David then fled Gibeah to the town of Nob where he met the high priest Ahimelech, the great-grandson of Eli. He told the priest he was on a secret mission from the king and that the rest of his men were waiting nearby. He convinced Ahimelech to let him have some food and a sword. While staying there David saw Doeg, one of Saul’s servants, and knew he would reveal his location. Not wanting to bring trouble on Ahimelech, David fled to the cave of Adullam. When his father, mother, and brothers learned where he was, they joined him. Soon hundreds who had become dissatisfied with Saul’s rule joined David, making him their commander.
When Saul learned of this perceived insurrection he angrily asked those with him, “Did David promise to make you rich and powerful? Is that why you are all conspiring against me? None of you tell me anything. You didn’t even inform me when my own son made an oath of friendship to David.”
But Doeg, hoping to ingratiate himself to Saul, said, “I saw David in Nob, holed up with Ahimelech, who gave him food and a sword.”
Saul immediately had Ahimelech and all the other priests of Nob brought before him. He asked, “Why have you conspired against me by supplying my enemy David? Now he is gathering men and trying to find a way to kill me.”
But Ahimelech replied, “Of everyone under your command, who is more loyal than David, your son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguards, a man respected by everyone? Don’t accuse me of wrongdoing, I had no idea he was a fugitive.”
“You're a dead man Ahimelech, you and all your priests! Men! Kill them all! They have sided with my enemy. They knew he was on the run from me and they still helped him.”
But his men refused, so Saul said to Doeg, “You were the one who told me of their betrayal. You kill them.” Doeg obeyed, killing Ahimelech and continuing the curse of Eli on his great-grandson. 85 other priests of Nob were killed that day and the town destroyed. But one of Ahimelech’s sons, Abiathar, survived the slaughter and found his way to join David, telling him everything that had happened.
David cried out, “That day I saw Doeg I knew he would tell Saul. It’s my fault they are all dead. Please, stay here with me for your own safety.” Then David went away from them and in anguish over what Doeg had done created a new psalm:
Your tongue devises evil, like a sharp razor.
You love evil more than good and lying more than righteousness.
You love all destructive words and a lying tongue,
So why do you boast of your evil, O mighty man?
You are a man that did not make Yahweh your strength.
You trusted in the abundance of your riches,
You strengthened yourself with wickedness,
And Yahweh will soon remove you from the land of the living.
I know The goodness of God lasts forever.
I am like a green olive tree in the house of Yahweh.
I trust in and wait on the mercy of Yahweh forever,
for it is good for those that believe.
The Philistines used the unrest in Israel to their advantage and attacked the city of Keilah, near where David was hiding with his men. David prayed to Yahweh to find out if they should try and rescue the city. Even though David’s men were scared and outnumbered Yahweh said, “Save Keilah, I will give you victory over the Philistines.” So David and his small band attacked, inflicting heavy losses on the Philistines.
But now Saul knew where David was and he said to himself, “Yahweh is handing him to me. He will be trapped in that town when my men arrive. I will destroy the entire town with him in it.”
Word of this came to David so he prayed, saying, “I have heard a report that Saul is making his way here. Because of me, he will destroy the town. Is Saul really coming here?”
“He is,” Yahweh replied
“Will the people here turn me over to him to save themselves?
“They will,” Yahweh replied.
So David quickly fled the town to the nearby caves before Saul could arrive. Feeling the wrath of Saul closing in on him, he wrote this psalm:
Yahweh, in you I put my trust.
Listen to me and rescue me quickly.
You are my fortress, so lead me and guide me.
Pull me out of the net that they have laid for me.
I trust you with my spirit.
You have redeemed me, Yahweh.
I will be glad and rejoice in your mercy.
You have considered my troubles.
You know my heart in the midst of my trials.
You have not handed me over to the enemy.
Have mercy upon me, Yahweh, for I am in trouble.
My eyes see only grief.
I feel it consuming me.
My strength fails because of my troubles.
I am a mockery to my enemies.
My neighbors are afraid to admit they know me.
I am like a dead man forgotten by the world.
I am like a broken clay pot.
I have heard the lies of many who have plotted against me.
They desire to take my life.
But I trusted in you, Yahweh.
I said, You are my God.
My life is in your hands.
Save me from the hands of my enemies.
Let the light of your face shine on your servant.
Do not ever let me be ashamed of you, Yahweh.
Let the wicked be ashamed.
