Burunche’s Blog

2 Samuel 15:13 A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell King David, “All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!”

14 “Then we must flee at once or it will be too late!” was David’s instant response to his men. “If we get out of the city before he arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will be saved.”

15 “We are with you,” his aides replied. “Do as you think best.”

16 So the king and his household set out at once. He left no one behind except ten of his young wives to keep the palace in order. 17-18 David paused at the edge of the city to let his troops move past him to lead the way—six hundred Gittites who had come with him from Gath, and the Cherethites and Pelethites.

19-20 But suddenly the king turned to Ittai, the captain of the six hundred Gittites, and said to him, “What are you doing here? Go on back with your men to Jerusalem, to your king, for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile. It seems but yesterday that you arrived, and now today should I force you to wander with us, who knows where? Go on back and take your troops with you, and may the Lord be merciful to you.”

21 But Ittai replied, “I vow by God and by your own life that wherever you go, I will go, no matter what happens—whether it means life or death.”

22 So David replied, “All right, come with us.” Then Ittai and his six hundred men and their families went along.

23 There was deep sadness throughout the city as the king and his retinue passed by, crossed Kidron Brook, and went out into the country. 24 Abiathar and Zadok and the Levites took the Ark of the Covenant of God and set it down beside the road until everyone had passed. 25-26 Then, following David’s instructions, Zadok took the Ark back into the city. “If the Lord sees fit,” David said, “he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle again. But if he is through with me, well, let him do what seems best to him.”

27 Then the king told Zadok, “Look, here is my plan. Return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. 28 I will stop at the ford of the Jordan River and wait there for a message from you. Let me know what happens in Jerusalem before I disappear into the wilderness.”

29 So Zadok and Abiathar carried the Ark of God back into the city and stayed there.

30 David walked up the road that led to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the mountain. 31 When someone told David that Ahithophel, his advisor, was backing Absalom, David prayed, “O Lord, please make Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!” 32 As they reached the spot at the top of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, David found Hushai the Archite waiting for him with torn clothing and earth upon his head.

33-34 But David told him, “If you go with me, you will only be a burden; return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, ‘I will counsel you as I did your father.’ Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel’s advice. 35-36 Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, are there. Tell them the plans that are being made to capture me, and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to find me and tell me what is going on.”

37 So David’s friend Hushai returned to the city, getting there just as Absalom arrived.

The whole mess began with one lousy decision, but eventually, it nearly cost David his kingship and his life. Rather than go to war, David was lazing around the palace in Jerusalem, where he saw Bathsheba, the wife of one of his mighty men, had sex with her, and then had her husband Uriah killed in battle. At that point, the prophet Nathan warned David that because David had brought violence to an innocent man’s family, now the sword would not depart from his house. And trouble was brewing, for David’s son Absalom would eventually try to take over the kingdom.

Had there been movies or videos in David’s day, David’s son Absalom would have been a huge star. Absalom was tall, handsome, and charismatic. Absalom waged a publicity campaign, subtly implying that David was old and incompetent and that he, Absalom, would make a far better king. The story is found in 2 Samuel 13-17 and is a complicated one. Absalom goes to Hebron to have himself crowned as king, and Ahithophel, David’s most trusted advisor, chooses to side with him, abandoning David.

2 Samuel 16:23 tells us that “Absalom did whatever Ahithophel told him to, just as David had; for every word Ahithophel spoke seemed as wise as though it had come directly from the mouth of God.” But Ahithophel’s first advice to Absalom is for Absalom to go to a rooftop and have sex with all of David’s concubines to prove that he is virile and that he is now king. Ahithophel has now made two mistakes: he has sided with Absalom and has given Absalom ungodly advice. This act of flagrant open sexual congress smacks of forbidden Canaanite fertility rite, for this is what a pagan king would do. Ahithophel has abandoned God, and now God is about to abandon Ahithophel.

There are innumerable lessons we might draw from these few chapters, but this morning we are concentrating on Ahithophel’s treachery, the way God frustrates it, and the way God comforts David. Until now, David has trusted Ahithophel completely as a friend and advisor; however, now David must pray against his former friend. 2 Samuel 15:31 says, “When someone told David that Ahithophel, his advisor, was backing Absalom, David prayed, “O Lord, please make Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!”

When Ahithophel advises Absalom to give him 12,000 troops so he can swiftly arrest David, Hushai the Archite makes a sage comment: “The advice that Ahithophel has given is not good at this time.”  Although Ahithophel’s plan might have worked, Hushai convinces Absalom to gather a huge force to attack David; meanwhile, Hushai sends an urgent message to David to cross the Jordan immediately. Absalom takes Hushai’s advice, and Ahithophel goes home and commits suicide, realizing that he has lost his place as trusted advisor.

How must David feel when he learns Ahithophel is siding with Absalom? For years, David has followed Ahithophel’s advice and has counted Ahithophel as one of his closest friends and confidants. David has believed Ahithophel to be a godly man; yet look at the horrible advice he is now giving Absalom. Never in David’s wildest dreams has he imagined that Ahithophel would prove treacherous; yet, Ahithophel is advising Absalom and the elders to capture David, God’s anointed, and drag him back to Jerusalem. This betrayal hurts just as deeply as that of Absalom.

Wikipedia tells us that in Rabbinical literature, “The Talmud speaks of this counsellor of David as “a man, like Balaam, whose great wisdom was not received in humility as a gift from heaven, and so became a stumbling block to him.”^[2] He was “one of those who, while casting longing eyes upon things not belonging to them, also lose the things they possess.”^[3] Accordingly, Ahitophel was granted access by Almighty God into the Divine powers of God. And being thus familiar with Divine wisdom and knowledge as imparted through the Holy Spirit, he was consulted as an oracle like the Urim and Thummim.^[4] “..and great as was his wisdom, it was equaled by his scholarship. Therefore, David did not hesitate to submit himself to his instruction, even though Ahitophel was a very young man at his death, not more than thirty-three years old. The one thing lacking in him was sincere piety, which proved his undoing in the end, for it induced him to participate in Absalom’s rebellion against David.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahitophel

Although Ahithophel is a wise man, he is not the only wise man in Israel, and now God provides Hushai, an elderly sage, to both comfort David and to confound Ahithophel and Absalom. Hushai proves more than equal to the task, for his cunning advice buys David time so David can escape the onslaught that Ahithophel wishes to unleash.

One of the biggest challenges in leadership is finding wise advisors who will give godly counsel. Until the Absalom incident, David has depended heavily on Ahithophel; however, he must seek guidance elsewhere. Notice that Hushai approaches David; David does not have to send for Hushai. God already knows Ahithophel will betray David and is providing a respected older man who can win the confidence of Absalom and the elders. In the midst of David’s anxieties, God is providing relief.

God does not play favorites, and He will do the same thing for you that He has done for David. For every Ahithophel, there will always be a Hushai if we search long enough. Sometimes we are so dazzled by someone’s appearance or their eloquence that we fail to realize that individual might simply be an accomplished liar. It is a highly human mistake to see what we want to see and to choose those parts of someone else’s behavior that will reinforce our preconceived notions about them. Shysters count on this phenomenon all the time.

Today, you might be reeling from the discovery that a trusted friend has abandoned you in hopes of financial gain or promotion. Do not worry or fear! God is still on the throne, and He can provide the guidance you need at the right time. Remember that no matter how much we might love people, God is the only One who will never change, God is the only true Source of wisdom, and God is the only One who loves us completely. Take comfort, for God sees, God hears, God knows, and God is our Helper.

Psalm 46 tells us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, many of us are hurting from betrayals. Friends have proven false, and we are stumbling in the dark. Lord, we praise You, that You are the Source of light, and that Your light shines in the darkness and the darkness has NOT overcome it! Please send Your light into our minds and hearts that we may glorify You in our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

2 Samuel 2:1-4 After this, David asked the Lord, “Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?”

“Yes,” the Lord replied.

Then David asked, “Which town should I go to?”

“To Hebron,” the Lord answered.

David’s two wives were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. So David and his wives and his men and their families all moved to Judah, and they settled in the villages near Hebron. Then the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah.

Saul is dead, and the kingdom is dividing. At the word of the Lord, David moves to villages around Hebron. While Hebron is in Judah, it is a distance from Jerusalem and even further from most of the land of Benjamin. Abner, Saul’s former military commander and uncle, is about to anoint one of Saul’s remaining sons as king; however, the men of Judah remember Samuel’s anointing of David and spontaneously come to anoint David as king over Judah.

Hebron has a long and honorable spiritual history. Originally, Hebron was the town Caleb requested as part of his inheritance when Joshua was dividing the land. When Moses sent twelve spies out to spy out the Promised Land, Joshua and Caleb were the only two men who avowed that God would defeat all the Canaanites, including the giants. For his faith, Caleb was allowed to enter Canaan and was promised to receive the city of Hebron. The story is told in Joshua 14:6-15

A delegation from the tribe of Judah, led by Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb said to Joshua, “Remember what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea. I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave an honest report, but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God. So that day Moses solemnly promised me, ‘The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.’

“Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.”

So Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave Hebron to him as his portion of land. Hebron still belongs to the descendants of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite because he wholeheartedly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. (Previously Hebron had been called Kiriath-arba. It had been named after Arba, a great hero of the descendants of Anak.)

Judges 1: 20 The town of Hebron was given to Caleb as Moses had promised. And Caleb drove out the people living there, who were descendants of the three sons of Anak.

Every Israelite knows the story of Caleb and how God gave him the city of Hebron, if he would drive out the giants. Caleb and his relatives completely eliminated the giants, taking over the town and renaming it. Now upon God’s advice, David is beginning to establish his kingdom, starting with his tribe of Judah, using Hebron as a temporary capital.

What’s so important about these few verses is the way David begins his kingship. David doesn’t struggle to gain control over all of Israel but begins by consulting God and then moving to the Hebron area. It is the men of Judah who come together to anoint David as king. Whoever recorded 2 Samuel was very careful about details; had David sent messengers all over Judah or Israel seeking support, we would know it.

The men of Judah anoint David as king because they recognize the validity of Samuel’s earlier anointing. These days, we know very little about anointing; however, the Bible speaks about it a great deal. God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to Jesse’s house to anoint one of his sons. When Samuel saw all those tall strapping men, he was certain that one of them would be the next king; however, it was only when Jesse called David in from the sheep pasture that God allowed Samuel to proceed to anoint David. Centuries later, Saint Paul will write to Christians in Rome, saying, “For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.” (Romans 11:29)

God is comforting David by moving the men of Judah to anoint him as king. This spontaneous act on the part of these people is the first affirmation that David will eventually become king over all Israel. What can we learn from this story?

Perhaps God has called you to a work. The work has been long and difficult and you have found yourself surrounded by nay-sayers. Take heart! The same God who called David from the sheep fold to become a king will confirm you in your calling just as He did for David. Do not give up! Do not despair! God is still on the throne and He is still Melech Ha’ Olam, King of the Universe. God’s gifts and His calling remain with you and He will never leave you or forsake you!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives, knowing that You are the Source of our comfort, our joy, our strength, and our hope. You are the Source of our provision. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 31:1-6 Meanwhile the Philistines had begun the battle against Israel, and the Israelis fled from them and were slaughtered wholesale on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines closed in on Saul and killed his sons Jonathan, Abinidab, and Malchishua.

Then the archers overtook Saul and wounded him badly. He groaned to his armor bearer, “Kill me with your sword before these heathen Philistines capture me and torture me.” But his armor bearer was afraid to, so Saul took his own sword and fell upon the point of the blade, and it pierced him through. When his armor bearer saw that he was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. So Saul, his armor bearer, his three sons, and his troops died together that same day.

When Saul refused to obey God and annihilate the Amalekites, he not only lost a kingdom, but also the promise of success in battle. What might have happened had Saul repented? We will never know. Then Saul bent all his efforts at slaughtering David, only for God to protect David and his men. Desperate, Saul consulted a medium who raised the specter of Samuel. Samuel told Saul that Saul and his men would die the following day. Now Samuel’s prediction is coming true, Saul and his sons have died, and all Saul’s men are fleeing the battlefield.

You would think David would be happy that Saul’s threats have been permanently removed, but you would be wrong. Even though David has feared Saul, he has never hated him, recognizing that Saul has been under the influence of evil spirits. In the beginning, David was Saul’s court musician and his military commander. Saul called him “son” and treated him like a son. David’s father thought so little of him that he was willing for David to risk his life, fighting off wild animals to care for the family sheep while his older brothers lazed around at the family house. When David first began serving Saul, he really did think of him as a father; however, Saul failed completely as a father figure, being willing to sacrifice David for his own ambition. Throughout all David’s sufferings from Saul, throughout all David’s retreats into the wilderness, David has never lost hope that Saul would one day come to his senses, repent and worship the Lord, and again embrace David as a son. Then David and Jonathan could be together, and David would be at peace.

It’s not only Saul and his three sons who have died on the top of Mount Gilboa, but David’s hope for reconciliation with Saul has died as well. Never again can David wake up in the morning, hoping that today will be the day all the madness will end, Saul will come to his senses, and the persecution will stop. After all, David never sought the anointing of the Lord; Samuel anointed David at God’s instruction. But rather than repent and admit that David’s anointing was the work of the Lord, Saul blamed David and tried to kill him.

David is devastated! As David told Abishai, he knew Saul would die one day, but he never thought it would be so soon or that Saul’s sons would also die with him. Now David’s hopes for Saul’s repentance and for reconciliation lie dead in the dust. David honors Saul and Jonathan by the only means he has: he composes a dirge to be sung throughout all generations. When we read these verses, we can almost see David weeping and hear his heart breaking. And God’s heart is breaking also, for God always wants us to repent and to turn to Him.

1 Samuel 1: 17-18 Then David composed a dirge for Saul and Jonathan and afterward commanded that it be sung throughout Israel. It is quoted here from the book Heroic Ballads.

19 O Israel, your pride and joy lies dead upon the hills; mighty heroes have fallen.

20 Don’t tell the Philistines, lest they rejoice. Hide it from the cities of Gath and Ashkelon,

Lest the heathen nations laugh in triumph.

21 O Mount Gilboa, let there be no dew nor rain upon you, let no crops of grain grow on your slopes. For there the mighty Saul has died; he is God’s appointed king no more.

22 Both Saul and Jonathan slew their strongest foes, and did not return from battle empty-handed.

23 How much they were loved, how wonderful they were—Both Saul and Jonathan! They were together in life and in death. They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.

24 But now, O women of Israel, weep for Saul; he enriched you with fine clothing and gold ornaments.

25 These mighty heroes have fallen in the midst of the battle. Jonathan is slain upon the hills.

26 How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan; how much I loved you! And your love for me was deeper than the love of women!

27 The mighty ones have fallen, stripped of their weapons, and dead.

Evidently, prior to David uttering this curse on Mount Gilboa, people might have been farming there; however, ever since David’s day, no crops grow there, only wildflowers and some shrubs. During the summer, Mount Gilboa is bare and rocky, in stark contrast to the fertile Jezreel valley below.

