Saul’s Revenge – Part 2


1 Samuel 22:12-23
12And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13And 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?” 14Then 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? 15Is 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.” 16And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house.” 17And 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.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the Lord. 18Then 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. 19And 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. 20But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22And 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. 23Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”

There’s no way to start out with a story or anecdote that relates to this passage. It’s simply horrifying that a king would kill his own subjects. Saul’s decent into the role of despot continues. Doeg has done exactly as David feared he would; he has informed Saul of Ahimelech’s assistance to David. (Just in case there’s some confusion – “son of Ahitub” and Ahimelech are the same guy. Saul is so angry he refused to even speak Ahimelech’s actual name.) Saul moves from Doeg’s accusation to sentencing. No trial, no defense. And that sentence is death for Ahimelech and his whole household.

I stand in admiration for those guards who refuse to commit the murders Saul has ordered. But Doeg holds no such qualms. He willingly kills 85 people. I have often wondered if those guards were among those killed. Not only do the priests die, but the entire city of Nob is wiped out in this murderous rampage. Only one man escapes; Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech. It’s a shocking event. Saul may not have actually wielded the sword, but the blood of all those people is on his hands. Abiathar runs to David who gives him refuge.

The Bible never holds back from the sin-filled, horrifying, messy things that happened in the history of God’s people. Saul is a stellar example of what a life lived apart from God looks like. Sadly, he was the leader of God’s people and they paid the price for his wickedness. What we’re seeing lived out is the fact that when God gives us what we demand (as the people did when they demanded a king from God so they could look like other nations) it doesn’t always turn out well.

I’ve asked for a great many things in my life that would have been very bad for me. I only see that in hindsight, which is probably why God gives us that gift. Forty years ago, I begged God for months to save the marriage of someone important to me. But He didn’t give me that request. When I look back on it, I see that He was sparing other people something tragic and I’m willing to admit, God always knows the best way. It only took me 40 years to understand that.

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