Let their lying lips be silenced.
Let them go down to the grave.
They speak evil against the righteous.
You reserve your goodness for those that honor you.
You will hide them in your secret place
Away from prideful people with tongues of strife.
Blessed be Yahweh who rescued me from a besieged city.
I was wrong when I thought, “I am cut off from Yahweh’s eyes.”
Even so you heard my voice when I cried out.
Love Yahweh, all those who believe:
For Yahweh protects the faithful,
and pays back the arrogant.
Be courageous, and Yahweh will strengthen the hearts of all who hope.
When Saul learned he had fled the town he searched the surrounding area without stopping, but could not find David. Jonathan was able to learn David’s location so he secretly came to encourage him, saying, “Don’t be afraid. My father will never touch you. You will be king and I will happily be your second-in-command. Even my father knows this in his heart.” Then Jonathan returned to his father's camp.
The next day, as Saul was looking for David, he went into one of the nearby caves to use it as a bathroom. Through the foreknowledge of Yahweh this was the very cave David and his men were hiding in, but they were much further in and Saul was unaware of them. David’s men said to him, “This is it! Yahweh has delivered your enemy right into your hands.”
David approached Saul silently, but when the moment came, he only cut off a corner of his robe. David returned to his men ashamed of what he had almost done, saying, “Yahweh forbid I should even think about harming my king, who was chosen by God. We should all be ashamed of ourselves. No one is to harm him.” Then Saul left the cave unaware of how close he had been to death.
But David followed after him, coming out of the cave and bowing down, saying, “Saul, my master. Why do you believe the lies which say I am trying to harm you? Now you can see for yourself, Yahweh brought you into the very cave where I was hiding. Some of my men saw this as my opportunity to kill you. But I would not allow it. Look at this piece of your robe in my hand and know that I speak the truth. Since I have entered your service I have never wronged you and yet you hunt me down. Yahweh knows what the truth is and I will have justice, but not by my own hand.”
Saul replied, “David, my son, you are a better man than me. You treat me with honor even after everything I have done to you. May Yahweh reward you for your mercy and kindness. I know now that you will be king someday. But please, promise me you will not harm my family.” David promised and Saul returned home, his desire for revenge abated.
Sometime after this Samuel died in his old age and all of Israel mourned his passing. Though David had made a tentative peace with Saul, he did not feel that he would be welcome back in Gibeah so he again left Israel with all of his men and their families, going this time south to the desert of Paran. In that region lived a wealthy shepherd named Nabal, a descendant of Caleb, who was well known in that region for his surly demeanor, but also for his intelligent and beautiful wife Abigail. David and his 400 soldiers camped near Nabal’s flocks and took it upon themselves to keep watch over his shepherds each day.
David, hoping to ingratiate himself and his men to Nabal, sent him this message:
Dear Nabal,
Long life and good health to you, your household, and everything that is yours. Allow me to introduce myself. I am David, the son of Jesse, from the tribe of Judah in Israel. For a while now, my soldiers and I have been camping nearby. We have treated you well, protecting your servants, and asked for nothing in return. Not one sheep of yours went missing since we have been among you, ask your servants. So we now ask you to favor us with whatever you can find for us.
But when David’s men delivered this message to Nabal he replied, “Who is this David and who is his father Jesse? I’ve heard stories of many slaves escaping their masters, perhaps that’s what he is. Why should I take any of the food I have for my own workers and give to this person who comes from who knows where?”
Now, since the time when Abraham showed hospitality to the visitor who came to his camp, Israelites have understood the importance of showing kindness and generosity to visitors. This insult from Nabal was so great that when David heard his response he was infuriated to the point of ordering 200 of his men to ready themselves for battle.
But as David advanced, a servant of Nabal told Abigail everything that had happened. They said, “You have to do something. Disaster is hanging over all of us and Nabal is so stubborn that no one can talk to him.”
Abigail acted quickly to save everyone from David’s impending wrath. She secretly took food and drink, enough for all of David’s men, and sent them with her servants towards David, promising to follow after. When she found David, she bowed low before him and said, “Pardon me, my lord, and let me speak. Pay no mind to Nabal’s wickedness. His name literally means ‘fool’ and it shows in everything he does. It would have gone much better if I had been the one to receive your message. You haven’t shed any blood, so please accept this gift on our behalf.”
David replied, “Praise Yahweh for sending you to me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed. You have saved a lot of people’s lives today. Go home in peace, I gratefully accept what you have offered us.”
