1 Samuel 22
David escaped from Gath while they all thought he was mad. and headed to live in the caves at Adullum.
He is joined in the caves by his parents and a group of debt entangled, dis-enfranchised, and disaffected men join him, until he has about 400 men with him with David in command.
David arranged for the king of Moab to take care of his parents while David's future lies in the balance.
God sent a message to David not to stay in Moab but to set up camp in the land of Judah.
Saul is meanwhile getting more and more paranoid - he finds David has escaped, accuses his officials of treason, for not telling Saul that Jonathan was loyal to David.
Eventually a character called Deog the Edomite betrays that he saw David with the priests at Nob.
Saul goes to Nob and, in spite of their protestations that, as far as they knew, David was loyal to Saul and he had given David support many times in the past.
Saul ordered that the priests be executed, but his men refuse to raise a hand against the priests of God, however Deog has no difficulty and executes the priest, wastes the town slaughtering every living creature, men, women, children, and livestock.
One son of the priest Ahimelek, Ahitub, escaped with his life and seeks out David bringing news of the massacre.
David admitted that he should have realised that trouble would follow when he saw Deog at Nob, and accepts the blame for the death of the priests and Ahitub's entire family.
David welcomes the priest and promises protection, the same person is trying to kill both of them.
For me there are 2 things that struck me as I wrote this -
David has a deep love and respect for his family, as shown by his taking care of his parents by taking them out of Saul's reach.
The other is Saul has lost his perspective and all moral restraint - to the extent that he not only allows or condones but actively orders the massacre of the priests of God.
This could be the act of a mad man using a nasty man to wield the sword, but I would suggest that this could illustrate that when God and faith are extinguished, mankind's tendency is not to be moral and good, but rather the worst of atrocities are far more possible.
David escaped from Gath while they all thought he was mad. and headed to live in the caves at Adullum.
He is joined in the caves by his parents and a group of debt entangled, dis-enfranchised, and disaffected men join him, until he has about 400 men with him with David in command.
David arranged for the king of Moab to take care of his parents while David's future lies in the balance.
God sent a message to David not to stay in Moab but to set up camp in the land of Judah.
Saul is meanwhile getting more and more paranoid - he finds David has escaped, accuses his officials of treason, for not telling Saul that Jonathan was loyal to David.
Eventually a character called Deog the Edomite betrays that he saw David with the priests at Nob.
Saul goes to Nob and, in spite of their protestations that, as far as they knew, David was loyal to Saul and he had given David support many times in the past.
Saul ordered that the priests be executed, but his men refuse to raise a hand against the priests of God, however Deog has no difficulty and executes the priest, wastes the town slaughtering every living creature, men, women, children, and livestock.
One son of the priest Ahimelek, Ahitub, escaped with his life and seeks out David bringing news of the massacre.
David admitted that he should have realised that trouble would follow when he saw Deog at Nob, and accepts the blame for the death of the priests and Ahitub's entire family.
David welcomes the priest and promises protection, the same person is trying to kill both of them.
For me there are 2 things that struck me as I wrote this -
David has a deep love and respect for his family, as shown by his taking care of his parents by taking them out of Saul's reach.
The other is Saul has lost his perspective and all moral restraint - to the extent that he not only allows or condones but actively orders the massacre of the priests of God.
This could be the act of a mad man using a nasty man to wield the sword, but I would suggest that this could illustrate that when God and faith are extinguished, mankind's tendency is not to be moral and good, but rather the worst of atrocities are far more possible.
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