What is remarkable about this story is David’s response to Saul’s death. Certainly, David and Jonathan have been the closest of friends; however, David has spent years avoiding Saul’s attacks. At one point, David even sent his parents to Moab so they would be safe. But now that Saul has died, David is grieving Saul-perhaps not the crazed and obsessed ruler, slaughtering people on a whim. But David is grieving that a man bearing the anointing of God has failed and has fallen to his worst enemies. And David is grieving for what Saul might have been and was not, for Saul could have been a glorious success had he obeyed God. All that handsome physique, all that physical strength, all that talent, all wasted because Saul refused to worship God and obey him! And how horrible that Saul’s sons have died defending their father. Certainly, Jonathan at least has deserved a far better father than Saul.

There is also one other thing David is grieving: Now the burden of kingship will really and truly fall on him. David has seen how Saul failed to bear up under that responsibility, but will he do any better? In all this grief, God is the One who can comfort David and give him hope.

As I am writing these words, I am thinking about departed loved ones who have died in January. One year ago today, my beloved sister-in-law died after a long illness. Five years ago, we lost my stepmother, Mary. Mary was one of those wonderful people with a bottomless fund of wisdom, and even when we were in Ghana, I would call her regularly just to hear her comments on everything. Although both these ladies faced severe health problems, as long as they were alive, their families still could hope that things might miraculously improve. But death is final, and hopes also die. I can only pray for these families, that God will strengthen them and comfort them.

When we lose friends and family, God is the only One who can truly comfort us, for He alone knows our hearts and the depth of our grief. Barbara Johnson, a Christian writer who endured a great deal of suffering, once wrote a book entitled Splashes of Joy in the Cesspools of Life. (Johnson wrote a number of other books as well; however, I am especially fond of this title.) Johnson and her husband started a group entitled “Spatula Ministries,” because they felt that when people got bad news, it might take a spatula to scrape them off the ceiling. Although Barbara and Bill Johnson are both with Jesus, Spatula Ministries continues to care for hurting people. (https://officialbarbarajohnsonlibrary.com/spatula-ministries ) Spatula Ministries has these goals:

1. Supporting parents in crisis

2. Providing hope through shared experiences

3. Offering practical resources for healing

4. Creating communities of understanding

5. Sharing God’s love through practical support

If you are grieving, I can thoroughly recommend Spatula Ministries and their resources. Let’s pray.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help all those who are grieving to find their comfort in You, for You are the Ultimate Comforter. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 26:1-4 Now the men from Ziph came back to Saul at Gibeah to tell him that David had returned to the wilderness and was hiding on Hachilah Hill. So Saul took his elite corps of three thousand troops and went to hunt him down. Saul camped along the road at the edge of the wilderness where David was hiding, but David knew of Saul’s arrival and sent out spies to watch his movements.

You’ve got to hand it to the men of Ziph; they’re consistent. When these guys start out as traitors, they remain treacherous. Never mind that David and his men have probably been protecting Ziph, these guys are still drooling at the possibility of gaining goodies from King Saul. So they run up to Gibeah, Saul’s hometown to inform Saul that David is back in their neighborhood. But once more, things aren’t going to work quite the way these men think.

5-7 David slipped over to Saul’s camp one night to look around. King Saul and General Abner were sleeping inside a ring formed by the slumbering soldiers.

“Any volunteers to go down there with me?” David asked Ahimelech (the Hittite) and Abishai (Joab’s brother and the son of Zeruiah).

“I’ll go with you,” Abishai replied. So David and Abishai went to Saul’s camp and found him asleep, with his spear in the ground beside his head.

8 “God has put your enemy within your power this time for sure,” Abishai whispered to David. “Let me go and put that spear through him. I’ll pin him to the earth with it—I’ll not need to strike a second time!”

9-11 “No,” David said. “Don’t kill him, for who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s chosen king? Surely God will strike him down some day, or he will die in battle or of old age. But God forbid that I should kill the man he has chosen to be king! But I’ll tell you what—we’ll take his spear and his jug of water and then get out of here!”

What a temptation! David and Abishai both know that if Saul dies, the persecution of David will cease immediately. Those special troops Saul has been dragging all over the country would far rather have David as commander than Saul, for Saul is becoming crazier by the day. When Saul and his spies aren’t around, you can hear one man muttering things under his breath. “Why are we chasing David through the wilderness rather than protecting Israel from the Philistines and other marauding tribes? When David was leading us, things were done sensibly. Now we never know what Saul will think of next. Worse, Saul loses his temper over nothing. Being around Saul is dangerous. I wish we could just go home and leave David alone!”

“Hush!” says this man’s friend. “Abner is passing, and he’s Saul’s general. If Saul learns of your complaints, you may never live to reach your home! Remember, Saul has already tried to spear David and his own son Jonathan.”

12-13 So David took the spear and jug of water, and they got away without anyone seeing them or even waking up, because the Lord had put them sound asleep. They climbed the mountain slope opposite the camp until they were at a safe distance.

14 Then David shouted down to Abner and Saul, “Wake up, Abner!”

“Who is it?” Abner demanded.

15-16 “Well, Abner, you’re a great fellow, aren’t you?” David taunted. “Where in all Israel is there anyone as wonderful? So why haven’t you guarded your master the king when someone came to kill him? This isn’t good at all! I swear by the Lord that you ought to die for your carelessness. Where is the king’s spear and the jug of water that was beside his head? Look and see!”

Once more, David is proving that he has had Saul in his grasp and has spared Saul’s life. Once more, Saul is forced to confess that David is more virtuous than he.

17-20 Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is that you, my son David?”

And David replied, “Yes, sir, it is. Why are you chasing me? What have I done? What is my crime? If the Lord has stirred you up against me, then let him accept my peace offering. But if this is simply the scheme of a man, then may he be cursed by God. For you have driven me out of my home so that I can’t be with the Lord’s people, and you have sent me away to worship heathen gods. Must I die on foreign soil, far from the presence of Jehovah? Why should the king of Israel come out to hunt my life like a partridge on the mountains?”

21-25 Then Saul confessed, “I have done wrong. Come back home, my son, and I’ll no longer try to harm you; for you saved my life today. I have been a fool, and very, very wrong.”

“Here is your spear, sir,” David replied. “Let one of your young men come over and get it. The Lord gives his own reward for doing good and for being loyal, and I refused to kill you even when the Lord placed you in my power. Now may the Lord save my life, even as I have saved yours today. May he rescue me from all my troubles.”

And Saul said to David, “Blessings on you, my son David. You shall do heroic deeds and be a great conqueror.”

Then David went away and Saul returned home.

“Come back home, my son?” Are you kidding? No matter how many promises Saul makes, David isn’t about to trust Saul again. While Saul might be begging David to come home right now, in a few minutes Saul might be trying to spear David again. David simply returns Saul’s spear and water jug and returns to the wilderness.

The most amazing part of this story is David’s refusal to take vengeance on Saul. “No,” David said. “Don’t kill him, for who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s chosen king? Surely God will strike him down some day, or he will die in battle or of old age. But God forbid that I should kill the man he has chosen to be king!”

David respects the anointing God has placed on Saul and refuses to violate it out of respect for God. Besides, God has placed the same anointing on David. If David violates Saul’s anointing, he is essentially violating his own anointing as well, and David loves and respects God. David also trusts God to handle Saul and to do it in such a fashion that David will not have Saul’s blood on his hands.

How do we respond when a superior turns vicious and vindictive? Look at David’s response: first, David doesn’t stay to be abused or killed. David removes himself from the situation. Second, David trusts God to handle things. Only God knows the human heart and only God can truly deal with people. Even though David is quite young, he has seen enough to realize that God is able to bring perfect solutions to thorny problems while he cannot. Proverbs 20:22 says, “Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.” Wait for the LORD to handle the matter.”