When Abigail returned home, she found Nabal had thrown a lavish party for himself as though he were a king. In his drunken stupor she could not speak with him, so she waited until the next morning. When he sobered up and she told him how she had fed David and his 400 soldiers he was so shocked that he died of a heart attack.
David couldn’t get the wise and beautiful Abigail out of his head and when he learned that Nabal had died he became determined to ask her if she would marry him in his place, though he was already married to Michal. Abigail agreed and they were soon married. In time, when Saul learned that David had shamed his daughter in this way, his rage returned. He declared David’s marriage to Michal over and had her given to another man.
Saul, along with his general Abner and thousands of his troops began to search for David once more, heading towards the desert. But David learned of their arrival and avoided capture. One night, David and his nephew Abishai, a skilled warrior and commander in his own right, snuck into Saul’s camp. Yahweh had caused everyone in the camp to fall into a deep sleep, so David was able to go all the way to where Saul lay. Abishai said, “Yahweh is giving Saul to you. Let me take my spear and kill him right here. One thrust is all I’ll need.”
But David replied, “Don’t touch him. Who can lay a hand on Yahweh’s anointed king and live? Either Yahweh himself will strike Saul down or he will die in battle with our enemies or his time will come naturally. But it won’t be our hand. No, instead we will take his spear and his water jug and leave.”
When David left the camp he climbed a nearby hill and called out, “Abner! Wake up! You are considered a great man in Israel. Why didn’t you guard your king last night? Someone snuck into your camp and made his way to the king. Look around. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?”
Saul recognized David’s voice and asked, “Is that you, David?”
David replied, “Yes it is your servant David. Why are you pursuing me again? What have I done wrong? Do not let me die here so far from home. Why is the king of Israel in the wilderness looking for a flea?”
Moved by his words, Saul said, “I have wronged you again, David. You could have killed me again but you didn’t. I have been a fool. Come back to me, David. I will not try to hurt you anymore. May you be blessed and triumph in everything you set your hands to.”
David returned the king’s spear and water jug, but would not go with Saul, in spite of his proclamation of peace. David instead said to himself, “If the king’s fickle temper again turns towards my death, perhaps the best thing for me and my men would be to escape to the land of Philistines. If Saul knows I am there he won’t risk war by looking for me.”
David settled with his 600 men and their families in the Philistine town of Gath and Saul did not pursue him. To endear himself to Achish, the king of Gath, David’s men repeatedly marched towards Israel prepared for battle. But when he returned he would not tell Achish that he was actually fighting the enemies of Israel. So the king of Achish thought to himself, “After all of his raids he has become so hated in his own country that he will be my servant for life.”
With David as their perceived ally, the Philistines prepared to attack Israel. When Saul gathered his army in opposition to the army of the Philistines, he was afraid at the sight of them. Yahweh would no longer answer the prayers of him or his advisors and for the first time since he became king, he felt like he didn’t know what to do.
Desperate, he had his men search for a medium, one who speaks with the dead, all of whom were in hiding because Saul, in his earlier days, captured and executed them because their dark art was forbidden by God. When he learned that a medium lived in the nearby town of Endor, he traveled there in disguise to ask the woman to contact a spirit for him.
She replied, “You know Saul has forbidden contacting the spirits of the dead. Why are you bringing trouble upon me?”
“I promise you will not be punished for doing this,” Saul replied.
“Whom shall I contact for you?”
“Samuel.”
But when Samuel appeared, Saul’s disguise was laid bare and she screamed, “You lied to me! You are Saul!”
“Don’t be afraid. Tell me what you see.”
“I see a ghostly figure coming out of the ground.”
“What does he look like?”
“An old man wearing a robe.”
Saul knew it was Samuel and he bowed down before him. The spirit of Samuel said, “Why have you disturbed me in this way?”
“I’m afraid. The Philistines are preparing to attack. Yahweh is no longer with me and won’t answer my prayers.”
“Why do you ask for my help if Yahweh has left you? It is exactly as I told you. You have lost your kingdom to David because you disobeyed Yahweh when you spared the Amalekite king and their animals. Tomorrow, your army will be defeated, the Philistines will conquer Israel, and you and your sons will die.” Then Samuel faded away and Saul returned to his camp, his heart set to neither accept his fate nor humble himself before Yahweh in search of forgiveness.
