Bible 101 - I Samuel Chapters 20-25

Presented November 8, 2004 by Phyllis Gilbert

A question from last week: Remember David picking up 5 stones to put in his bag when approaching Goliath? Why 5? Look at ch. 17; in particular, notice David's speech to Goliath vv. 45-47. David's attitude is confident, and his confidence is based on his faith in God. He needs only one stone; why 5? Look at II Sam. 21:15ff. David is king (Saul is dead) and once again battling the Philistines. David is now an old warrior, not nearly as spry as he was when he fought Goliath 30 years before. In these verses, we read of 4 giants - one a brother of Goliath, and the others perhaps his sons. David would have seen them as "back up" for Goliath in that long-ago battle, so he had 5 stones - one for each of them.

Review: Last week, the total break-down of Saul as a man and leader began. God fired him as king, and took from Saul his Holy Spirit, that calming presence of God, which had provided Saul with both physical and spiritual strength. In its place is a troubled, anxiety-ridden spirit which from time to time, is so murderous, it drives Saul to attempt to kill David. Saul is descending into paranoia and the rest of the book will alternate between David and Saul. Like a camera cutting between scenes in the palace and scenes in the field, we'll see David running from place to place like a hunted animal, while Saul, back in Gibeah, asks spies to track David, and plots his next move. Saul wants to kill David, thinking that when he does, his troubles will be over. But as long as he is denied God's presence, his life will remain this emotional battleground. And life for David will be on-the-run for 10 years.

I Samuel 20: David leaves Samuel, and goes to visit Jonathan, asking him why Saul wants to kill him, David. Jonathan protests: his father does nothing without consulting him, and he'd know if he wanted to kill David. Jonathan, remembering Saul's oath (I Sam 19:6) that nothing would happen to David, doesn't believe it. David tells him "there's only one step between me and death," meaning his position is precarious, and that's why he's out in the wilderness instead of home with his wife or performing his army duties for Saul. It's the New Moon feast, and Jonathan tells him he'll sound out his father. At the New Moon festival each month (Numbers 28) , a big dinner is held on three successive nights. David, as the king's son-in-law and member of his household was expected to be there. But having recently had narrow escapes, David absents himself. He and Jonathan decide to use Saul's reaction to David's empty chair as a gauge of Saul's mood. And whatever Saul reveals, Jonathan will signal to David in a field. Incidentally, these conversations out in a field are evidence that the palace is "bugged," and that neither David nor Jonathan trusts that they'll have privacy in a town, building or house where Saul is in control. So they meet in a field where they won't be overheard.

I Samuel 20:24: They carry out their plan and Saul says nothing at the first dinner. On the second day, however, he asks Jonathan "where's the son of Jesse?" Jonathan tells him he's home for a family gathering. Saul is angry at Jonathan (the bearer of bad tidings) and calls him an unprintable name. Saul tells him David will get the throne instead of Jonathan - who should succeed his father. "He must die," Saul declares, but Jonathan stands up for David, asking "what has he done?" The reply is a spear thrown at Jonathan. "Then Jonathan knew his father intended to kill David," and he goes to the meeting place he and David have arranged. He signals David, and David, knowing he can't go back to his wife or the palace, has a tearful farewell with Jonathan. These two have pledged to care for the survivor's family should one die in battle. They are friends in every sense of the word: giving each other emotional support, an ear to listen to complaints, spiritual encouragement. They are model friends.

I Samuel 21: David goes to Nob, a town northeast of Jerusalem and south of Gibeah (Saul's home) where the tabernacle is now sitting since Shiloh has been destroyed. There David asks the priest Ahimelech for food. David, not wanting to involve the priest in his troubles, tells him he's on a secret mission for the king, and has had to leave without supplies or weapons. Ahimelech gives him the bread of the presence, sacred loaves which represent the 12 tribes before God (Exodus 25), and which are replaced weekly. No one but the priest and his family are to eat this bread, but Ahimelech, putting human need over religious ritual, gives David the bread. Jesus refers to this incident in responding to his critics. Matthew, Mark and Luke report that Jesus replied to the Pharisees who accused him and his disciples of "Sabbath breaking" that David had once eaten the consecrated bread. Mark 2:23-27 gives an account of this incident. And David also asks for a weapon; Ahimelech tells him he has the sword of Goliath, and David takes it.