When God has called us to a task, our job is to be faithful and to leave the results to Him. We can also safely leave our reputations with God, for He has said in Psalm 75:4-10 I warned the proud to cease their arrogance! I told the wicked to lower their insolent gaze and to stop being stubborn and proud. For promotion and power come from nowhere on earth, but only from God. He promotes one and deposes another. In Jehovah’s hand there is a cup of pale and sparkling wine. It is his judgment, poured out upon the wicked of the earth. They must drain that cup to the dregs.

But as for me, I shall forever declare the praises of the God of Jacob. “I will cut off the strength of evil men,” says the Lord, “and increase the power of good men in their place.”

God also assures us in Revelation 3:8 I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Here in Ghana, there is a Gospel song that says, “When Jesus says yes, nobody can say no!” If God has called you to do something, rest assured, He will help you complete that task. Truly, “When Jesus says yes, nobody can say no!”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and praying for us. Lord, help us to trust You to bring Your perfect Will to pass in our lives. Help us to trust You to handle those who persecute us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 24:1-6 After Saul’s return from his battle with the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of Engedi; so he took three thousand special troops and went to search for him among the rocks and wild goats of the desert. At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to go to the bathroom, but as it happened, David and his men were hiding in the cave!

“Now’s your time!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today is the day the Lord was talking about when he said, ‘I will certainly put Saul into your power, to do with as you wish’!” Then David crept forward and quietly slit off the bottom of Saul’s robe! But then his conscience began bothering him.

“I shouldn’t have done it,” he said to his men. “It is a serious sin to attack God’s chosen king in any way.”

Well! If ever someone deserved punishment, that man is King Saul. After driving David out of his home and wiping out eighty-five priests and their entire village for helping David, now Saul is hunting David among the rocks and caves of Engedi near the Dead Sea. When Saul enters a large cave to defecate, he has no idea that David and his men are hiding in the back of the cave. Although David’s men are urging him to kill Saul, David settles for cutting off a small piece of Saul’s robe as he is squatting-just enough to prove to Saul that David could have done something far worse. And David also warns his men so that they also do not attack Saul. But David is fed up with being a fugitive and chooses to confront Saul verbally.

7-8 These words of David persuaded his men not to kill Saul.

After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way, David came out and shouted after him, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him.

9-15 Then he shouted to Saul, “Why do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you? This very day you have seen it isn’t true. For the Lord placed you at my mercy back there in the cave, and some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will never harm him—he is the Lord’s chosen king.’ See what I have in my hand? It is the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you! Doesn’t this convince you that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for my life?

“The Lord will decide between us. Perhaps he will kill you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you. As that old proverb says, ‘Wicked is as wicked does,’ but despite your wickedness, I’ll not touch you. And who is the king of Israel trying to catch, anyway? Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog or a flea? May the Lord judge as to which of us is right and punish whichever one of us is guilty. He is my lawyer and defender, and he will rescue me from your power!”

Saul can scarcely believe it when he hears David calling to him from the cave, waving a piece of Saul’s robe in his hand. Saul has spent entire nights planning how he will torture David if he catches him; now David has had Saul in his power and has refused to harm him.

16-21 Saul called back, “Is it really you, my son David?” Then he began to cry. And he said to David, “You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil. Yes, you have been wonderfully kind to me today, for when the Lord delivered me into your hand, you didn’t kill me. Who else in all the world would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today. And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and Israel shall be yours to rule. Oh, swear to me by the Lord that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!”

22 So David promised, and Saul went home, but David and his men went back to their cave.

Saul might be demonically influenced, but he still has some shreds of decency left. Now Saul is blown away by the realization that David, the same man Saul has hunted throughout Israel has spared Saul’s life. Such an act is contrary to everything Saul has ever thought, for Saul is not a believer and David is. Note something else: Saul has 3,000 special troops while David only has 600 men, and David and his men are trapped in a large cave. Were Saul to continue attacking David, he could wipe out David and his ragtag band of soldiers right now. Saul knows David’s exact location, so what is preventing Saul from proceeding to eliminate David?

Saul’s statements indicate that God has sent the convicting power of the Holy Spirit on Saul and Saul is having a moment of spiritual clarity. Saul finally accepts the fact that David will become king over Israel and begs David to be kind to Saul’s family. David promises, and Saul leaves. You might think that this is the last time Saul will ever pursue David, but no. Later, Saul will renew his pursuit, even though he has acknowledged to David that David will eventually become king.  

David’s actions demonstrate how God wants us to behave toward those who have hurt us and persecuted us. Deuteronomy 32:35 says, “Vengeance is mine, and I decree the punishment of all her (Israel’s) enemies: Their doom is sealed.” How many times has God spoken those words to David while David is out herding sheep in rain, in wind, in biting cold, or in heat and dust? Certainly, David might have thought angry thoughts about his mocking older brothers lying safely in the house, or about his father, who has treated him as being expendable. And what about David’s mother? Why hasn’t she tried to protect David?

One of the miracles of David’s early life is that he has not allowed the hardships he has borne to embitter him. Long before David ever encountered Saul or killed Goliath, David endured enough suffering to cause him to hate his family had not God shown him a better way. David’s constant dialogue with God has protected him from self-pity.

Centuries later, Saint Paul will quote that same verse from Deuteronomy as he advises the Roman Christians. Romans 12:17-19 tells us, “Never pay back evil for evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honest clear through. Don’t quarrel with anyone. Be at peace with everyone, just as much as possible.

Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for he has said that he will repay those who deserve it. Don’t take the law into your own hands. Instead, feed your enemy if he is hungry. If he is thirsty give him something to drink and you will be “heaping coals of fire on his head.” In other words, he will feel ashamed of himself for what he has done to you. Don’t let evil get the upper hand, but conquer evil by doing good.”

Workplace conflicts can hurt us severely, for many of us spend far more time at work than we do at home. Such pain is particularly true for those in helping professions such as the ministry or health care, for there are no limits on the amount of time such professions may demand. For years, I served as the only doctor in two different Ghanaian mission hospitals, and I learned to sleep in clothing that allowed me to answer calls from the night watchman. Later, when cell phones became available, I made sure that my phone was always charged and within an arm’s reach when I was sleeping. Before cell phones, I could get a little rest by traveling out of town; however, once cell phones became prevalent, I could receive calls from anywhere as long as I was still in the country. My standing joke was that my adrenal glands were so exhausted, they were panting with their tongues hanging out.

In such circumstances, it’s tempting to descend into pettiness to pay someone back for misunderstanding or slighting us. But God doesn’t have two sets of rules, one for times when people treat us well and the other when people mistreat us. Read Ephesians 4 and you will realize that the church at Ephesus was being torn apart by petty wrangling. Paul begins that chapter by saying, “I beg you—I, a prisoner here in jail for serving the Lord—to live and act in a way worthy of those who have been chosen for such wonderful blessings as these. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Try always to be led along together by the Holy Spirit and so be at peace with one another.” (Ephesians 4:1-3) Ephesians 4:31 tells us, “Stop being mean, bad-tempered, and angry. Quarreling, harsh words, and dislike of others should have no place in your lives. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you because you belong to Christ.”

Once we have committed our lives to God, we must play by His rules and not by ours. Remember, God is the One who forgives us our sins when we confess them to Him. If we desire forgiveness from God, we must freely offer forgiveness to those who hurt us. Jesus has ordered us to do so. Matthew 5:44 says, “But I say: Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! “May God help us so that we will take David as our example and extend mercy to the merciless!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and to forgive those who have hurt us, praying for them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 23:1-6 One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah robbing the threshing floors.

David asked the Lord, “Shall I go and attack them?”