As he returned the Philistines began their march towards the Israelite army. David and his men were in the back with Achish. But the other Philistines commanders began to say, “Why are you bringing these Hebrews?”
“This is David, the famous commander of Saul. He has faithfully served me for a year. I have nothing bad to say about him.”
“Send him back to Gath. He can’t fight with us, he would turn against us in the middle of the battle. How better to please Saul than to kill his enemies in battle?”
So Achish said to David, “You have always been reliable and I wanted you to fight beside me today. I have nothing bad to say about you, but the other commanders don’t trust you. Go back and don’t do anything to anger them.” So David began the long march back to Gath as the Philistines continued to march towards battle.
When the battle began the Israelites quickly found they were no match for their enemy and sounded the retreat. Many Israelites died and soon the Philistines were in pursuit of Saul and his sons. They killed his sons first, including Jonathan. Saul’s guards fought fiercely to protect him, but they were soon overrun and Saul was shot with arrows. His death approaching, he said to his armor-bearer, “Take your sword and finish me off so I won’t be tortured by these godless Philistines.” But the armor-bearer was too afraid so Saul took his own sword and stabbed himself. When the armor-bearer saw this, he killed himself. So ended the reign of Israel’s first king as well as the threat on David’s life.
But as David and his men marched towards Gath, they were unaware of the outcome of the battle between Saul and the Philistines. They also were unaware that the remnant of the Amalekites, now living as bandits, had learned that the Philistine army had left the country and so they saw an opportunity to raid Philistine towns including Gath. When they returned they found their homes burned down and their wives and children kidnapped. David’s men cried out and in their agony began to talk of killing David for leading them to this place. But David called out to Yahweh and asked, “Shall we chase after this raiding party? Will we catch and defeat them?”
Yahweh replied, “Yes, you will catch them and your rescue will be a success.”
When David went to convince his men to pursue the raiding party he found that only 400 of the 600 had the strength to continue on. But David remained resolved and with his reduced force, gave chase. After some time, they picked up the trail, finding a sick Egyptian slave in a field. They gave him food and water and he soon recovered.
David asked him, “Who is your master and where did you come from?”
“I am an Egyptian slave of the Amalekites. They left me here to die when I got sick three days ago. We have been raiding the nearby Philistine towns.”
“Can you lead me to these raiders?”
“Promise me you will not kill me or give me back to my slavers and I will help you.” He led David to the countryside where the raiders had camped. David’s men charged into their camp and fought them for many hours. Only a few Amalekites escaped and David recovered everything that had been taken from them as well as other plunder.
Shortly after this the 200 men who had been too exhausted to join the fight arrived. Some of David’s men did not want to share any of the plunder with these men because they did not participate in the battle. But David said, “Brothers, we must not behave this way with what Yahweh has given us. It was Yahweh who protected us and allowed us to defeat our enemies. All of us will get an equal share, regardless.” And this became the rule David’s men followed from then on.
David and his men returned to the ruins of their town in the hopes of rebuilding. Three days had passed when a man with torn clothes, covered in dust found his way to Gath. He fell down in front of David and asked him, “Where are you from?”
“I’ve come from the Israelite camp.”
“What happened? Tell me!”
“The Israelites retreated. Many were killed. Saul and his sons are dead.”
“How do you know they are dead?”
“I was nearby when the battle took place and I saw Saul, badly wounded. The Philistines were rushing towards him so he called to me and said, ‘who are you?’ I told him I was an Amalekite. He said he was dying, but that he wanted me to finish him off, so I killed him. Then I took his crown and his armband and brought them here to you as a prize.”
But there would be no reward. Instead, David and his men tore their clothes, crying out in mourning, and refused to eat because of their anguish over their king, his sons, their army, and the fate of their nation. David said to the man, “You callously sought to profit from the death of Yahweh’s anointed king? By your own words, you are condemned to death.”
Overcome with sadness at the loss of his king and his dear friend, David wrote this song of lament in their memory:
Saul and Jonathan,
How the mighty have fallen!
In life, they were loved and admired,
and in death, they were not parted.
They were swifter than eagles,
they were stronger than lions.
From the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not hide
And the sword of Saul was never unsatisfied.
Daughters of Israel, weep for Saul,
Who clothed you in the finest scarlet and gold.
I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was great,
Greater than the love of a woman.
The weapons of war have perished!”
“How the mighty have fallen!
