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SAUL KILLED THE PRIESTS BECAUSE OF DAVID
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6
1 Samuel 22

Psalm 34:11-22

 

“…none of them
that trust in him

shall be desolate.”

 

SAUL KILLED THE PRIESTS BECAUSE OF DAVID
 
It was reported to the king where David was staying while he was in Ramah. The king lamented over the exploits of David and he chided his kin, the house of Benjamin, for their seeming sympathy for David. He accused them of conspiring with David and concealing from him the league that his son Jonathan had made with the son of Jesse. He had used all his energy in his attempts to kill David, but he failed. He felt that the obstacles were within his own house. Saul was acting carnally because Prophet Samuel had already told him of God’s rejection. Instead of repenting, Saul resorted to carnal vengeance, and he was failing. He should have learned from the response of his son Jonathan, but he did not, and hence he failed.
 
Doeg reported to King Saul that he had seen David coming to Nob, and that Ahimelech had assisted David by giving him food, inquiring of the Lord for him and giving him the sword of Goliath. This report made the king very angry and merciless in his thirst for revenge. The priest Ahimelech said that he was innocent, but Saul would hear none of that. Saul concluded that Ahimelech was conspiring with David against him. Ahimelech said that he knew David to be a military leader in Saul’s kingdom and that David was the king’s son-in-law, so he extended that help to David. But Saul found Ahimelech guilty, and sentenced him to death.
 
Ahimelech and all his family had to die. Saul ordered his footmen to kill the priest, but they feared God and refused to carry out the king’s orders. This should have served as a red flag to the king that he was doing wrong, but he had an evil spirit that pushed him to murder. He commanded Doeg to kill the priests, and Doeg did. That massacre saw the death of eighty-five souls in the household of the priest. This murderous act came to the ears of David and he lamented those deaths, but remained confident that the Lord was with him and he would overcome all. God sent the prophet Gad to assist him.
 
THOUGHT: The prophet’s presence was God’s presence in David’s mission.
PRAYER: Father, give me faith to overcome all my challenges, and may I always look to Thee for success.

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