I Samuel 21:10: David goes into Gath, a Philistine city, and looked for sanctuary from the king. But they know him too well there; after all, he's Saul's enemy, but he's also the Philistines' enemy - he killed Goliath and has led several campaigns against them in the months that followed. David is not safe there, so he feigns madness. Remember Hamlet? He "puts on an antic disposition" and everyone talks about the cause of his "madness." But that cloak of crazy behavior allows Hamlet to move about listening and observing. It does the same for David.

I Samuel 22: David goes to the cave of Adullum, southwest of Bethlehem. There he hides, and to him come friends and family, along with assorted other outlaws who sense that David is a kindred spirit. About 400 men surround David. He then traveled to Moab to ask the king to give his parents safe-keeping. This is sensible: David, aware of Saul's madness, fears for his parents and family. Ruth, David's great-grandmother was from Moab. David takes his parents there and they find a refuge.

I Samuel 22:5: The prophet Gad is introduced here, visiting David while he's on the run. Gad is in and out of David's life now and when he's king. He speaks for God and tells David to go to Judah and he does. He's now in a forest in Hereth. Meanwhile Saul is still plotting David's death, and he reveals just how paranoid he is when he accuses his men, the men of his own tribe, of conspiring with each other to defeat Saul. He accuses Jonathan of siding with "the son of Jesse" instead of being concerned with Saul. "No one cares about me," Saul says. Doeg speaks up; he was there in Nob when David asked Ahimelech for food and a weapon. He tells Saul this. Saul sends for the priest who bravely answers the king's questions, telling him that he gave David help, but that David "is the most loyal of the king's servants" and that, yes, he did consult God for David, but it was at David's request. Saul orders his death and the death of Ahimelech's entire family. None of Saul's aides will do it; a priest is God's servant, too. But Doeg says he'll do it, and he does. He kills 85 men who wore the linen ephod - in other words, priests. He also killed women, children, cattle, donkeys and sheep in Nob. One priest escaped: Abiathar, Ahimelech's son, and he fled to join David. When David heard what had happened, he grieves, feeling he was responsible for all these deaths.

I Samuel 23: Two intriguing events occur in this chapter. First David hears that an Israelite town is threatened by the Philistines, and he asks the Lord, through Abiathar the priest, if he should go save the town; God says "go and I'll give the Philistines into your hand." And so David and his merry band of outlaws - the original "mighty men" who accompany David throughout his lifetime - save Keilah. Saul hears about this battle and David's rescue of the town, and he goes after David, believing "God has given him into my hand." David gets word Saul's coming to Keilah and so he asks God "will these people give me to Saul?" and God says "yes." One wonders whether these people were grateful for having been saved, or if they were so frightened of Saul's rage that they'd hand over David to save themselves again. In any event, David and his men are on the run again. But God is preserving David's life, and David knows this.

I Samuel 23:15: Here's the second incident. David is now moving around, finding hiding places in wilderness areas, and Saul keeps following him. Jonathan goes to visit David and to encourage him to maintain his faith in God and his hope in the future. After all, David has to be a bit discouraged. He'd been anointed king years before, and now he's being hunted like a dog. Jonathan, good friend that he is, says "you will be king." How grateful David must have been, and how generous of Jonathan!

The Psalms: The Psalms take on new meaning as we watch David in these chapters, going from place to place, hiding in rocks and caves, praying and begging God for help. Reading Psalm 31 and Psalm 59, for example, will show what he endured; in them we also see David's certainty that God was the source of his strength. Even though he's a fugitive, God is grooming him to take the throne and be the leader God wants in Israel.

I Samuel 23:19: The people of the area where David is roaming spot him and send word to Saul, and they promise to help him capture David. They're near Ziph, in the desert of Maon, west of the Dead Sea. Saul says "give me the coordinates, and I'll be there." They do, and Saul is after him. They're on both sides of the same mountain: David and his men on one side, and Saul on the other, circling it. It's almost certain that David will be trapped if Saul sends men both ways. And he could: he's desperate to get David out of his hair. But God saves David by sending a message to Saul: "come quickly, the Philistines are raiding the land," and so he must go home. This is as close as Saul will come to actually capturing David. But David gets close enough to Saul in subsequent incidents to kill him. David's awareness of God and of Saul's position as God's anointed, stop him both times.