With their army scattered and the Philistines continuing to advance the Israelites fled their cities allowing their enemy to occupy them. The Philistines took Saul and his sons' bodies as trophies to show their victory to the people and to their gods. But a group of brave men fought their way to where their bodies were on display, recovered them, and gave them a burial worthy of their status as royalty.
When Saul learned of this perceived insurrection he angrily asked those with him, “Did David promise to make you rich and powerful? Is that why you are all conspiring against me? None of you tell me anything. You didn’t even inform me when my own son made an oath of friendship to David.”
But Doeg, hoping to ingratiate himself to Saul, said, “I saw David in Nob, holed up with Ahimelech, who gave him food and a sword.”
Saul immediately had Ahimelech and all the other priests of Nob brought before him. He asked, “Why have you conspired against me by supplying my enemy David? Now he is gathering men and trying to find a way to kill me.”
But Ahimelech replied, “Of everyone under your command, who is more loyal than David, your son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguards, a man respected by everyone? Don’t accuse me of wrongdoing, I had no idea he was a fugitive.”
“You're a dead man Ahimelech, you and all your priests! Men! Kill them all! They have sided with my enemy. They knew he was on the run from me and they still helped him.”
But his men refused, so Saul said to Doeg, “You were the one who told me of their betrayal. You kill them.” Doeg obeyed, killing Ahimelech and continuing the curse of Eli on his great-grandson. 85 other priests of Nob were killed that day and the town destroyed. But one of Ahimelech’s sons, Abiathar, survived the slaughter and found his way to join David, telling him everything that had happened.
David cried out, “That day I saw Doeg I knew he would tell Saul. It’s my fault they are all dead. Please, stay here with me for your own safety.” Then David went away from them and in anguish over what Doeg had done created a new psalm:
Your tongue devises evil, like a sharp razor.
You love evil more than good and lying more than righteousness.
You love all destructive words and a lying tongue,
So why do you boast of your evil, O mighty man?
You are a man that did not make Yahweh your strength.
You trusted in the abundance of your riches,
You strengthened yourself with wickedness,
And Yahweh will soon remove you from the land of the living.
I know The goodness of God lasts forever.
I am like a green olive tree in the house of Yahweh.
I trust in and wait on the mercy of Yahweh forever,
for it is good for those that believe.
The Philistines used the unrest in Israel to their advantage and attacked the city of Keilah, near where David was hiding with his men. David prayed to Yahweh to find out if they should try and rescue the city. Even though David’s men were scared and outnumbered Yahweh said, “Save Keilah, I will give you victory over the Philistines.” So David and his small band attacked, inflicting heavy losses on the Philistines.
But now Saul knew where David was and he said to himself, “Yahweh is handing him to me. He will be trapped in that town when my men arrive. I will destroy the entire town with him in it.”
Word of this came to David so he prayed, saying, “I have heard a report that Saul is making his way here. Because of me, he will destroy the town. Is Saul really coming here?”
“He is,” Yahweh replied
“Will the people here turn me over to him to save themselves?
“They will,” Yahweh replied.
So David quickly fled the town to the nearby caves before Saul could arrive. Feeling the wrath of Saul closing in on him, he wrote this psalm:
Yahweh, in you I put my trust.
Listen to me and rescue me quickly.
You are my fortress, so lead me and guide me.
Pull me out of the net that they have laid for me.
I trust you with my spirit.
You have redeemed me, Yahweh.
I will be glad and rejoice in your mercy.
You have considered my troubles.
You know my heart in the midst of my trials.
You have not handed me over to the enemy.
Have mercy upon me, Yahweh, for I am in trouble.
My eyes see only grief.
I feel it consuming me.
My strength fails because of my troubles.
I am a mockery to my enemies.
My neighbors are afraid to admit they know me.
I am like a dead man forgotten by the world.
I am like a broken clay pot.
I have heard the lies of many who have plotted against me.
They desire to take my life.
But I trusted in you, Yahweh.
I said, You are my God.
My life is in your hands.
Save me from the hands of my enemies.
Let the light of your face shine on your servant.
Do not ever let me be ashamed of you, Yahweh.
Let the wicked be ashamed.
Let their lying lips be silenced.
Let them go down to the grave.
They speak evil against the righteous.
You reserve your goodness for those that honor you.
You will hide them in your secret place
Away from prideful people with tongues of strife.
Blessed be Yahweh who rescued me from a besieged city.
I was wrong when I thought, “I am cut off from Yahweh’s eyes.”
