David was on the run. King Saul had become insanely jealous of him
and feared that David would dethrone him, so he made it his goal to kill
David. All David had was the clothes on
his back. He didn’t have a sword or spear,
and he didn’t have any food.
When David got to Nob, he went to the tabernacle
where he was met by the priest, Ahimelech.
David concealed from Ahimelech that he was on the run, and asked for
food and weapons. He was provided with
both. And what food and what a weapon he
was given! The food was the Bread of
Presence, loaves that were to remain in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle which
only the priests were allowed to eat.
The weapon was none other than the sword of Goliath.
It happened that there was a man there who
witnessed this. His name was Doeg. He was an Edomite. This is significant because he was not one of
the children of Israel, even though the Edomites were cousins of the
Israelites. (They descended from Esau,
whereas Israel descended from his twin, Jacob.)
As Saul searched in vain for David, he began
to perceive conspiracies all around him.
In a fit of rage he accused a group of Israelites of conspiring against
him, and Doeg stepped forward and told him what he knew: Ahimelech had both fed and armed David. Saul’s paranoia piqued, he sought out Ahimelech,
the priest of the LORD, and accused him of harboring his enemies, and although the priest
protested his innocence Saul ordered that he and his whole family be
killed. But when Saul ordered an
Israelite soldier to kill Ahimelech, the soldier refused, so great was his
respect of God’s servant and his fear of striking the LORD’s anointed priest. But when Saul gave the same command to Doeg
the Edomite, he struck him down. Doeg
killed eighty-five priests that day, and went on to kill women and children,
even infants, and the animals that belonged to the priests. Only one man survived, Abiathar, the son of
Ahimelech, and he fled to David.
Psalm 52 is David’s expression of anger at
Doeg. How dare Doeg raise his voice for
evil? How could he venture to act in
such a wicked way? David understood that
Doeg’s actions went beyond obedience to a wicked king or violence of a person
against a person. Doeg’s actions had
been a man acting in defiance of God, Himself!
And David knew who would prevail in that conflict!
There are many wicked people in this world
who work with razor sharp tongue and lies to destroy God’s kingdom and tear
down all that is good. There are those
who act in violence against God’s people; who try to destroy the businesses,
lives, reputations, and rights of those who speak up for God’s truth. Around the world there are those who actively
seek, arrest, imprison and even execute those who believe in Jesus, great David’s
greater Son. What should we do in
response to them?
David shows us that we can trust God to take
care of His enemies. This is hard for
us. We want to take action. But when we know that we are alive in Christ,
like “a green olive tree in the house of God,” we know that our life, and the
life of our brothers and sisters, extends beyond this world and its
violence. We trust in God’s steadfast
love. The LORD will do what He will
do. In fact, it is as good as done, so
we thank and praise Him. It may be that
God will turn a person’s violence back upon them, and they will die as they
have lived. It may also be that God’s
Spirit will work faith, repentance and transformation in that man or woman who
was once God’s enemy and show His love and salvation by the power of the Cross. Whatever He will do, we wait for God’s name
(His presence, honor and glory), for it is good.
O LORD, Your will be
done and Your kingdom come! And help me
to wait for You in peace. Amen.
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