, David went back to praising God for his word and calling to him for deliverance (vv. 9-10). Faith drove him back to trust (v. 11) – in the Lord’s faithfulness. David’s courage began to return (v. 11) as he praised God for his word and promise, even before his circumstances changed at all. He took back up the mantle of his anointing (v. 12) and rejoiced in the Lord’s deliverance of his life (v. 13). He will move forward trusting the Lord.
Child of God besieged by trouble, with the specter of fear stalking you, believe and practice these words. Fears come upon us. They are sinful, but the Lord in his goodness gives us his word as our true bread. Trust his promises. Ask him for the Spirit’s work and power in your life so that you may walk in the Spirit and thus know the “hope of your calling, the exceeding riches of his inheritance, the exceeding greatness of his power in us” (Eph. 1:18-19). Do not expect fear to leave you alone until you take up the Spirit’s sword, the Word of God – not the traditions of men, nor your escape plans and preparations and schemes to save yourself. If you succeed in these, you fail, for you have not made the Lord your refuge. Begin praising God for his promises when the hurricane winds are blowing – like many we have seen recently giving glory to the sovereign God in the midst of terrible storms north of us. Praise God in your troubles, and fear must flee before Him. And recognize that the Lord sends us troubles to drive us home to HIM. We have not learned, not really, for generations, that the Lord is our home, our rest, and our peace. We have trusted too much in the kingdoms of men and their promises and schemes to enrich and protect themselves. And now that we see the Lord exposing these schemes for what they are, we grow frightened. Do not. The Lord does not need any unbelieving props to feed us or keep us safe. When our props become idols and impediments to serving him zealously, he knocks them away because he loves us. He knows that our joy, our peace, and our strength to fight the fight of faith are found in praising and trusting, not anything we come up with to save ourselves.
The Lord’s Deliverance from Fear
Further reflection on his recent lies and schemes to save himself led David to realize that he should have been praising the Lord at all times (Psalm 34:1). He stopped praising, and fear grew. Boasting in the Lord ceased, and men’s threats overwhelmed (v. 2). Despite his failures, David blesses the Lord for taking care of him and hearing “this poor man’s cries” (vv. 3-6). While David was scratching on the walls of Gath and spitting on himself, the angel of the Lord was protecting him (v. 7). The Lord never needs our hands to save us. He is keeping his promises when we are breaking ours to him. His mercy and grace are incredible! And now David calls us to “taste and see the Lord’s goodness, and the blessedness of trusting in him” (v. 8). Trust was the truth behind David’s troubles.
Other creatures lack what they need, but the one who trusts the Lord will not lack any good thing – because he has the Lord and his word (vv. 9-11). Is this not what our Savior taught us in his wilderness battle with the dark one – that in the face of the most ferocious enemy, God’s word is sufficient (Matt. 4:4,7,10). It is better and more satisfying and life-giving than earthly bread, man’s recognition, and earthly kingdoms of compromise. So, how are you to live trusting the Lord, and thus live under his blessing? Do not lie and practice deceit to save your own skin (vv. 12-13). Do what is right, whatever the cost (v. 14). We are only dust, so it may seem impossible to live trusting the Lord like this, but his eye is upon us (v. 15). Faith sees his smile and survives. The Father, the HOLY, LOVING, and RECONCILED Father of glory looks our way with approval, in Jesus Christ, and it is enough for us. It is always enough for faith. This is the fuel that was hotter than any earthly fire for faithful martyrs. My Father loves me. His face is against the wicked, but he is near to us (vv. 16-18). When we cry, even out of the fire, he hears. He answers. Many are our afflictions, but the Lord delivers us from every one – now, later, whenever, as long as he is with us (v. 19). Thus, do not drive away your confidence in the Lord by ridiculous fears. The Lord is keeping us, even our bones (v. 20). He knows all the hairs on our head. The wicked will be slain by their evil (v. 21), but the Lord will never leave his people without the help they need. He is our Redeemer. We need not be afraid (v. 22).
We waste David’s life unless we learn to trust the Lord. Worse, we waste his precious word. He does great things for us when we trust him – but only when we trust him. If we trust ourselves, our schemes and lies, our strength and arms, our reason or intuition, he will largely leave us to suffer for our folly. To trust him is to live by his word, to be motivated in our works and preparations by one thought – unless the Lord works for us, unless he saves us, we are ruined. The Lord must help us. He must guide us. He must be with us, keep his promises, and give us his Spirit. Can we be confident that he will? Yes, we see Jesus Christ, hanging on the cross, draining his veins to cleanse our sins and secure every promise of the everlasting covenant. Our works did not help us that day, and they will not help us now. Only in Jesus Christ are we safe and secure. Let us walk as he walked – trusting his Father’s word in the darkest hours, the bitterest cross, and the most shameful grave. Faith overcame the grave (Ps. 16:9-11). It will overcome our deadliest foes. The blood of Jesus Christ gives us this unbreakable pledge.
Learn what it means to trust the Lord.
Believe, pray, and obey Psalms 34 and 56 when fear attacks you.
Imitate our Savior’s trust in His Father.
Never trust in yourself or anyone else to save you.
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