Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

David is on the run and in I Samuel 21 he stops to see a priest for supplies and weapons. The food is the showbread and the weapon is the sword of Goliath.  Note the presence of one of Saul’s men.  It will be important later.

Ahimelech, the priest, seems frightened to see David alone.  His explanation of meeting his men later does not seem to help.  When David arrived in Gath, he had to act insane.  If they had not thought him crazy, he probably would have been killed.  Was this just David’s ingenuity, or did God give the insight needed to pull it off?

David’s family finds him in hiding in I Samuel 22. Soon he has gathered many of those who were not happy with the current monarch. Four hundred men are with him. Moab takes Jessie and his sons in while David is running from Saul.

Saul is told about the Priest that helped David.  He confronts him and murders him and his family and all the priests in Nob.  Some of the King’s men would not do this but Doag did.  He and Saul now have someone as despicable as himself.

Despite his problems with Saul, David goes against the Philistines in I Samuel 23 to save one of the Israeli towns. After defeating his enemies, he had to escape the village before Saul captured him there. He has another opportunity to speak to Jonathan and is told that his friend knows that the Kingdom is Jessie’s son’s.

He is still being chased.  The King is determined to find him.  Wherever David goes, Saul follows.  The Philistines make another attack and Jehovah rescues the new king before his predecessor can intercept him.

Next Saul goes after his successor with three thousand men in I Samuel chapter twenty-four.  David and his men are severely outnumbered.  They have hidden deep within a cave.  The King cannot find him and stops to relieve himself in a cave.  Guess which cave it is?

David creeps up in the dark and cuts off the corner of his enemy’s robe.  He is overcome with shame for doing such a thing.  He orders the men to not harm Saul.  After the King returns to his men and is a distance away, the former shepherd appears on the mountain and calls to him.  Saul seems genuinely touched.  He acknowledges that his young soldier will become the next king.  He asks for mercy for his family and David agrees.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger