I Samuel 22:6-23
A farmer is showing off his new invention to his
friends: a pig with a wooden leg.
“Why does the pig have a wooden leg?” one friend
asks. “Well,” the farmer replies, “this pig is special. One
night, my house caught fire, and the pig dragged
me to safety. He saved my life!”
“Wow, that’s amazing! But why does he have a
wooden leg?”
The farmer continues, “Another time, my son fell
into the river, and the pig jumped in and pulled him
out. Saved his life, too!”
“Incredible! But why the wooden leg?”
The farmer finally says, “Well, when you have a pig
that special, you don’t eat him all at once.”
Today we are going to finish our study of 1 Samuel 22.
Saul has been trying to kill David since he was in the
castle playing music for him. But as we know, David has
been on the run. He has been to several different places
trying to keep himself from harm.
In the first 5 verses of 1 Samuel 22 we found David in a
cave at Adullam. 400 men joined him in the cave and
David taught them many things.
Now our story shifts back to Saul. As we finish our study
of 1 Samuel 22 we are going to see Saul deal with
conflict man’s way, rather than God’s way. In a few weeks
we will see an example of how David deals with conflict in
God’s way.
I Samuel 22:6-8
Saul’s Tirade at Gibeah
Apparently word of David’s location has gotten back to
Saul.
He also knows that David has amassed a group of men
with him.
Yet Saul is in Gibeah sitting under a tamarisk tree on a
high place with all of his servants. Saul is holding on to
his spear.
The same spear that he tried to kill David with three
times.
The same spear that he tried to kill his own son with
once.
One way that people respond to conflict in man’s way is
by making wrongful accusations.
Saul makes three accusations in his tirade.
Saul’s Wrongful Accusation
Saul accuses his Staff of conspiring against him.
These people are from his tribe. He asks them if they
think David is going to treat them as well as Saul has.
Is David going to give you vineyards?
Is David going to make you commanders over thousands
and hundreds?
Saul is paranoid that his servants have conspired against
him by not telling him about his son and David’s
covenant.
Saul accuses his Son of betrayal.
He thinks Jonathan has conspired against his dad and
told David to lie in wait in order to kill Saul.
Saul accuses the Son of Jesse of hiding out to kill him.
Notice that Saul doesn’t refer to David by name in these
verses. He always refers to him as the son of Jesse.
It’s ironic that Saul thinks David is trying to kill him.
It’s natural to think that because Saul is actually trying to
kill David. He automatically assumes David would want to
return the favor.
But David is a different kind of man than Saul.
David is God’s chosen king.
Saul was the people’s chosen king.
Saul deals with conflict man’s way by misplacing blame
and making wrongful accusations.
The servants of Saul say nothing after his tirade.
I Samuel 22:9-10
Saul’s Friend Doeg the Edomite breaks the awkward
silence.
Remember him from the previous chapter.
He was being detained at the same place David came
seeking food and a weapon.
The Bible calls Doeg a servant of Saul.
We don’t know when or how he got back to Saul, but it’s
clear that he spilled the beans about how the priest
provided food and a weapon to Saul’s enemy, David.
I Samuel 22:11-19
The next way we see Saul dealing with conflict in man’s
way is by exacting revenge.
Saul’s Revenge Against Ahimelech
Saul Summons Ahimelech v.11-13
When dealing with conflict man’s way it’s easy to become
paranoid, so Saul’s immediate response to Doeg’s news is
to bring the priest, his family and all the priests at Nob to
Gibbeah.
When Ahimelech arrives Saul accuses him also of
conspiring against him by providing David food and a
weapon.
Ahimelech defends David. v.14-15
He answers Saul’s question with a question.
Who has been as faithful as David?
He reminds Saul that David is
His Son in Law
The captain of his guard
Honored in Saul’s house.
Ahimelech begs for Saul’s mercy.
He didn’t feel he had done anything wrong.
Remember David told the priest that he was on a special
mission for the king. He thought he was doing the right
thing.
But Saul would have none of his excuses.
Saul Sentences Ahimelech v.16
It’s interesting that Saul takes the word of one man,
Doeg the Edomite, and sentences Ahimelech to death.
Deut 17:6 says “On the evidence of two witnesses
or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be
put to death; a person shall not be put to death on
the evidence of one witness.”
Saul had no right to put Ahimelech to death but he did it
anyway, because he is dealing with conflict in man’s way.
Man’s way says get revenge worse than the way you
were wronged.
Saul Executes Ahimelech v. 17-19
Of course Saul doesn’t actually carry out the execution.
He asked his servants to kill the priest and all the other
priests from Nob.
What’s funny is that Saul’s servants didn’t do it.
But good ‘ol Doeg carries out the unjust penalty for Saul.
He not only kills Ahimelech, but all of his house, and 85
priests, man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey
and sheep.
What a tragic story.
Notice that Doeg did what Saul wouldn’t do.
God had told Saul to kill the Amalekites, but he refused
to do it.
This is the reason God rejected Saul and chose David.
I Samuel 22:20-23
Abiathar Escapes and Flees to David
The fact that one of the sons of Ahimelech escaped Saul’s
murderous rampage is God’s grace.
And where did he go?
He made a b-line straight to David.
Once he informed David of the massacre, David
immediately took responsibility for his actions and vowed
to keep Abiathar safe for the rest of his life.
When David heard about Doeg telling Saul everything
and then Saul ravaging all the priests and their families
David was not surprised one bit.
His lie to the priest had gotten 85 other priests and all of
Ahimelech’s family short one son killed.
David knew he had to protect Abiathar.
David was already on the run from Saul, now he tells
Abiathar to stay with him and he will keep him safe.
In 1939 the Nazis began their program of Jewish
extermination in Poland. In the midst of the
destruction, Oskar Schindler, a most unlikely hero,
opened his Emalia factory in Krakow, which
produced enamel goods and munitions to supply
the German front. As the Nazis began in earnest
the removal of Jews to death camps, Schindler was
able to rescue 1,300 Jewish men and women to
work in his factory. By designating their skills as
“essential” and paying off the local authorities,
Schindler provided a haven that kept these
refugees alive through the Holocaust.
David provides this kind of refuge for Abiathar.
APPLICATION
Saul dealt with conflict the wrong way.
He was quick to assume and assigned blame liberally.
He was full of paranoia and grossly overreacted when
dealing with the priests.
Our application this morning is what NOT to do.
We must NOT Make Wrongful Accusations
We must NOT Exact our own Revenge
God tells us that vengeance is His.
Romans 12:19 “Beloved, never avenge yourselves,
but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written,
‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”
When we are wronged, we need to forgive and allow God
to take care of things His way.