Day 94 · Part 7: The Kingdom
Outlaw (1 of 2)
In the Story
In context
On the run from Saul, David came to Nob, the town of the priests. Ahimelech the priest gave him the show bread, the twelve loaves set before the Lord each Sabbath and eaten by the priests (1 Samuel 21:1–6; Leviticus 24:5–9). Jesus later reminded the Pharisees of this when his hungry disciples picked grain on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1–4). David took Goliath’s sword too, then fled to Gath and pretended to be insane before its king (21:8–15).
About four hundred men who were in distress, in debt or discontented gathered to him at the cave of Adullam (22:1–2). When Doeg the Edomite told Saul that Ahimelech the priest had helped David, Saul had Doeg kill eighty-five priests, and Doeg put the people of Nob to the sword too, a hard scene told plainly; one of Ahimelech’s sons, Abiathar, escaped to David (22:9–20).
David saved the town of Keilah, then hid in the wilderness of Ziph, where Jonathan came and “strengthened his hand in God” (23:1–18). In a cave near En Gedi, by the Dead Sea, David cut off the corner of Saul’s robe but would not harm “Yahweh’s anointed,” and Saul wept (24:1–17).
My soul rests in God alone. My salvation is from him. He alone is my rock, my salvation, and my fortress. I will never be greatly shaken.
Psalms 62:1–2 · David hid in strongholds, in the woods and in caves; in this psalm of David, God alone is “my rock… and my fortress.”
For families
When David fled, his brothers and all his father’s house came down to him at the cave of Adullam (22:1). He asked the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come out to you, until I know what God will do for me,” and they lived there while David was in the stronghold (22:3–4). Moab was the homeland of David’s great-grandmother Ruth (Ruth 1:4; 4:13–17).
David found a safe place for his father and mother. What are some ways grown-up children look after their parents?
In the Bible
World English Bible, as published by eBible.org (public domain).
1 Samuel 21
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1 Samuel 22
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1 Samuel 23
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1 Samuel 24
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A hymn for today
Rock of Ages · words by Augustus M. Toplady
- Rock of Ages, cleft for me,Let me hide myself in Thee;Let the water and the blood,From Thy wounded side which flowed,Be of sin the double cure,Save from wrath and make me pure.
- Not the labor of my handsCan fulfill Thy law's demands;Could my zeal no respite know,Could my tears forever flow,All for sin could not atone;Thou must save, and Thou alone.
- Nothing in my hand I bring,Simply to Thy cross I cling;Naked, come to Thee for dress;Helpless, look to Thee for grace;Foul, I to the fountain fly;Wash me, Savior, or I die.
- While I draw this fleeting breath,When mine eyes shall close in death,When I soar to worlds unknown,See Thee on Thy judgment throne,Rock of Ages, cleft for me,Let me hide myself in Thee.