Even so you heard my voice when I cried out.
Love Yahweh, all those who believe:
For Yahweh protects the faithful,
and pays back the arrogant.
Be courageous, and Yahweh will strengthen the hearts of all who hope.
When Saul learned he had fled the town he searched the surrounding area without stopping, but could not find David. Jonathan was able to learn David’s location so he secretly came to encourage him, saying, “Don’t be afraid. My father will never touch you. You will be king and I will happily be your second-in-command. Even my father knows this in his heart.” Then Jonathan returned to his father's camp.
The next day, as Saul was looking for David, he went into one of the nearby caves to use it as a bathroom. Through the foreknowledge of Yahweh this was the very cave David and his men were hiding in, but they were much further in and Saul was unaware of them. David’s men said to him, “This is it! Yahweh has delivered your enemy right into your hands.”
David approached Saul silently, but when the moment came, he only cut off a corner of his robe. David returned to his men ashamed of what he had almost done, saying, “Yahweh forbid I should even think about harming my king, who was chosen by God. We should all be ashamed of ourselves. No one is to harm him.” Then Saul left the cave unaware of how close he had been to death.
But David followed after him, coming out of the cave and bowing down, saying, “Saul, my master. Why do you believe the lies which say I am trying to harm you? Now you can see for yourself, Yahweh brought you into the very cave where I was hiding. Some of my men saw this as my opportunity to kill you. But I would not allow it. Look at this piece of your robe in my hand and know that I speak the truth. Since I have entered your service I have never wronged you and yet you hunt me down. Yahweh knows what the truth is and I will have justice, but not by my own hand.”
Saul replied, “David, my son, you are a better man than me. You treat me with honor even after everything I have done to you. May Yahweh reward you for your mercy and kindness. I know now that you will be king someday. But please, promise me you will not harm my family.” David promised and Saul returned home, his desire for revenge abated.
Sometime after this Samuel died in his old age and all of Israel mourned his passing. Though David had made a tentative peace with Saul, he did not feel that he would be welcome back in Gibeah so he again left Israel with all of his men and their families, going this time south to the desert of Paran. In that region lived a wealthy shepherd named Nabal, a descendant of Caleb, who was well known in that region for his surly demeanor, but also for his intelligent and beautiful wife Abigail. David and his 400 soldiers camped near Nabal’s flocks and took it upon themselves to keep watch over his shepherds each day.
David, hoping to ingratiate himself and his men to Nabal, sent him this message:
Dear Nabal,
Long life and good health to you, your household, and everything that is yours. Allow me to introduce myself. I am David, the son of Jesse, from the tribe of Judah in Israel. For a while now, my soldiers and I have been camping nearby. We have treated you well, protecting your servants, and asked for nothing in return. Not one sheep of yours went missing since we have been among you, ask your servants. So we now ask you to favor us with whatever you can find for us.
Your humble servant,
David
But when David’s men delivered this message to Nabal he replied, “Who is this David and who is his father Jesse? I’ve heard stories of many slaves escaping their masters, perhaps that’s what he is. Why should I take any of the food I have for my own workers and give to this person who comes from who knows where?”
Now, since the time when Abraham showed hospitality to the visitor who came to his camp, Israelites have understood the importance of showing kindness and generosity to visitors. This insult from Nabal was so great that when David heard his response he was infuriated to the point of ordering 200 of his men to ready themselves for battle.
But as David advanced, a servant of Nabal told Abigail everything that had happened. They said, “You have to do something. Disaster is hanging over all of us and Nabal is so stubborn that no one can talk to him.”
Abigail acted quickly to save everyone from David’s impending wrath. She secretly took food and drink, enough for all of David’s men, and sent them with her servants towards David, promising to follow after. When she found David, she bowed low before him and said, “Pardon me, my lord, and let me speak. Pay no mind to Nabal’s wickedness. His name literally means ‘fool’ and it shows in everything he does. It would have gone much better if I had been the one to receive your message. You haven’t shed any blood, so please accept this gift on our behalf.”
David replied, “Praise Yahweh for sending you to me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed. You have saved a lot of people’s lives today. Go home in peace, I gratefully accept what you have offered us.”
When Abigail returned home, she found Nabal had thrown a lavish party for himself as though he were a king. In his drunken stupor she could not speak with him, so she waited until the next morning. When he sobered up and she told him how she had fed David and his 400 soldiers he was so shocked that he died of a heart attack.