“Yes, go and save Keilah,” the Lord told him.

But David’s men said, “We’re afraid even here in Judah; we certainly don’t want to go to Keilah to fight the whole Philistine army!”

David asked the Lord again, and the Lord again replied, “Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines.”

They went to Keilah and slaughtered the Philistines and confiscated their cattle, and so the people of Keilah were saved. (Abiathar the priest went to Keilah with David, taking his ephod with him to get answers for David from the Lord.) 

7 -13 Saul soon learned that David was at Keilah.

“Good!” he exclaimed. “We’ve got him now! God has delivered him to me, for he has trapped himself in a walled city!”

So Saul mobilized his entire army to march to Keilah and besiege David and his men. But David learned of Saul’s plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and to ask the Lord what he should do.

“O Lord God of Israel,” David said, “I have heard that Saul is planning to come and destroy Keilah because I am here. Will the men of Keilah surrender me to him? And will Saul actually come, as I have heard? O Lord God of Israel, please tell me.”

And the Lord said, “He will come.”

“And will these men of Keilah betray me to Saul?” David persisted.

And the Lord replied, “Yes, they will betray you.”

So David and his men—about six hundred of them now—left Keilah and began roaming the countryside. Word soon reached Saul that David had escaped, so he didn’t go there after all. 

David’s army now numbers 600 men, and they are running from Saul, hiding in caves in the southern part of Israel south of Hebron. The men of Keilah are opportunists who welcome David as long as he is delivering them from the Philistines but who then message Saul that he should come arrest David. Of course, there is the small fact that Saul has already threatened to destroy Keilah if its citizens refuse to hand David over to him. These people are caught in a dilemma: save the guy who has delivered them but possibly face total destruction of the city by Saul, or placate their crazy ruler. The Ghanaians have a saying that “When two elephants fight, it’s the grass that gets trampled.” The Keilah people fear that they will wind up as trampled grass, so they take the expedient way out, messaging Saul.

14-20 David now lived in the wilderness caves in the hill country of Ziph. One day near Horesh he received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him. Saul hunted him day after day, but the Lord didn’t let him find him.

(Prince Jonathan now went to find David; he met him at Horesh and encouraged him in his faith in God.

 “Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan reassured him. “My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel and I will be next to you, as my father is well aware.” So the two of them renewed their pact of friendship; and David stayed at Horesh while Jonathan returned home.)

But now the men of Ziph went to Saul in Gibeah and betrayed David to him.

“We know where he is hiding,” they said. “He is in the caves of Horesh on Hachilah Hill, down in the southern part of the wilderness. Come on down, sir, and we will catch him for you and your fondest wish will be fulfilled!”

Next, it’s the men of Ziph who try to betray David to Saul. Why is everybody so afraid? Despite isolation, word has gotten around concerning the complete destruction of the town of Nob, including eighty-five priests, their families, and animals. Now people are terrified to help David for fear that their town will be the next one to be destroyed. The men of Ziph are willing to lead Saul to David; however, once more, David and his men escape.

24-29 So the men of Ziph returned home. But when David heard that Saul was on his way to Ziph, he and his men went even further into the wilderness of Maon in the south of the desert. But Saul followed them there. He and David were now on opposite sides of a mountain. As Saul and his men began to close in, David tried his best to escape, but it was no use. But just then a message reached Saul that the Philistines were raiding Israel again, so Saul quit the chase and returned to fight the Philistines. Ever since that time the place where David was camped has been called, “The Rock of Escape.” David then went to live in the caves of Engedi.

Talk about a thriller situation! David and his men are trapped with Saul and his army closing in on them. Suddenly, a panting messenger runs up to Saul. “King Saul,” the messenger gasps, “come quickly! The Philistines are raiding and we desperately need your help!” Muttering curses under his breath, Saul breaks off the hunt for David and heads north to meet the Philistines. Meanwhile, David and his men travel eastward to Engedi (now known as Ein-gedi) near the Dead Sea.

David’s wilderness adventures would make an excellent adventure movie, but what can we learn from his experiences?

1. Helping people does not guarantee that they won’t betray you. When David and his men show up at Keilah, the Philistines are raiding the threshing floors. Not only do David and his men thoroughly trounce the Philistines, but they even confiscate the cattle the Philistines have already captured as they have raided their way across the countryside. Presumably, David leaves those cattle for the people of Keilah, meaning that they have their harvest plus more cattle than they possessed before. Do the citizens of Keilah remain loyal to David? Are you kidding? The second word reaches Keilah that they either hand David over or be wiped out, they are more than ready to hand David over. Loyalty only goes so far, and everybody has heard of the tragedy at Nob. You should always help people and do the right thing; however, remember that those same people have other pressures on them. Your help does not guarantee their loyalty.
2. When God is on your side, He delivers you, even if it’s at the last second. The Bible indicates that Saul had David trapped on a mountain when he had to break off chasing David to go fight the Philistines. Notice though, that David was doing everything he could to help himself. God won’t deliver you as long as you are sitting still, refusing to lift a finger to extricate yourself from your problems.
3. We can still gain comfort from God, even when friends prove false and we are in danger. God is the One who knows all the details of our lives. J. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, was fond of saying that “Man is immortal until his work is done.” God has far more for David to do and is not about to allow Saul to slaughter him.

Throughout David’s life, he continued to write psalms. Psalm 142 is supposedly the one David wrote while hiding in that cave in Engedi.

142 1-2 How I plead with God, how I implore his mercy, pouring out my troubles before him. 3 For I am overwhelmed and desperate, and you alone know which way I ought to turn to miss the traps my enemies have set for me. 4 (There’s one—just over there to the right!) No one gives me a passing thought. No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me. 5 Then I prayed to Jehovah. “Lord,” I pled, “you are my only place of refuge. Only you can keep me safe.

6 “Hear my cry, for I am very low. Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. 7 Bring me out of prison so that I can thank you. The godly will rejoice with me for all your help.”

You might identify with David. Perhaps people you have helped have failed you when you needed help. Remember that only God knows the whole story. Forgive those people but remember that God is the One who never fails, who never changes. Trust Him!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to rely on You, no matter the circumstances and to forgive those who disappoint us, realizing they may be suffering in ways we cannot see. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 22:1-2 So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam, where his brothers and other relatives soon joined him. Then others began coming—those who were in any kind of trouble, such as being in debt, or merely discontented—until David was the leader of about four hundred men.

3-6 (Later David went to Mizpeh in Moab to ask permission of the king for his father and mother to live there under royal protection until David knew what God was going to do for him. They stayed in Moab during the entire period when David was living in the cave. Remember that David was descended from Ruth, who was from Moab. David’s father was Ruth’s grandson.)

One day the prophet Gad told David to leave the cave and return to the land of Judah. So David went to the forest of Hereth. The news of his arrival in Judah soon reached Saul. He was in Gibeah at the time, sitting beneath an oak tree playing with his spear, surrounded by his officers.

7-8 “Listen here, you men of Benjamin!” Saul exclaimed when he heard the news. “Has David promised you fields and vineyards and commissions in his army? Is that why you are against me? For not one of you has ever told me that my own son is on David’s side. You’re not even sorry for me. Think of it! My own son—encouraging David to come and kill me!”

9-10 Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing there with Saul’s men, spoke up. “When I was at Nob,” he said, “I saw David talking to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech consulted the Lord to find out what David should do, and then gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

Remember Doeg, the Edomite herdsman, who was in the temple at Nob when David conferred with Ahimelech? While this guy was allegedly undergoing ritual purification, it’s far more likely that he was using that ceremony as an excuse to hang around in hopes of hearing something he could take to King Saul to gain Saul’s favor. Slimy slithery Doeg! And worse is yet to come.