I Samuel 24: Now David goes to En (or Ein) Gedi, a place perfect for hiding with all its rocky caves and canyons. As an oasis, it also had then, as now, water. This becomes a long-term hide-out for David and his men. Once again, spies tell Saul where David is and he takes 3,000 men with him to overtake David. Saul goes into a cave to "relieve himself," as the NIV puts it, and it's a cave where David and his men are resting, far back in its depths. They see Saul, completely vulnerable, and sneak up to him. Saul, not even conscious of their presence, finishes his business and leaves - but not before David cuts off a part of the hem of his robe. David, seeing Saul leaving, calls to him: "My lord the king," and Saul recognizes his voice. David asks him why he's chasing him - just a flea, and not worth all this effort. And he tells Saul that he could have killed him, saying "look at the hem of your robe." Saul weeps, and calls him "David, my son" rather than "son of Jesse," as he's lately done. And he tells David "you are more righteous than I." He adds: "may the Lord reward you. I know now that you will be king." He asks that David not kill Saul's family when he does become king; that would be the usual procedure. David promises he will kill none of Saul's descendants. David does not kill Saul, who has tried on many occasions to kill him, because he says "The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed." He respects the role of king; he respects God's choices. Saul goes back home, but David, out in the desert stronghold, continues to be useful to God.

I Samuel 25: Samuel dies and all Israel mourns. This great man, who'd anointed both Saul and David as kings, who'd counseled both, who'd been a leader and judge in Israel, dies and is buried in Ramah. No one, and especially David, forgets Samuel. But his death gets only one verse; it was his LIFE that counted. Now David is near Carmel, the place where Saul had set up a monument to himself (I Samuel 15), and nearby is a big sheep ranch owned by a man named Nabal. It's sheep-shearing time, something David understood well as a former shepherd, and he sends representatives to Nabal asking for supplies for his men. After all, David says, we've guarded your men and your sheep; we've taken nothing. Can you help us? It's a festive time; Nabal will be feeling especially wealthy. But Nabal is not the average land-owner; he's a stingy man, and he says "who is this David?" He accuses him of being a run-away servant, out stealing and living as an out-law. David is livid when he hears Nabal's response. He straps on his sword and is ready to destroy Nabal. He takes 400 of his men, leaving 200 behind, and off he goes. But a servant, overhearing Nabal's response to David's request, goes to tell his wife Abigail. She knows who David is and she's appalled at her husband's behavior. So, woman of action that she is, gathers a large quantity of food, loads it on donkeys and goes to David with these gifts. She does NOT tell Nabal. When she finds David, she bows low to him, and says "I ask your indulgence; pay no attention to the words of my wicked husband, who is a fool." (His name means fool.) She offers the food and asks forgiveness for her household, and David is charmed. She says when he's king, he doesn't want on his conscience the blood of men like Nabal and his servants. Why be stained by revenge killings, she reasons. David likes the cut of her jib, and he says "Praise God for you!" He applauds her judgment and thanks her for counseling him and averting his planned revenge. David accepts the gifts and tells her "Go home in peace," and she does.

I Samuel 25:36: Back home, Nabal is holding a banquet and is fairly drunk when Abigail gets there. She tells him nothing until the next morning, and then she lets him know what she's done. "His heart failed him and he became like stone," we read. God strikes Nabal down and he dies 10 days later. David is grateful that God spared him from acting selfishly against Nabal, and he invites Abigail to become his wife. She accepts.

I Samuel 25:43: The chapter ends with some footnotes: David already had a wife - Michal, Saul's daughter. But Saul had married her off to another man, thinking David had deserted her (David was running from Saul, and that's why Michal is alone.) David was also married to Ahinoam, and we can assume that both she and Abigail stay with him through all this fugitive time.

Next week: we'll finish the book, and Nov. 22, we'll get a start on II Samuel.

Homework for those who want to go deeper:

Let's close in prayer.