(The previous post covered David's second Covenant with Jonathan, David leaving Israel, and David's acting in a deceptive manner towards Ahimelech and Achish.)
1 Samuel 22
1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave of Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.
2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
(David escaped to a cave in Adullam. Adullam meant "justice of the people." His family and all the people who were in debt and distressed came to David and made him their leader. About 400 men with nothing to lose came to David. Notice, David was a type of Joseph in that he saved his family and his brethren from out of the country they lived in.)
3 And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.
4 And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.
(David brought his mother and father to the king of Moab (from Lot) to live there while David was in hiding. David was fearful for the lives of his family. It would have been commonplace for someone who was a threat to the throne/kingdom to have their entire family killed.)
5 And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the stronghold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth.
(Gad, the prophet, told David to leave the cave. Gad was the second prophet God spoke through to David.)
6 And Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him: now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk-tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him.
7 And Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds,
8 that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that discloseth to me when my son maketh a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or discloseth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
(Saul was insecure and displaced pain on his men. Saul actually complained that others were not sorry for him.)
9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10 And he inquired of Jehovah for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
(Doeg was Saul's servant who was present while David received the showbread from Ahimelech (1 Samuel 21).)
11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.
12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.
13 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
(Doeg stated that Ahimelech inquired of God for David, which was not recorded. Did it happen? Would God not have told Ahimelech David was deceiving him? Saul questioned Ahimelech the priest regarding the help he gave to David.)
14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who among all thy servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and is taken into thy council, and is honorable in thy house?
(Even Ahimelech, the priest, questioned Saul's rage against David.)
15 Have I to-day begun to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute anything unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for thy servant knoweth nothing of all this, less or more.
16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.
(Ahimelech stated he did not inquire of God for David. Ahimelech’s answer did not persuade Saul. Did Saul consider anything that Ahimelech said?)
17 And the king said unto the guard that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of Jehovah; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and did not disclose it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of Jehovah.
(Saul told his men to kill Ahimelech and the priests but they would not.)
18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and he slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.
(Saul told Doeg the Edomite (from Esau) to kill Ahimelech and the priests and he killed eighty-five priests that day! Doeg bore false witness against Ahimelech and then murdered him.)
19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen and asses and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
(Abiathar, a priest and Ahimelech’s son, escaped and went to David.)
21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain Jehovah's priests.
22 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house.
23 Abide thou with me, fear not; for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: for with me thou shalt be in safeguard.
(David stated he knew this would happen and that he was the cause of these people dying. David told Abiathar to stay with him and he would be safe.)
1 Samuel 23
1 And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing-floors.
2 Therefore David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And Jehovah said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.
(Before he took any action, David asked God if he should fight the Philistines. God said to go but to save the city of Keilah.)
3 And David's men said unto him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
4 Then David inquired of Jehovah yet again. And Jehovah answered him, and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.
(David inquired of God again and God answered. God told David He would deliver the Philistines into his hand. Both of these inquiries were for the benefit of others: the people of Keilah.)
5 And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and slew them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
(God's Word returned profitable, the people of Keilah were saved.)
6 And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.
(It could be that one of the reasons God helped David save Keilah was that now he had access to the safety of being behind the walls of a city.)
8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 And David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.
(Saul sent an army to besiege David but David knew Saul was out to get him. The priest brought the ephod with him to David.)
10 Then said David, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, thy servant hath surely heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Jehovah, the God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.
12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver up to me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver thee up.
(David inquired of God by wearing the ephod. David was given Keilah by God but now it seemed that he was trapped.)
13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.
14 And David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill-country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
(David and his men escaped Keilah and lived wherever they could find refuge. The wilderness of Ziph had a varied landscape that was hard to live in but did provide protection. Saul sought David everyday but God would not deliver him.)
15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.
16 And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
(Again, Jonathan communicating with David was courageous of him. This would have put his own life at risk.)
17 And he said unto him, Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.
18 And they two made a covenant before Jehovah: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
(Jonathan met with David. Jonathan knew that David would be the next king and not him...and Saul knew this as well. They made a third covenant: David would be king and Jonathan would "be next unto thee.")
