There are times in life where it seems like everything is going wrong. Where it feels like you are on your own. Where it feels like the best thing to do is to lean on your own strength and escape from the problem. Where you start to wonder if God is providing for you, or if he has abandoned you.
For David, his flight from Saul must have felt like that. Before his wife, Samuel, and his best friend had been helping him. Now he was alone. The actions of David in 1 Samuel 21 are the actions of a desperate man, seeking aid and comfort through devious means. Yet despite his acts, God was still providing for David. This lesson is one for us too in tough times; God is good and generous to us too, despite our acts. After all, were we godly enough to enable Christ to die for our sins?
In Chapter 20, David knew that his time in Saul’s presence had come to an end. Saul wanted David dead. He recognised a rival to his throne, to his dynasty, and wanted it dispatched. God had protected David in the past, but now there was nothing more that his wife or his covenant brother could do.
So David, after saying goodbye to Jonathan, David fled to Nob, where the tabernacle had moved. Seeing David arrive, the high priest Ahimelech came out to meet him, trembling. Abimelech clearly knew something was up, given David’s state and quite likely knew there was tension between the King and the Champion. So he asked “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” (v.1)
David provided a pretty flimsy cover story. He was on a secret mission from the king. However, he would be meeting some colleagues later (v.2). So secret, he had no food on hand; did Abimelech have any spare (v.3)? Later, David would ask whether there were any weapons too (v.8). Some secret mission!
Perhaps David was trying to provide cover for Abimelech. That may have been a rationalisation in his mind. But fear and desperation seems to be the main driver here. If it was, unfortunately Saul’s man Doeg saw it all (v.7). An ominous foreshadowing for something to come. Whatever his intentions, David has put Abimelech in danger.
Abimelech did have food, but it was set aside as holy and so only fit for the priests and their family under the Law (Lev. 24:5-9). Yet mercy is the greater part of the Law, as Jesus later pointed out (Matt. 12:1-8), and Abimelech knew it. So after confirming that David and his “band” were not ritually unclean, Abimelech provided David with loaves from the Bread of Presence which was consecrated to God (vv.4-6).
David also received Goliath’s sword, which had also been consecrated to God after David’s victory over Goliath (v.9). While David had not wanted to wear Saul’s armour in battle to face Goliath, here he was certainly keen on having something physical to defend himself with.
From there, David left Saul’s domain and fled to Gath, a town of the Philistines (v.10). Presumably hoping to find shelter beyond the reach of Saul.
Yet even there, David was well recognised, as well as the “impact” he had had on the local Philistine population and the songs that Israel sang in thankfulness (v.11). So David turned to deceit again, pretending to be mad, tagging the walls and acting like a lunatic (vv.12-13). Thankfully Achish the King of Gath fell for the act, and had David ejected from the town rather than deal with another nutter (vv.14-15).
In both of these incidents, David is clearly motivated by fear and desperation. His life was under threat from Saul. He sought food to eat, means to defend himself from Saul’s assassins, and shelter beyond Saul’s reach. There is no indication here of David seeking God’s help, or following God’s prompting.
Yet despite this, God was clearly providing for David. He gave him food – food set apart for himself. He gave him Goliath’s sword – a weapon set apart for himself because he was the true Champion through David’s hands. And he protected David in Gath, by having them turf David out rather than dispatch the madman who had slain so many of their kinsfolk.
David did nothing to deserve God’s goodness, yet God was good anyway. There is a reminder for us here. In desperate times, we should lean on God. But all too often, we don’t. Yet despite that, God is good to us anyway. He provides us food to eat, clothes to wear, comfort from friends and from himself.
After all, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). He did not wait for us to act right, Jesus acted so that we could be made right with God. That same goodness shown in our forgiveness from our sins is showered on us every day; grace upon grace.
Because even in the times of our deepest desperation, God is always good.