David couldn’t get the wise and beautiful Abigail out of his head and when he learned that Nabal had died he became determined to ask her if she would marry him in his place, though he was already married to Michal. Abigail agreed and they were soon married. In time, when Saul learned that David had shamed his daughter in this way, his rage returned. He declared David’s marriage to Michal over and had her given to another man.
Saul, along with his general Abner and thousands of his troops began to search for David once more, heading towards the desert. But David learned of their arrival and avoided capture. One night, David and his nephew Abishai, a skilled warrior and commander in his own right, snuck into Saul’s camp. Yahweh had caused everyone in the camp to fall into a deep sleep, so David was able to go all the way to where Saul lay. Abishai said, “Yahweh is giving Saul to you. Let me take my spear and kill him right here. One thrust is all I’ll need.”
But David replied, “Don’t touch him. Who can lay a hand on Yahweh’s anointed king and live? Either Yahweh himself will strike Saul down or he will die in battle with our enemies or his time will come naturally. But it won’t be our hand. No, instead we will take his spear and his water jug and leave.”
When David left the camp he climbed a nearby hill and called out, “Abner! Wake up! You are considered a great man in Israel. Why didn’t you guard your king last night? Someone snuck into your camp and made his way to the king. Look around. Where are the king’s spear and water jug that were by his head?”
Saul recognized David’s voice and asked, “Is that you, David?”
David replied, “Yes it is your servant David. Why are you pursuing me again? What have I done wrong? Do not let me die here so far from home. Why is the king of Israel in the wilderness looking for a flea?”
Moved by his words, Saul said, “I have wronged you again, David. You could have killed me again but you didn’t. I have been a fool. Come back to me, David. I will not try to hurt you anymore. May you be blessed and triumph in everything you set your hands to.”
David returned the king’s spear and water jug, but would not go with Saul, in spite of his proclamation of peace. David instead said to himself, “If the king’s fickle temper again turns towards my death, perhaps the best thing for me and my men would be to escape to the land of Philistines. If Saul knows I am there he won’t risk war by looking for me.”
David settled with his 600 men and their families in the Philistine town of Gath and Saul did not pursue him. To endear himself to Achish, the king of Gath, David’s men repeatedly marched towards Israel prepared for battle. But when he returned he would not tell Achish that he was actually fighting the enemies of Israel. So the king of Achish thought to himself, “After all of his raids he has become so hated in his own country that he will be my servant for life.”
With David as their perceived ally, the Philistines prepared to attack Israel. When Saul gathered his army in opposition to the army of the Philistines, he was afraid at the sight of them. Yahweh would no longer answer the prayers of him or his advisors and for the first time since he became king, he felt like he didn’t know what to do.
Desperate, he had his men search for a medium, one who speaks with the dead, all of whom were in hiding because Saul, in his earlier days, captured and executed them because their dark art was forbidden by God. When he learned that a medium lived in the nearby town of Endor, he traveled there in disguise to ask the woman to contact a spirit for him.
She replied, “You know Saul has forbidden contacting the spirits of the dead. Why are you bringing trouble upon me?”
“I promise you will not be punished for doing this,” Saul replied.
“Whom shall I contact for you?”
“Samuel.”
But when Samuel appeared, Saul’s disguise was laid bare and she screamed, “You lied to me! You are Saul!”
“Don’t be afraid. Tell me what you see.”
“I see a ghostly figure coming out of the ground.”
“What does he look like?”
“An old man wearing a robe.”
Saul knew it was Samuel and he bowed down before him. The spirit of Samuel said, “Why have you disturbed me in this way?”
“I’m afraid. The Philistines are preparing to attack. Yahweh is no longer with me and won’t answer my prayers.”
“Why do you ask for my help if Yahweh has left you? It is exactly as I told you. You have lost your kingdom to David because you disobeyed Yahweh when you spared the Amalekite king and their animals. Tomorrow, your army will be defeated, the Philistines will conquer Israel, and you and your sons will die.” Then Samuel faded away and Saul returned to his camp, his heart set to neither accept his fate nor humble himself before Yahweh in search of forgiveness.
As he returned the Philistines began their march towards the Israelite army. David and his men were in the back with Achish. But the other Philistines commanders began to say, “Why are you bringing these Hebrews?”
“This is David, the famous commander of Saul. He has faithfully served me for a year. I have nothing bad to say about him.”