11-12 King Saul immediately summoned Ahimelech and all his family and all the other priests at Nob. When they arrived Saul shouted at him, “Listen to me, you son of Ahitub!”

“What is it?” quavered Ahimelech.

13 “Why have you and David conspired against me?” Saul demanded. “Why did you give him food and a sword and talk to God for him? Why did you encourage him to revolt against me and to come here and attack me?”

14 -20 “But sir,” Ahimelech replied, “is there anyone among all your servants who is as faithful as David your son-in-law? Why, he is the captain of your bodyguard and a highly honored member of your own household! This was certainly not the first time I had consulted God for him! It’s unfair for you to accuse me and my family in this matter, for we knew nothing of any plot against you.”

Poor Ahimelech! How was he to know there was anything wrong? Only now is Ahimelech realizing that Saul is truly crazy and vindictive.

“You shall die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!” the king shouted. He ordered his bodyguards, “Kill these priests, for they are allies and conspirators with David; they knew he was running away from me, but they didn’t tell me!”

But the soldiers refused to harm the clergy.

Then the king said to Doeg, “You do it.”

So Doeg turned on them and killed them, eighty-five priests in all, all wearing their priestly robes. Then he went to Nob, the city of the priests, and killed the priests’ families—men, women, children, and babies, and also all the oxen, donkeys, and sheep. Only Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, escaped and fled to David.

Evidently, eighty-five priests have all presented themselves to Saul in their priestly robes to do Saul honor. Now these innocent men are about to be murdered. But why don’t some of these men flee? How is it that one man can slaughter eighty-five priests, only to proceed to their town and annihilate everybody and everything? The bodyguards might refuse to do the killing themselves but obviously, somebody is restraining these priests to keep them from running; otherwise, they would take off for town and warn their families. And when Doeg reaches town, why do all those people allow themselves to be killed? Only the bodyguards are available, so they are also guilty, even if Doeg is wielding the sword.

What’s also interesting is that the writer of this account fails to indicate what Doeg receives as his reward for acting as Saul’s assassin. This is significant because of all the other details included in the story. Had Saul rewarded Doeg in some fashion, the writer of 1 Samuel would certainly have included those facts. Perhaps within a few days, someone quietly eliminates Doeg for these terrible acts. Saul wouldn’t care, for he would simply view Doeg as a tool to be used and discarded. If someone makes Doeg disappear, it’s so much easier for Saul, for now he can blame Doeg for everything, even though the men in the bodyguard are witnesses to Saul’s depravity.

21-23 When he told him what Saul had done, David exclaimed, “I knew it! When I saw Doeg there, I knew he would tell Saul. Now I have caused the death of all of your father’s family. Stay here with me, and I’ll protect you with my own life. Any harm to you will be over my dead body.”

What a tragedy! Only Ahimelech’s son Abiathar is left out of the entire family. While it’s fine that David promises to protect Abiathar, if David saw Doeg and knew Doeg would report to Saul, why didn’t David warn Ahimelech so Ahimelech and his family could flee and leave quickly? Surely David realized that he had put Ahimelech in danger…or did he? Perhaps, David did try to warn Ahimelech but Ahimelech refused to believe that Saul was truly evil and was trusting in his status as a priest to save him. So far, Saul had confined his acts of insanity to a few people, so Ahimelech wanted to trust in Saul’s anointing as king. David knew that Doeg would run straight to Saul; however, perhaps David wanted to believe that Saul was not really as evil as he appeared and that Saul might confine his anger to rebuking Ahimelech. David might also have thought that Saul’s anger rested solely on him and that others would merely be shouted at.

One of the problems righteous people face is understanding the depth of depravity embodied in true evil. Underestimating the evil intents of those bound on destruction can be disastrous. Many of Saul’s subjects saw Saul and assumed that because he LOOKED like a king and because Samuel had anointed him, Saul must be a good man. But appearances are deceiving.

Saul is a tragic figure for several reasons: God has chosen Saul and has had Samuel the prophet anoint him as king. But Saul has never developed his own faith, trying to cope by relying on faithful people around him to do the spiritual heavy lifting. God has given Saul all kinds of opportunities to serve Him faithfully; however, Saul has repeatedly failed. Worse, when Saul has failed, he has never actually repented but has only been sorry that he has been caught in his failures. Nature abhors a vacuum, and this is just as true in the spiritual world as in the natural world. Since Saul has repeatedly rejected God and His perfect Will, Satan is now controlling Saul.

God warns us in 1 John 3:7-8 “Oh, dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: if you are constantly doing what is good, it is because you are good, even as he is. But if you keep on sinning, it shows that you belong to Satan, who since he first began to sin has kept steadily at it. But the Son of God came to destroy these works of the devil.”

One of the most difficult workplace challenges is facing the reality of evil. Years of dedicated service and hard work, sacrifices of time, energy, and even opportunities for wealth-none of these things make any difference to someone bent on evil. It’s one thing not to hold grudges; however, when evil appears, we cannot deny its existence.

How are we to deal with evil? 1 Peter 2:21-23 tells us, “This suffering is all part of the work God has given you. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps: He never sinned, never told a lie, never answered back when insulted; when he suffered he did not threaten to get even; he left his case in the hands of God who always judges fairly.”

There’s little to be gained by confiding in fellow workers, for you might be putting an unfair burden on them or trusting someone who will twist your words and run to witness against you. The best confidant is God, for God already knows all our circumstances and God also knows the intents of the hearts of all those around you. If you are certain that God has called you to the work you are doing, hold onto God’s hand and keep moving forward in faithfulness. God can sort things out better than any authority to whom you might appeal.

May God help us, so that we will continue to trust in Him and Him alone!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, You are our shield and our protector. You are the One who knows all the details of our problems. And only You can bring a perfect solution. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 21:1-7 David went to the city of Nob to see Ahimelech, the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him.

“Why are you alone?” he asked. “Why is no one with you?”

“The king has sent me on a private matter,” David lied. “He told me not to tell anybody why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later. Now, what is there to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you can.”

“We don’t have any regular bread,” the priest replied, “but there is the holy bread, which I guess you can have if only your young men have not slept with any women for a while.”

“Rest assured,” David replied. “I never let my men run wild when they are on an expedition, and since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more so on this one!”

So, since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the Lord in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread.

(Incidentally, Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief herdsman, was there at that time for ceremonial purification.)

8 David asked Ahimelech if he had a spear or sword he could use. “The king’s business required such haste, and I left in such a rush that I came away without a weapon!” David explained.

9 “Well,” the priest replied, “I have the sword of Goliath, the Philistine—the fellow you killed in the valley of Elah. It is wrapped in a cloth in the clothes closet.[b] Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.”

“Just the thing!” David replied. “Give it to me!”

David is on the run from Saul, hoping to find a safe place to hide. But he has no food for himself or for his men. David stops in Nob to see Ahimelech, the priest, who has consulted God for him on other occasions. Ahimelech releases the show bread that has already been removed from the side altar, assured that David’s men have not engaged in sex recently. And Ahimelech also gives David Goliath’s sword, that has been kept in the temple at Nob since Goliath’s death.

In the outer court, Doeg, an Edomite and Saul’s chief herdsman, is going through ritual purification. Considering Doeg’s subsequent acts, we must wonder why Doeg is bothering, for he is also spying on behalf of Saul and will subsequently commit atrocities.

David leaves Nob and heads to Gath, where he hopes to hide among the Philistines. But when that plan fails, David and his men return to Israel and hide in the Cave of Adullam.

