When David begged for help – 1st Samuel 21 & 22, Part 1

A panhandler is back in my community. 

They stand at the end of the exit ramp that goes from the highway to the road my church property is located on. If you are making a left hand turn onto the road, you have to drive right by them.  Whenever I see the pandhandler standing there, I glance at the stoplight and think “Come on, turn green, light, or stay green, so I don’t have stop near them.  I do not want to stop.”  If I do have to stop and wait for the light to turn green, I want to stop three or four cars back in line, so the panhandler holding the sign isn’t right next to me.  Have you ever felt like that?

Panhandlers make me feel very uncomfortable.  If I’m being honest, sometimes they make me feel angry.  One a few years ago had a trashcan at the same location, filled so full it was overflowing and littering the ground.  I thought, “How many people gave him granola bars and water bottles to fill up the trash can?”  I wondered how many people gave him money, and how much.  Is this description making you uncomfortable?  Hold that thought.  We’re going to talk further about this week, as we continue our study of the life of David.

When we last left him, David is on the run. See post here.  His father-in-law, King Saul, has made it very clear that he wants to kill David because Saul is crazy jealous of David’s success.  Saul is the king.  Saul has the upper hand by far.  Saul commands a national network of informants who could be on the watch for David.  David is in an extremely precarious position. 

That brings us to 1st Samuel chapter 21. Since David first fled the King’s house, David has had help.  His wife, Michal.  The prophet Samuel.  His best friend, and crown prince, Jonathan.   But Saul is watching all those people.  Where can David turn now?  In verse 1 we read, “David went to Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled when he met him, and asked, ‘Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?’”

David, in his desperation for help, seems to be thinking, “I can find help from the Lord by going to the priests at the Tabernacle of the Lord.”  At this point in Israel’s history, the temple in Jerusalem has not been built.  In fact, the Israelites have not even conquered Jerusalem yet.  So the center of worship is the tabernacle, a kind of portable temple, which was literally a tent the size of a two-car garage where the Israelites priests would minister, keeping the regular pattern of daily sacrifices to God. 

It makes a lot of sense for David to go to the tabernacle to seek God’s protection and guidance.  The high priest had possession of the Urim and Thummim, which were stones used to ascertain God’s will.  One was a “yes” stone, and the other was “no.”  You ask God a Yes or No question, then the priest reaches into the pocket in the priestly ephod, and he pulls out a stone.  Whichever stone he pulls out is the answer from God. 

Thus David shows up at the tabernacle, hoping for help.  But when he shows up, the priest Ahimelek is troubled.  Why is Ahimelek upset at David’s appearance?  Ahimelek questions David about why he is alone.  What is Ahimelek getting at? 

Remember that David has become a very well-known person.  He is the king’s son-in-law, and a military commander who has distinguished by leading numerous victorious battles. Given David’s royal and military stature, Ahimelek is suspicious that David has shown up alone.  Shouldn’t David’s entourage be with him?  Yes, they should.  It is also highly likely that Ahimelek has heard rumors of trouble in the King’s household.  Remember the episode when Saul and his men tried to arrest David, but God intervened and Saul ended up writhing on the ground naked?  That’s the kind of story that spreads like wildfire.  There was easily enough time for Ahimelek to find out that David was being hunted by Saul. 

When a deeply troubled situation is unfolding, anything can happen, right?  You don’t know what you are dealing with.  Is David in a stable frame of mind?  Or is he now so desperate that he will try something crazy?  When people are under stress, filled with anxiety, they can act out of character, right?  Or maybe Ahimelek is thinking “I want no part in this soap opera.”  Ahimelek may even realize that, as unhinged as King Saul has shown himself to be, David is essentially bringing trouble to Ahimelek’s doorstep. 

In other words, Ahimelek is wise to be very cautious of David.

How will David respond to Ahimelek?  We find out in the next post.

Photo by Hennie Stander on Unsplash