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DAVID’S FLIGHT FROM SAUL:

The First Two Stops

I Samuel 21:1-15

Victor M. Eskew

 

1.      Outline:

 

I.                    SUPPLIES FROM A PRIEST (I Sam. 21:1-9)

II.                 SCARED WHILE IN GATH (I Sam. 21:10-15)

 

2.      To which town did David flee after leaving Jonathan? (I Sam. 21:1)

 

Then came David to Nob…

 

A.    David came to Nob

 

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B.      Nob was a city of priests.  The tabernacle was located in Nob at this time.

 

3.      Who did he come into contact with? (I Sam. 21:1)

 

…to Ahimelech the priest…

 

A.    Ahimelech the priest

1.      His name means:  my brother is king

2.      Most believe that he is the Ahitub of I Samuel 14:3.

3.      He was more than a priest.  He was the high priest.

 

4.      T – F    The priest was glad to see David. (I Sam. 21:1)

 

…and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David…

 

A.    False.

 

B.      Afraid

1.      Strong (2729):  to shutter with terror, hence, to fear

2.      BDB:  tremble, quake, to be afraid, be terrified

 

C.     NOTE:  He has a good reason to fear.  It is reflected in the question he poses to David.

5.      What question did Ahimelech ask of David? (I Sam. 21:1)

 

…and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

 

A.    It was not customary for a person in David’s position to show up to a city alone.  He would have had a large group travelling with him. 

1.      He was the king’s son-in-law.

2.      He was the commander of part of the military.

 

6.      What reason did David give for being in Nob? (I Sam. 21:2)

 

And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee…

 

A.    The king had sent him on a business

 

B.      David fabricates a lie and tells it to Ahimelech.

1.      It could have been to save his own life.

2.      It could have been to save the life of the priest.

3.      NOTE:  People often use examples like this as proof that there times when it is okay to lie.

a.      The Holy Spirit merely reports the words David used.

b.      The Scriptures give no indication as to whether David was right or wrong in lying.

1.      People assume it was okay.

2.      It would be better to assume that it was wrong because God is truth and lying is something God hates (Prov. 6:16-19).

 

7.      What did David say he had done with his servants? (I Sam. 21:2)

 

…and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

 

A.    David had put his servants in a safe and secret place.

 

B.      David may have fled with just a few of his closest friends.  The text does not really indicate this at this time.  It seems to be an addition to the lie he was telling.

 

8.      What did David want Ahimelech to give him? (I Sam. 21:3)

 

Now therefore what is under thine hand?  Give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

 

A.    David requested five loaves of bread.

1.      David had been in hiding for three days prior to this in order to get news from Jonathan about Saul’s disposition to him.

2.      When he found out the king wanted to kill him, he fled immediately.  He took little, or no, supplies with him.

 

9.      What was the only bread that was available to give David? (I Sam. 21:4)

 

And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is the hallowed bread.

 

A.    The hallowed bread

1.      Hallowed

a.      Strong (6944):  sacred

b.      BDB:  apartness, holiness, sacredness, set-apartness

2.      Background:

A.    The command for the showbread (Lev. 24:5-6)

B.      Every sabbath fresh bread replaced the old (Lev. 24:8).

C.     Only the priests were authorized to eat the bread (Lev. 24:9).

 

And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons; and they shall eat it in the holy place:  for it is most holy unto him of the offering of the Lord made by fire by a perpetual statute.

 

10.  What was the only requirement for David to receive this bread? (I Sam. 21:4)

 

…if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

 

A.    The men who were with David could not have had sexual contact with woman.  We could assume for at least one day. 

 

B.      We are not told where this tradition developed.  It is not part of the Law of Moses.

 

C.     Why would the high priest offer to give David this bread if the priests alone were to partake of it?

1.      Some say that a “higher law” prevailed, the law of love.

2.      Jesus had something to say about this (Matt. 12:3-4).  He said it was not lawful.

 

But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungered, and they that were with him; how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

 

a.      We often do wrong things out of fear.

b.      We often do wrong things out of ignorance.

c.       We often do wrong things through human reasoning.

 

11.  How long did David say the men had been apart from women? (I Sam. 21:5)

 

And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy…

 

A.    David affirmed that they had been part from women for at least three days.

 

12.  “…and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel” (I Sam. 21:5).

 

A.    These seem to be words that are trying to justify what is being done.

 

B.      Since the bread was coming off of the table of shew bread and it was being given to David and his man, it might seem to be common.  Such, however, was not the case.  It was sanctified in the vessels of David and his man because of the mission they were undertaking.  This, too, was not true.  Eating it was unlawful.

 

 

13.  What is the other name by which this hallowed bread is known? (I Sam. 21:6)

 

So the priest gave him the hallowed bread:  for there was not bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

 

A.    Shewbread

 

14.  Define:  shewbread (I Sam. 21:6)

 

A.  Strong:

                  1.  (3899):  bread, grain.

                  2.  (6440):  face

 

B.      BDB:

1.      Bread, food, grain

2.      Face, presence

 

C.     The literal meaning of the term, therefore, is:  “The bread of his presence” or, “the bread that is before the face of God.”

 

15.  What servant of Saul was in Nob on the day David was in the city? (I Sam. 21:7)

 

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord; and his name was Doeg…

 

A.    Doeg

1.      Strong (1673):  anxious

2.      BDB:  fearing

 

16.  Where was he from? (I Sam. 21:7)

 

an Edomite…

 

A.    Edom

 

Image result for Edom

 

B.      They were the descendants of Esau, but they were not friends of Israel.

 

17.  What position did he occupy on behalf of Saul? (I Sam. 21:7)

 

…the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.

 

A.    Chiefest of the herdmen

 

18.  Why didn’t David bring his sword with him (I Sam. 21:8)

 

And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword?  for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.

 

A.    He said that the business to which the king had sent him was so urgent that he left without getting any of his weapons.

 

19.  What was the only weapon available for David to take with him? (I Sam. 21:9)

 

And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in cloth behind the ephod:  if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here.  And David said, There is none like that; give it me.

 

A.    The sword of Goliath

 

B.      Goliath’s sword is not described in I Samuel 17.  We are only told that David took Goliath’s sword and cut off his head with it (I Sam. 17:51).

 

C.     It must have been a remarkable sword.  David said:  “There is none like that.”

 

20.  T – F    David tarried in the city of Nob for two days (I Sam. 21:10)

 

And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul…

 

A.    False.  The day he arrived in Nob is the same day he departed.

 

21.  After leaving Nob, where did he go? (I Sam. 21:10)

 

…and went to Achish the king of Gath.

 

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A.    Gath was an interesting choice.

1.      It was one of the lordships of the Philistines.  Thus, they were enemies of God’s people.  Perhaps David thought Saul would not pursue him into enemy territory.

2.      This was the home of Goliath.  He now entered that city with the sword of Goliath at his side.

 

22.  Who was concerned when they saw David in Gath? (I Sam. 21:11)

 

And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land?

 

A.    The servants of Achish, the king, were concerned.

 

B.      They referred to David as “the king of the land.”  David’s greatness has spread even into enemy territory. 

 

23.  What did they know that had been said about David? (I Sam. 21:11)

 

…did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.

 

A.    They knew about the songs the women had sung of David upon his return from the slaughter of Goliath.

 

B.      They knew about

1.      His military prowess

2.      His popularity in Israel

3.      The rumors that David would become king of Israel

 

24.  What emotion did David display when he heard these words of the servants? (I Sam. 21:12)

 

And David laid these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

 

A.    Sore afraid

1.      This is a combination of two words meaning “vehemently frightened.”

2.      David had gone from the frying pan to the fire.  He was not safe in this land either.

 

25.  How did David behave before the king? (I Sam. 21:13)

 

And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

 

A.    He feigned himself mad

 

B.      He scrabbled or marked on the gate that led to the king’s palace and he let his spit fall down upon his beard.

 

C.     One said of David:  “He was undone as a wise man, and had a chance to escape as a madman…” (Clarke, e-sword).

 

D.    When a person’s life is at stake, he will resort to lying and scheming in order to preserve his life.

 

1.      One could ask:  Was David truly trusting God at this point in his life?

2.      According to the title of Psalm 34, this psalm as written at this very point of David’s life.

 

Palm of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.

 

26.  T – F    Achish believed that David was mad. (I Sam. 21:14)

 

Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad:  wherefore have ye brought him to me?

 

A.    True

 

B.      The king did not want to be burdened with such a person. 

 

27.  T – F    Achish wanted nothing to do with David (I Sam. 21:15)

 

Have I need of madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence?  Shall this fellow come into my house?

 

A.    True

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAVID’S FLIGHT CONTINUES AND SAUL PURSUES:

Adullam, Mizpeh, and The Forest of Hareth

I Samuel 22.1-10

Homwork

Victor M. Eskew

 

1.      Outline:

 

i.                    I SAMUEL 22:1-2

ii.                  I SAMUEL 22:3-5

iii.                I SAMUEL 22:6-10

 

2.      When David fled from Gath, where did he go? (I Sam. 22:1)

 

3.      Who heard that he was there and “went down thither to him”? (I Sam. 22:1)

 

4.      What three other groups when out to David at Adullam? (I Sam 22:2).

 

A.

 

B.

 

C.

 

5.      What position did David take over them? (I Sam. 22:2)

 

6.      How many men were with David at this time? (I Sam.22:2)

 

7.      Where did David go after Adullam? (I Sam. 22:3)

 

8.      Who did he want to remain in Moab “till I know what God will do for me”? (I Sam. 22:3)

 

9.      T – F    The king of Moab refused to accept David’s mother and father in his land. (I Sam. 22:4)

 

10.  Who told David to flee to Judah? (I Sam. 22:5)

 

11.  T – F    David gave heed to Nathan’s words and departed. (I Sam. 22:5)

 

12.  Where did he go in Judah? (I Sam. 22:5)

 

13.  Where was Saul when he heard that David was discovered? (I Sam. 22:6)

 

14.  Why is there such a detailed description of Saul in I Samuel 22:6?

 

15.  What group of people did Saul address? (I Sam. 22:7)

 

16.  What did Saul tell them that the son of Jesse could not give them? (I Sam. 22:7)

 

A.

 

B.

 

C.

 

D.

 

17.  What did Saul accuse the Benjamites of doing to him? (I Sam. 22:8)

 

18.  What had they not shown Saul? (I Sam. 22:8)

 

19.  “…and there is ____________ of you that is ___________ for me…” (I Sam. 22:8)

 

20.  Who told Saul that he saw David come to Ahimelech in Nob? (I Sam. 22:9)

 

21.  What three things did Doeg say Ahimelech did for David? (I Sam. 22:10)

 

A.

 

B.

 

C.