David: A Man after of God’s Own Heart Series [7] Ahimelech and Doeg David: A Man after of God’s Own Heart Series [7] 1 Samuel 21-22 © February 26, 2017 Pastor Paul K. Kim 2

OVERVIEW OF DAVID’S LIFE AS A FUGITIVE [1 SAMUEL 21-31] 1 Samuel 21 David Flees to Nob [Ahimelech] and to Gath [Achish]. 1 Samuel 22 David Flees to the Cave of Adullam. 1 Samuel 22 Saul Slays Ahimelech and the Priests of Nob [by Doeg]. 1 Samuel 23 David Saves the City of Keila and Escapes from Saul. 1 Samuel 24/26 David Spares Saul's Life Twice [in Engedi and Hachilah]. 1 Samuel 25 The LORD Strikes Nabal Dead and David Marries Abigail. 1 Samuel 27 David Flees to the Philistines and Lives at Ziklag. 1 Samuel 28 Saul Asks a Medium to Call the Spirit of Samuel at Endor. 1 Samuel 29 King Achish Sends David away. 1 Samuel 30 Ziklag Is Raided but David Destroys the Amalekites. 1 Samuel 31 Saul and His Sons Are Killed by the Philistines at Gilboa.

TWO CONTRASTING CHOICES OF AHIMELECH AND DOEG Ahimelech: At Nob, he chooses to help David, being aware of the danger.  1 Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” 4 And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread—if the young men have kept themselves from women.”

TWO CONTRASTING CHOICES OF AHIMELECH AND DOEG Ahimelech: At Nob, he chooses to help David, being aware of the danger. 5 And David answered the priest, “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” 6 So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence,  which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away. 7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul's herdsmen.

TWO CONTRASTING CHOICES OF AHIMELECH AND DOEG Ahimelech: At Nob, he chooses to help David, being aware of the danger. 8 Then David said to Ahimelech, “Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.”  9 And the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.” (21:1-9) Ahimelech was trembling in seeing David. Why? Because he knew about the danger that he might bring because of King Saul. Why did David lie here? Did Ahimelech do the right thing as the presiding priest of Nob in giving him the holy bread and the sword of Goliath?

12 What man is there who desires life     and loves many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil     and your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Turn away from evil and do good;     seek peace and pursue it… 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears     and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted     and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:12-14, 17-18

25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?”  27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:26-28  

TWO CONTRASTING CHOICES OF AHIMELECH AND DOEG Doeg: He chooses to stand with King Saul and slays the 85 priests himself. 9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, 10 and he inquired of the LORD for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” 11 Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king. 12 And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 And Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?”

TWO CONTRASTING CHOICES OF AHIMELECH AND DOEG Doeg: He chooses to stand with King Saul and slays the 85 priests himself. 14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and captain over your bodyguard, and honored in your house? 15 Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, much or little.” 16 And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house.” 17 And the king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me.”

TWO CONTRASTING CHOICES OF AHIMELECH AND DOEG Doeg: He chooses to stand with King Saul and slays the 85 priests himself. But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the LORD. 18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. 19 And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword. (22:9-19) Doeg seems like a “smart” guy who recognized that his loyalty to his king would also mean an opportunity for his fast-track success. Doeg was an Edomite which meant that he didn’t have the same fear of killing the priests of the LORD. So was he free in this violent massacre?

20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father's house. 23 Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.” 1 Samuel 22:20-23

WHAT LESSONS CAN WE LEARN FROM AHIMELECH AND DOEG? Lesson #1: All of us are FACED WITH CHOICES in life—between the world’s way [quick-fixes/short-cuts] and God’s way [costly narrow road]. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord,  choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 The choices are filled with illusive quick-fixes and high costs of doing good. What will you choose? Whom are you choosing this day?

WHAT LESSONS CAN WE LEARN FROM AHIMELECH AND DOEG? Lesson #2: NEVER PARTICIPATE IN EVIL, no matter what the cost may be. 14 Turn away from evil and do good;     seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous     and his ears toward their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,     to cut off the memory of them from the earth. Psalm 34:14-16 Do not compromise or rationalize your way as an inevitable option. In your work, family, and world, never step into the slippery slope!

WHAT LESSONS CAN WE LEARN FROM AHIMELECH AND DOEG? Lesson #3: Be always prepared to SUFFER FOR DOING GOOD, trusting in God’s sovereign purpose. 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed.  Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:13-17 Suffering for good may not bring good results in short range. The goal in this suffering is to bring glory to God in lasting hope in Christ!

The Clearest Display of the Worth Of God In Our Lives Suffering in the path of Christian obedience, with joy—because the steadfast love of the Lord is better than life (Psalm 63:3)—is the clearest display of the worth of God in our lives. Therefore, faith-filled suffering is essential in this world for the most intense, authentic worship. When we are most satisfied with God in suffering, he will be most glorified in us in worship. Our problem is not styles of music. Our problem is styles of life. When we embrace more affliction for the worth of Christ, there will be more fruit in the worship of Christ. ― John Piper

THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE In what ways does the world’s way seem attractive and smart to you these days as a temptation to rationalize your choices? What would it mean for you to never participate in evil, no matter what the cost may be in saying no to it? What is your first step toward preparing yourself always in suffering for doing good, trusting in God’s sovereign purpose?