I have always wondered if things would have been different had David told Ahimelech the truth. David is desperate; however, does that excuse his failing to confide in Ahimelech? Perhaps Ahimelech would have given David the show bread anyway; after all, King Saul has already garnered a bad reputation while David has become quite popular. Perhaps Ahimelech might have refused to give David anything, but God might have provided for David and his men in a different manner. This is one of the few times documented where David lies, and his reputation for honesty falsely assures Ahimelech that everything is all right.

And then there’s the matter of Doeg. David has probably already begun conferring with Ahimelech when he sees Doeg in the outer courtyard. As an Edomite, Doeg is allowed to enter the temple; however, is he going through purification as a means of gaining favor with Saul? In the light of later activities, Doeg is obviously not a true believer. Doeg is the ultimate snitch. As David collects the bread and Goliath’s sword, Doeg is already headed off to see Saul, certain that this tidbit of information will gain him a rich reward. Who knows? Perhaps Saul will even promote Doeg to be a commander rather than a herdsman. Doeg is certain this is his lucky day!

As we will study tomorrow, Ahimelech and all the other residents of Nob will pay with their lives for Ahimelech’s innocent assistance to David. Work situations can become quite complicated. It’s sad but true that we will run from one person to the next, seeking validation, help, and advice while we refuse to ask God, the only One who knows all the details of our situation. What’s even worse, God is the only One who is really safe because confiding in others might put them at risk as well as our receiving bad advice. Here David manipulates an innocent priest and then runs, leaving him to a terrible fate. Nothing suggests that David has prayed about this situation before approaching Ahimelech. God does not force Himself on anyone; if we want His counsel, we must ask.

When a superior chooses to be vindictive toward some workers, those workers are then faced with another difficult challenge: to confide or not confide? How much information is too much? While our natural inclination is to seek like-minded people for comfort, we must consider if we are putting our friends at risk for punishment or persecution. Many times, it’s best to keep confidences between God and you. That way, when queried, friends can truthfully say that you have not shared any details with them. This protects your friends and also discourages harmful gossip.

May God help us, so that we always trust Him first!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to confide in You and trust in You, rather than burdening and perhaps endangering friends and family. You are the Source of all knowledge and comfort and You are the One who can handle all our problems. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Samuel 20:1-4 David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan.

“What have I done?” he exclaimed. “Why is your father so determined to kill me?”

“That’s not true!” Jonathan protested. “I’m sure he’s not planning any such thing, for he always tells me everything he’s going to do, even little things, and I know he wouldn’t hide something like this from me. It just isn’t so.”

“Of course you don’t know about it!” David fumed. “Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, ‘I’ll not tell Jonathan—why should I hurt him?’ But the truth is that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the Lord and by your own soul!”

“Tell me what I can do,” Jonathan begged.

Nobody wants to believe that their father has gone mad, and Jonathan is no exception. Being so close to Saul and seeing him every day, Jonathan doesn’t realize the extent of Saul’s descent into paranoia. But David has undeniable proof that Saul wants to eliminate him permanently. Now David must find a way to convince Jonathan.

5-9 And David replied, “Tomorrow is the beginning of the celebration of the new moon. Always before, I’ve been with your father for this occasion, but tomorrow I’ll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day. If your father asks where I am, tell him that I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family reunion. If he says, ‘Fine!’ then I’ll know that all is well. But if he is angry, then I’ll know that he is planning to kill me. Do this for me as my sworn brother. Or else kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father, but don’t betray me to him!”

“Of course not!” Jonathan exclaimed. “Look, wouldn’t I say so if I knew that my father was planning to kill you?”

Jonathan still doesn’t want to believe David is telling the truth. David, on the other hand, knows that he can never be safe around Saul again.

10-15 Then David asked, “How will I know whether or not your father is angry?”

“Come out to the field with me,” Jonathan replied. And they went out there together.

Then Jonathan told David, “I promise by the Lord God of Israel that about this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father about you and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he is angry and wants you killed, then may the Lord kill me if I don’t tell you, so you can escape and live. May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father. And remember, you must demonstrate the love and kindness of the Lord not only to me during my own lifetime, but also to my children after the Lord has destroyed all of your enemies.”

16-17 So Jonathan made a covenant with the family of David, and David swore to it with a terrible curse against himself and his descendants, should he be unfaithful to his promise. But Jonathan made David swear to it again, this time by his love for him, for he loved him as much as he loved himself.

For centuries, the friendship between David and Jonathan has been used as a model for the highest form of friendship. Both men pledge their honor and that of their families. Each man also vows to protect the other’s family members. Eventually David will fulfill that vow after he becomes king. Sadly, Jonathan will die in battle along with his father.

18-23 Then Jonathan said, “Yes, they will miss you tomorrow when your place at the table is empty. By the day after tomorrow, everyone will be asking about you, so be at the hideout where you were before, over by the stone pile. I will come out and shoot three arrows in front of the pile as though I were shooting at a target. Then I’ll send a lad to bring the arrows back. If you hear me tell him, ‘They’re on this side,’ then you will know that all is well and that there is no trouble. But if I tell him, ‘Go farther—the arrows are still ahead of you,’ then it will mean that you must leave immediately. And may the Lord make us keep our promises to each other, for he has witnessed them.”

24-27 So David hid himself in the field.

When the new moon celebration began, the king sat down to eat at his usual place against the wall. Jonathan sat opposite him and Abner was sitting beside Saul, but David’s place was empty. Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he supposed that something had happened so that David was ceremonially impure. Yes, surely that must be it! But when his place was still empty the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn’t David been here for dinner either yesterday or today?”

28-34“He asked me if he could go to Bethlehem to take part in a family celebration,” Jonathan replied. “His brother demanded that he be there, so I told him to go ahead.”

Saul boiled with rage. “You fool!” he yelled at him. “Do you think I don’t know that you want this son of a nobody to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? As long as that fellow is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!”

“But what has he done?” Jonathan demanded. “Why should he be put to death?”

Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him; so at last Jonathan realized that his father really meant it when he said David must die. Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat all that day, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.

All this time, Jonathan has steadfastly refused to believe that his father really hates David and has been struggling to find any tiny indications that Saul isn’t really as bad as David has been saying. But it’s tough to argue when Saul suddenly curses him (the footnote in one translation says verse 30 translates to “You son of a bitch!”) and throws his spear at him, trying to kill him. In shock, Jonathan refuses to eat and leaves the room, horrified and confused by the reality of his father’s wrath.

35-42 The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows.

“Start running,” he told the boy, “so that you can find the arrows as I shoot them.” So the boy ran and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted, “The arrow is still ahead of you. Hurry, hurry, don’t wait.” So the boy quickly gathered up the arrows and ran back to his master. He, of course, didn’t understand what Jonathan meant; only Jonathan and David knew. Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to take them back to the city.

As soon as he was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the south edge of the field. Both of them were crying as they said good-bye, especially David. At last Jonathan said to David, “Cheer up, for we have entrusted each other and each other’s children into God’s hands forever.” So they parted, David going away and Jonathan returning to the city.

Throughout David’s short life, he has endured great emotional stress, including being neglected by his family, who have treated him as expendable, and rejection by the very ruler who originally demanded his services as a musician and a warrior. But now David is entering into a new form of suffering: he has become a danger to those closest to him, particularly Jonathan. David is entering on a life of isolation, pursued by Saul and spied upon by those hoping for favors from Saul.

When David and Jonathan part company in that field, they both know that this farewell is final. Jonathan must return to his father, crazy though he might be, and David must flee before Saul sends troops out after him. Saul has troops while David is alone. Jonathan has reluctantly returned to his father, even though his sentiments are with David. At this point, David’s only friend, his only hope and consolation, is God.

One day as Jesus was teaching, a series of men came to him, each one making extravagant promises of all the service they would render to him….some day! Luke 9:57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”

58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”

But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” (It was likely the father was still alive and this man wanted to hang around so he would gain an inheritance!)

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”

61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” (And how long would that take?)

62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Come now or don’t delude yourself that you eventually will come.)

Much of the work of the kingdom of God goes on in isolation. Here Jesus is warning these would-be disciples that they must give up security, the chance for a rich inheritance, and even family relationships. Being a missionary-or a pastor in a small village-can be a lonely business. While friends pursue advanced degrees and higher salaries, these people continue to be faithful, even as they struggle to cope. Forging friendships can be difficult, for sometimes trusted confidants can change into informers if sufficiently tempted.

In 1901 Lettie B. Cowman and her husband Charles, plus Juji Nakada, and Ernest Kilbourne, founded the Oriental Mission Society, now One Mission Society, originally evangelizing extensively in Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan. From its inception, OMS was a faith mission, depending solely on donations, rather than denominational affiliations. Lettie’s biography of her husband details the overwhelming challenges of faith this couple endured. (Missionary Warrior: Charles Cowman-available in Kindle format on Amazon) Charles developed a crippling heart condition from which he eventually died. This was an age when inspirational poems and observations appeared frequently in newspapers, and their friends passed these items on to encourage them. Although the Cowmans achieved amazing things, perhaps Lettie’s biggest legacy lives on in her two books Streams in the Desert and Springs in the Valley, plus her husband’s biography. Both books are compilations of the inspirational items from friends, plus Lettie’s incisive comments.

The phrase “plowing my lonely furrow” appears frequently in missionary stories. If anyone knew about plowing a lonely furrow, Lettie B. Cowman would know. An internet search yields the following:

• Lettie B. Cowman wrote about God’s “plowing” of the soul, stating: “Let us never forget that the Husbandman is never so near the land as when he is plowing it, the very time when we are tempted to think He hath forsaken us”.
• The metaphor of plowing a “lonely furrow” is often used to describe the isolating experience of pioneering missionary work, which fits the tone of Streams in the Desert.
• The phrase “In a furrow cut by pain” is directly attributed to her in a devotional context. 

The concept refers to the painful, yet productive, process of doing God’s work in a difficult place, often with little immediate reward, which she describes as preparing the soil for a future harvest. 

Perhaps you can identify with David. Political circumstances have forced long-time friends to distance themselves from you, and you have agreed and even encouraged them to do so. Now you are forced to rely on God and confide in Him because there is nobody else. Take heart! God will never abandon you.

God tells us in Isaiah 43:1-3 “But now the Lord who created you, O Israel, says: Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One of Israel.”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, we praise You that no matter what happens, You are always there and You will always remain with us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Samuel 19:1-8 Saul now urged his aides and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his close friendship with David, told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields. I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you; then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.”

The next morning as Jonathan and his father were talking together, he spoke well of David and begged him not to be against David.

“He’s never done anything to harm you,” Jonathan pleaded. “He has always helped you in any way he could. Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill Goliath, and how the Lord brought a great victory to Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you now murder an innocent man? There is no reason for it at all!”

Finally, Saul agreed and vowed, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be killed.”

Afterwards Jonathan called David and told him what had happened. Then he took David to Saul and everything was as it had been before. War broke out shortly after that, and David led his troops against the Philistines and slaughtered many of them, and put to flight their entire army.

Well, Saul’s son Jonathan has become close friends with David, realizing what a godly man David is. Jonathan is trying to be the voice of reason in his family; however, Saul remains demonically controlled, meaning that he is totally unpredictable and can suddenly change his mind. Jonathan HOPES that he has smoothed things over; unfortunately, he’s wrong.

9-17 But one day as Saul was sitting at home, listening to David playing the harp, suddenly the tormenting spirit from the Lord attacked him. He had his spear in his hand and hurled it at David in an attempt to kill him. But David dodged out of the way and fled into the night, leaving the spear imbedded in the timber of the wall. Saul sent troops to watch David’s house and kill him when he came out in the morning.

“If you don’t get away tonight,” Michal (David’s wife and Saul’s daughter) warned him, “you’ll be dead by morning.”

So she helped him get down to the ground through a window. Then she took an idol and put it in his bed, and covered it with blankets, with its head on a pillow of goat’s hair. When the soldiers came to arrest David and take him to Saul, she told them he was sick and couldn’t get out of bed. Saul said to bring him in his bed, then, so that he could kill him. But when they came to carry him out, they discovered that it was only an idol!

“Why have you deceived me and let my enemy escape?” Saul demanded of Michal.

“I had to,” Michal replied. “He threatened to kill me if I didn’t help him.”

You have to pity Saul’s kids! First, Jonathan tries to reason with Saul and gets a specious promise. Now Michal, David’s wife and Saul’s daughter, helps David escape while an armed guard waits outside their house. What are these poor people to do? Their father is power-drunk and emotionally unbalanced. Will they be the next victims?

18-24 In that way David got away and went to Ramah to see Samuel, and told him all that Saul had done to him. So Samuel took David with him to live at Naioth. When the report reached Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah, he sent soldiers to capture him; but when they arrived and saw Samuel and the other prophets prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon them and they also began to prophesy. When Saul heard what had happened, he sent other soldiers, but they too prophesied! The same thing happened a third time! Then Saul himself went to Ramah and arrived at the great well in Secu.

“Where are Samuel and David?” he demanded.

Someone told him they were at Naioth. But on the way to Naioth the Spirit of God came upon Saul, and he too began to prophesy! He tore off his clothes and lay naked all day and all night, prophesying with Samuel’s prophets. Saul’s men were incredulous!

“What!” they exclaimed. “Is Saul a prophet too?”

When David escapes to stay with Samuel in the village of Naioth under Ramah, Saul sends soldiers to arrest David, but each time these men approach Samuel, they begin prophesying. Saul decides that if he wants something done right, he should do it himself. Too bad Saul and God are on opposing sides. When Saul approaches Naioth, the Holy Spirit comes upon him, causing him to tear off his clothes, lying naked for 24 hours as he spews forth prophesies. If ever a king was forced to do something embarrassing, this is it!

All this time, David is simply sitting at Samuel’s home in Naioth, the location indicated by the accompanying map. Notice something: All David does in this chapter is to repeatedly escape from Saul, first with the help of Jonathan and Michal, and then Samuel. David’s only “sin” is that he has been godly and successful. But those two qualities are enough for Saul to feel David is a threat.

Sometimes, you might attract the wrath of a supervisor, even though you have done nothing wrong. While honesty and competence would seem to be admirable qualities in an employee, a supervisor bent on any kind of wrong-doing might view you as a threat. The question then is this: Whom are you trying to please? Are you working to please the God who has called you to a particular job, or are you pandering to someone’s ego? The problem with trying to please people is that the more you try to compromise, the more they demand. God never changes, but people do.

Psalm 34:8-10 tells us, “Oh, put God to the test and see how kind he is! See for yourself the way his mercies shower down on all who trust in him. If you belong to the Lord, reverence him; for everyone who does this has everything he needs. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those of us who reverence the Lord will never lack any good thing.

David had Samuel to run to. Sometimes, we find ourselves isolated; however, God is always there and He never changes. You might have to face difficult times, but you can take comfort in the knowledge that God is always with you. Hebrews 13:5-6 says, “Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.”That is why we can say without any doubt or fear, “The Lord is my Helper, and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me.”

God doesn’t promise us easy lives, but He promises to lead us, to guide us, and to help us. Why not trust in the One who never changes or fails?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, You are our Helper, our Keeper, our Shelter, our Protector. You are the One who can comfort us. Please reach down and comfort all those reading these words, reassuring them that You will never leave them or forsake them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.