“Send him back to Gath. He can’t fight with us, he would turn against us in the middle of the battle. How better to please Saul than to kill his enemies in battle?”
So Achish said to David, “You have always been reliable and I wanted you to fight beside me today. I have nothing bad to say about you, but the other commanders don’t trust you. Go back and don’t do anything to anger them.” So David began the long march back to Gath as the Philistines continued to march towards battle.
When the battle began the Israelites quickly found they were no match for their enemy and sounded the retreat. Many Israelites died and soon the Philistines were in pursuit of Saul and his sons. They killed his sons first, including Jonathan. Saul’s guards fought fiercely to protect him, but they were soon overrun and Saul was shot with arrows. His death approaching, he said to his armor-bearer, “Take your sword and finish me off so I won’t be tortured by these godless Philistines.” But the armor-bearer was too afraid so Saul took his own sword and stabbed himself. When the armor-bearer saw this, he killed himself. So ended the reign of Israel’s first king as well as the threat on David’s life.
But as David and his men marched towards Gath, they were unaware of the outcome of the battle between Saul and the Philistines. They also were unaware that the remnant of the Amalekites, now living as bandits, had learned that the Philistine army had left the country and so they saw an opportunity to raid Philistine towns including Gath. When they returned they found their homes burned down and their wives and children kidnapped. David’s men cried out and in their agony began to talk of killing David for leading them to this place. But David called out to Yahweh and asked, “Shall we chase after this raiding party? Will we catch and defeat them?”
Yahweh replied, “Yes, you will catch them and your rescue will be a success.”
When David went to convince his men to pursue the raiding party he found that only 400 of the 600 had the strength to continue on. But David remained resolved and with his reduced force, gave chase. After some time, they picked up the trail, finding a sick Egyptian slave in a field. They gave him food and water and he soon recovered.
David asked him, “Who is your master and where did you come from?”
“I am an Egyptian slave of the Amalekites. They left me here to die when I got sick three days ago. We have been raiding the nearby Philistine towns.”
“Can you lead me to these raiders?”
“Promise me you will not kill me or give me back to my slavers and I will help you.” He led David to the countryside where the raiders had camped. David’s men charged into their camp and fought them for many hours. Only a few Amalekites escaped and David recovered everything that had been taken from them as well as other plunder.
Shortly after this the 200 men who had been too exhausted to join the fight arrived. Some of David’s men did not want to share any of the plunder with these men because they did not participate in the battle. But David said, “Brothers, we must not behave this way with what Yahweh has given us. It was Yahweh who protected us and allowed us to defeat our enemies. All of us will get an equal share, regardless.” And this became the rule David’s men followed from then on.
David and his men returned to the ruins of their town in the hopes of rebuilding. Three days had passed when a man with torn clothes, covered in dust found his way to Gath. He fell down in front of David and asked him, “Where are you from?”
“I’ve come from the Israelite camp.”
“What happened? Tell me!”
“The Israelites retreated. Many were killed. Saul and his sons are dead.”
“How do you know they are dead?”
“I was nearby when the battle took place and I saw Saul, badly wounded. The Philistines were rushing towards him so he called to me and said, ‘who are you?’ I told him I was an Amalekite. He said he was dying, but that he wanted me to finish him off, so I killed him. Then I took his crown and his armband and brought them here to you as a prize.”
But there would be no reward. Instead, David and his men tore their clothes, crying out in mourning, and refused to eat because of their anguish over their king, his sons, their army, and the fate of their nation. David said to the man, “You callously sought to profit from the death of Yahweh’s anointed king? By your own words, you are condemned to death.”
Overcome with sadness at the loss of his king and his dear friend, David wrote this song of lament in their memory:
Saul and Jonathan,
How the mighty have fallen!
In life, they were loved and admired,
and in death, they were not parted.
They were swifter than eagles,
they were stronger than lions.
From the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not hide
And the sword of Saul was never unsatisfied.
Daughters of Israel, weep for Saul,
Who clothed you in the finest scarlet and gold.
I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was great,
Greater than the love of a woman.
The weapons of war have perished!”
“How the mighty have fallen!
With their army scattered and the Philistines continuing to advance the Israelites fled their cities allowing their enemy to occupy them. The Philistines took Saul and his sons' bodies as trophies to show their victory to the people and to their gods. But a group of brave men fought their way to where their bodies were on display, recovered them, and gave them a burial worthy of their status as royalty.
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