#432 No Knee Jerking

David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. 2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.

3 From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” 4 So he left them with the king of Moab,and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.

5 But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

Saul Kills the Priests of Nob

6 Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated, spear in hand, under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing at his side. 7 He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? 8 Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.”

9 But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub at Nob. 10 Ahimelek inquired of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11 Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek son of Ahitub and all the men of his family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. 12 Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.”

“Yes, my lord,” he answered.

13 Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?”

14 Ahimelek answered the king, “Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? 15 Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.”

16 But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.”

17 Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.”

But the king’s officials were unwilling to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.

18 The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.”So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.

20 But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David. 21 He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family. 23 Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me.” 1 Samuel 22 NIV

There is never only one door with God, and David may even walk again through the valley of the shadow, or be as those of whom the world was not worthy, living in deserts and caves. He returns from the land of his enemies to the land of his people, to be hunted by his own king. Why? Because God chose him, and His strength is made perfect in weakness. This is why those who are only born of the flesh cannot see such an upside down kingdom. David takes care of his family, he moves them to safety because a king who will try to kill the one who has made him look good, one whom God has chosen, his son in law, and his own flesh and blood, Jonathan, will surely use David's family against him. They are refugees, as surely as God called His own Son out of Egypt because of Herod, David sends his beloved Jesse to Moab. "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me", God sends a prophet and a priest to to him, to guide him, for these are the greatest advisers a man can have. Saul will only accept the priest who tells him what he wants to hear. He does not want to hear the voice of God, but his own words and ideals regurgitated back to him. Samuel told him that he would no longer be king, that God would raise up another, so find another priest, find the one who will tell me what I want to hear. He hated God, but could not kill Him so tries Ahimelek unjustly. Ahimelek is a priest and those who would judge in favor of Saul would be the same to not understand actual separation of church and state. Here the king has overstepped his bounds, entered an area outside his realm. Should the priest not be kind to a man needing bread? Even if a priest knew the man was a true criminal, he should be kind, feed him, plead with him to turn to what is right, but here it is, the king is wrong. Who is as loyal as your son in law whom you refer to as the son of Jesse and make no claim of? You have persecuted your own son for righteousness sake, you testify against both falsely. Who are these people in my day, that would want to give so much power to a single man, look at Venezuela, look at our own country where we have made the government bigger, look at North Korea, China, where the rights of individuals are not respected. Our presidents are given the expectation to uphold the Constitutions, and they are to be themselves held to that standard. Saul commands not upon reason or justice, but upon abuse of power that the priests be killed. For him the end would justify the means, but both the end and the means are here abominable. He was told that God would choose another; history tells us about the rule of men and the abuse of power, that those who suggest the innate goodness of man, the hope of humanism, lack one small thing. The truth, that we were born dead in our trespasses and sins, that into sin we were conceived, that those who will not be ruled by God will be ruled by tyrants. I'm not asking you to protest the whole of humanity. I'm only asking that you humble yourself and pray. Lord, I don't get leaders that I always like or who always make the right decisions, but I am not always guilty of making the right decisions myself. I pray that you will give me grace and that you will also extend such to them, and give them ears to hear and eyes that see. Thank you for the freedoms we have enjoyed where we live, but no matter what happens to you be all glory and honor and praise. Let me know and understand your Words above all else. Doeg saw nothing above the king and obeyed unto evil. 

“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Manstanding at the right hand of God.”

57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7: 51-60 NIV