19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert?
20 Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him up into the king's hand.
(The Ziphites betrayed David.)
21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of Jehovah; for ye have had compassion on me.
22 Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there; for it is told me that he dealeth very subtly.
23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me of a certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.
(Psalm 54 expressed David's thoughts and feelings during this time. The title of that Psalm included the following statement, "when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?")
24 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert.
25 And Saul and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
(The Ziphites told Saul where David hid. By the time Saul sought David in Ziph, David was in the wilderness of Maon.)
26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.
27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have made a raid upon the land.
28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.
(Sela-hammahlekoth meant "the cliff of escapes" or "the cliff of divisions." Saul had David surrounded but was called away to fight the Philistines.)
29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in the strongholds of En-gedi.
1 Samuel 24
1 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.
2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
(Saul and 3,000 men sought out David in En-gedi.)
3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet. Now David and his men were abiding in the innermost parts of the cave.
(Going in the cave to "cover his feet" meant Saul was going to "attend to his needs"....what we would call "going to the bathroom" today. Saul would have most likely went in the cave alone. It just so happened that David and his men were in this very cave.)
4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold, the day of which Jehovah said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thy hand, and thou shalt do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.
(David's men tried convincing him that this was the time to take out Justice on Saul. David cut off the "skirt of Saul’s robe while he "covered his feet." The skirt was the corner, called the "wings," of the robe.)
5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
6 And he said unto his men, Jehovah forbid that I should do this thing unto my lord, Jehovah's anointed, to put forth my hand against him, seeing he is Jehovah's anointed.
(David felt guilty for doing this because Saul, even though he was acting evil, was the Lord's anointed. David didn't want to take over the kingdom of his own accord. It would be God's responsibility to give the kingdom to David.)
(See Numbers 15:38 for a deeper explanation of what David did to Saul. Part of the symbolism was that David cut off Saul's protection from God. The corners of the robe were also the same part of the garment the woman with an issue of blood purposed in her heart to touch with regards to Jesus as recorded in Matthew 9:20.)
7 So David checked his men with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
(Saul consistently tried convincing others to help him destroy David all while David convinced his men to "not rise against Saul.")
8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.
(David cried after Saul and bowed to him. Again, David was a man after God's own Heart, so once he felt guilt, he immediately confessed and repented.)
9 And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearkenest thou to men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?
10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that Jehovah had delivered thee to-day into my hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee; but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord; for he is Jehovah's anointed.
11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against thee, though thou huntest after my life to take it.
(David tried convincing Saul that he was not an enemy. Again, David did this by asking Saul questions focused on the causes.)
12 Jehovah judge between me and thee, and Jehovah avenge me of thee; but my hand shall not be upon thee.
13 As saith the proverb of the ancients, Out of the wicked cometh forth wickedness; but my hand shall not be upon thee.
(This "proverb" made the point that, if David was really as wicked as Saul thought, wickedness would have proceeded from his actions.)
14 After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
15 Jehovah therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thy hand.
(David was humble and appealed to Justice. He stated that he would let God judge the situation.)
16 And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rendered unto me good, whereas I have rendered unto thee evil.
(Saul confessed that David was more righteous than him. Did Saul finally stop trying to kill David? Did Saul continue to act like Pharaoh?)
18 And thou hast declared this day how that thou hast dealt well with me, forasmuch as when Jehovah had delivered me up into thy hand, thou killedst me not.
19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore Jehovah reward thee good for that which thou hast done unto me this day.
20 And now, behold, I know that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thy hand.
21 Swear now therefore unto me by Jehovah, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.
22 And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the stronghold.
(Saul admitted that David was on the right side of Justice. Saul knew that the kingdom would be established by David and asked David to swear that he would not cut off his seed. David swore.)
(This post covered David and Jonathan's third Covenant, Saul's attempts to kill David and David's confession and repentance for cutting the corner of Saul's robe.)
Day 86
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