Bill Fritz
Adult Education
Contents
WHAT LESSONS HAVE WE LEARNED FROM THIS CHAPTER
Bible Church Chapter Summary
David now on the run, stops at Nob and seeks help from
Ahimelech the priest, to get bread and a weapon; because he had left in haste
from the field, in which he hid himself.
DAVID TAKES CONCENCRATED BREAD
1
Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech came trembling to
meet David and said to him, “Why are you alone and no one with you?”
Where is Nob and did David flee to that town?
“Nob was a priestly town in ancient Israel in the
vicinity of Jerusalem. It may have been located close to Bahurim, near the
Mount of Olives or possibly further north at Tell Shuafat. It likely belonged
to the Tribe of Benjamin, Jerusalem being at the border between the tribes of
Benjamin and Judah.”
It is possible that David was looking for a place of refuge
(sanctuary) and nourishment. Even though
the purpose of sanctuary cities was to give a safe place for a person who
innocently shed human blood, David may have felt secure there.
Ahimelech
came trembling
Ahimelech was fearful because of David’s reputation as a
fierce warier.
We see in the next verse David deceiving the Priest
Ahimelich not for sanctuary but for food.
2
David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commissioned me with a matter
and has said to me, ‘Let no one know anything about the matter on which I am
sending you and with which I have commissioned you; and I have directed the
young men to a certain place.’
We know David feared for his life; is this a good excuse to
lie, and is lying ever acceptable to God?
The Bible does not condone lying for any reason. However, there seem to be two occasions where
lies brought blessings. One such
incident is in Exodus 1:15-21, where we read God, honored a lie with fruitful
wombs. The second occurrence of a
justified lie is when Rahab tells a falsehood to protect the Israelite spies,
resulting in the safety of her and her household.
Sooner or later you will face the decision to tell the truth
or lie; to protect yourself, or someone else.
In such a case, I would suggest you side on the truth. However, if a lie will prevent a tragedy then
seek the Holy Spirits guidance.
3
“Now therefore, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or
whatever can be found.”
4 The priest answered David and said, “There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is consecrated bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.”
4 The priest answered David and said, “There is no ordinary bread on hand, but there is consecrated bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.”
“but there is consecrated bread”
Consecrated bread called “hostia” in Hebrew, was unleavened
bread set aside as a sacramental bread.
The bread was placed on a table in the tabernacle prior to the Passover
Sabbath. [8]
kept themselves from women
Do not be confused about the statement the priest made in
verse 5. Before entering the temple the
husband and wife would have to clean themselves in a special way see Leviticus
15.
5 David answered the priest and said to him,
“Surely women have been kept from us as previously when I set out and the
vessels of the young men were holy, though it was an ordinary journey; how much
more then today will their vessels be holy?”
“Surely women have been kept from us …”
We know David was a fugitive, and probably hid in caves
along his route. We see by the last two verses David was joined by an
undisclosed number of young men. It is
reasonable to assume that David and the young men with him avoided human contact,
and so they were ritually clean.
will their vessels be holy?”
Their vessels was translated from the Hebrew word Kliy
(Kel-ee) meaning as an implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon. As they were not on a military mission their
weaponry would be clean of the blood of battle, and therefore were said to be
ritually clean.
6
So the priest gave him consecrated bread; for there was no bread there but the
bread of the Presence which was removed from before the Lord, in order to put
hot bread in its place when it was taken away.
The shew-bread (also written as show-bread) offered on the
Lords table was removed and replaced with hot fresh bread (Leviticus
24:8). The priest was allowed to eat
this bread. Therefore it was the
prerogative of the priest to share this bread with David and his men.
7 Now one of the servants of Saul was there
that day, detained before the Lord; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the
chief of Saul’s shepherds.
Now one of the servants of Saul was there …”
We are not told why Saul’s servant was there. There could be many reasons for him to be at
the temple. Doeg was an Edomite convert
to Judaism. Therefore, he may have been
there on the kings business in the capacity of the kings chief shepherd and
decided to celebrate the Passover at the temple.
8
David said to Ahimelech, “Now is there not a spear or a sword on hand? For I
brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s matter was
urgent.”
spear or a sword on hand?
Why would David think there was a weapon in the temple?
Goliath’s sword located behind the sacred vestments of the
temple; was kept there for safe-keeping, and to serve as a memorial to God’s
victory over the Philistines.
The mystery remains; who took Goliath’s sword to Nob. All we know of the sword is that David was
the last one to have the sword; when he cut off Goliath’s head (I
Samuel 17:51;
I
Samuel 17:54).
We can speculate David may have dedicated the sword to God
for the victory over the Philistines.
9 Then the priest said, “The sword of Goliath
the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in
a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take it. For there
is no other except it here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to
me.”
Believing that Goliath’s sword was dedicated to God; in
acknowledgment Goliath’s defeat; I do not think this artifact would have been
given away to anyone.
Why then did Ahimelech give back to David so freely?
I believe the Holy Spirit was guiding Ahimelech’s actions
and words at this point.
There is none like it
We know Goliath’s spear was ion tipped (I Samuel
17:7 ); I believe his sword was made
of iron as well, making the huge sword unique.
10 Then David arose and fled that day from Saul,
and went to Achish king of Gath.
11 But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”
11 But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”
There is no reason given for David’s leaving Nob so quickly
(implied by the word’s arose and fled).
We can speculate that David feared Saul would discover his whereabouts
perhaps through Saul’s servant Doeg.”
“…to Achish king of Gath.”
Gath was one of the five main Philistine town
“Achish said to him, “Is this not David…”
How did the servants of Achish know David?
David was carrying Goliath’s sword. This sword was unique to Goliath, and would
have been recognized by word of mouth descriptions.
12
David took these words to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath.
13 So he disguised his sanity before them, and acted insanely in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard.
13 So he disguised his sanity before them, and acted insanely in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard.
“David took these words to heart …”
The servants of Achish recognized David. David, thinking his identity would be
revealed to king Achish, feared for his life.
“So he disguised his sanity before them,…”
You might say David was “between a rock and a hard
place.” David knew Saul was out for his
blood, and now he finds himself in the midst of Philistines who recognized
him. David, thinking quickly, pretended
to be insane, knowing the Philistines were fearful of mentally deranged people,
and would probably a avoid him.
14
Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man behaving as a
madman. Why do you bring him to me?
15 “Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this one to act the madman in my presence? Shall this one come into my house?”
15 “Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this one to act the madman in my presence? Shall this one come into my house?”
What Lessons Have We Learned From This Chapter
A person's reputation proceeds him. Therefore, a good reputation should be our
goal. David’s reputation was that of a
fearless warier, and consequently, people revered and feared him. As believers we wear a public label of a
Christian, and as such the Christian public reputation proceeds us. We should take great care that our
reputation, reflects well on our public reputation. Pray therefore that all that we say, and do,
mirrors the attributes of our Lord Jesus, and that we may never hear - is that
anyway for a Christian to act.
CITATIONS, SOURCES AND REFERENCES
[1] All italicized
text are taken from the Holy Bible New American Standard from published by
cross wire
http://www.crosswire.org/study/passagestudy.jsp?Cross-references=Off#cv (1995),
used by permission.
[2] Commentary
Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Commentary Critical and
Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/jamieson-fausset-brown/ (accessed 2017)
[3] Helen Pocket, 1
Samuel - Free Bible Commentary in easy English
https://www.easyenglish.bible/bible-commentary/1sam-lbw.htm, (October 31, 2017)
[4] Strong's Hebrew Lexicon Search Results,
http://www.eliyah.com/cgi-bin/strongs.cgi?file=hebrewlexicon&isindex=sin
(accessed Oct 31 2017)
[5] Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
https://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/strongs-exhaustive-concordance/
(October 31 2017)
[6] The Significance of The Number Three – the watchman by
Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David (Greg Killian),
http://www.betemunah.org/three.html(taken 11/01/2017)
[7] Jewish encyclopedia (1901 – 1906)http://jewishencyclopedia.com/
recently declared as public domain.
[8] Wikipedia.org, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/, Israel, (accessed
Nov 9 2017)
