WEEK 4 ● Day 3
READ 1 SAMUEL 21–22
We’re going to come back to Doeg the Edomite and why his seeing David was a big deal, but first, let’s wrap up David’s moments with Ahimelech the priest in 1 Samuel 21 and step into chapter 22. As we do, we’re going to see how David cared for others even in the midst of his dark and difficult situation.
After being asked why he was alone in verse 1, David made up a story about being on a top-secret mission for the king and claimed that he was meeting the rest of his men nearby after securing food. His lie may have come from feeling unsure if he could trust the priest or possibly because he hoped to protect Ahimelech from Saul. Either way, his words alleviated Ahimelech’s suspicion. Though the priest had no food to offer David but holy bread, Ahimelech gave what he had.
His question as to whether David and his men were ceremonially clean wasn’t really the point —Ahimelech technically shouldn’t have given the Bread of the Presence to anyone who was not a priest. But Ahimelech was a man of compassion, generosity, and kindness. He saw the bigger picture: David may not have been a priest, but he needed help. Generations later, Jesus even references this gracious priest in Matthew 12:3-7, praising him for understanding the need to put mercy before ceremonial law.
Fabricating an excuse that the king’s business was so urgent that he left too quickly to grab his own sword, David also asks if the priest has a spear or sword to give. The priest responds,
“The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.” And David said, “There is none like that; give it to me.”
David left that very day and traveled to see Achish, king of Gath, as we read about in the last couple of weeks. After convincing King Achish of his insanity, David sets off again to a place where he knows he’ll be safe for a while: the Cave of Adullam (which translates to “cave of refuge”[1]) in Judah. This cave, halfway between Gath and Bethlehem, was known to be fortified, providing a natural hiding place. (If you’ve not yet done so, read 1 Samuel 22:1-5.)
Because we’re here to learn more about God by diving deeply, gaining insight using our own acumen and intelligence, let’s do some digging to learn a bit more about this cave. We can understand history so much better after seeing photos or video or reading details. Google anything that helps you learn more about the Cave of Adullam (Why is Adullam a good hiding place? David and Cave of Adullam, etc.).[2]
1. Pen down three or four things that you find interesting about the Cave of Adullam:
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b.
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d.
The hiding place at Adullam was hundreds of feet above the valley. Caves were peppered around the hill, which was fortified on one side.[3] It even had a water source that flowed all the way down to the Dead Sea.[4] Like a little oasis in the desert, Adullam provided all David and his men would need: fruit trees, water, wildlife. Many of the caves even had openings that were hidden in the shadows and were spacious enough for large groups of men to live within. If you had to flee and live in a cave, this certainly seemed like a great spot to do so, right?
2. What else do we learn in 1 Samuel 22:1-2 about David’s arrival at this hiding spot?
The Cave of Adullam might have been a great hiding spot; however, not only did David’s family find him there, but many others did as well —vagrants, troublemakers, and other people who were discontent with Saul’s leadership. The group grew to about four hundred men, and David led them all.
3. Why do you think these people came to David and gathered with him?
I can just picture David hiding quietly, writing psalms in the caves, when suddenly he hears something outside. Gripping the massive sword that used to belong to Goliath, he quietly slips out to investigate. David quickly realizes that his father’s household has arrived . . . and little by little, others begin to stream in, seeing themselves in his story. I wonder how David felt about that.
One of our kids has an awesome hiding spot for Hide-and-Seek. The other little kids discovered it, though, and have started trying to hide there too. It’s pretty easy now to find four children all hiding behind a curtain, giggling as one whispers harshly, “Go find somewhere else!”
Do you think David wanted to tell these people, “Hey . . . this is my hiding spot! Go find somewhere else! You’re too loud and there are too many of you —now they’re going to find me!”?
4. Even in the midst of his profound struggle, David became a safe place for these vagrants and outcasts. What might that look like for us? To go through something devastating and yet remain kind, authentic, and encouraging through it? In fact, how do we become such a light in the midst of our struggles that we also become a loving sounding board and safe place for others?
5. As we learn early on in chapter 22, “everyone who was in distress . . . gathered to him” (verse 2, ESV). How does David embracing these outcasts act as foreshadowing of how Jesus (who is often referred to as the Son of David) interacted with people here on earth?
6. Even David’s own parents found him in Adullam. Why would they have left their home to come to this place filled with outlaws and others who were running from the king?
As word began to spread regarding Saul’s hatred of David, his mother and father likely realized the possible threat to their own lives. To ensure their safety, David took them to Moab.
7. Does this seem strange? Why would David choose Moab, and how did he know they’d be safe there?
Moab was a country often in conflict with Israel, but it was a special place for David’s family. Check out Ruth 4:13-22 to read a bit more about David’s extended family.
8. Who was David’s great-grandmother?
Do you remember Ruth’s story? Ruth is the book directly before 1 Samuel, and it begins with a woman named Naomi fleeing to the country of Moab with her husband and two sons during a time of extreme famine in Judah (Ruth 1:1-2). Naomi’s husband died. One of Naomi’s sons married Ruth, who was a Moabite. But then both sons died too, and Naomi and Ruth left Moab to return to Judah.
9. Why is David’s lineage significant here? (See Ruth 4:17 and Matthew 1:5-6.)
Since Ruth was David’s great-grandmother, David’s family had a blood connection with the people in the land of Moab. Because of this relationship, it was a good place to hide both David’s mother and his father, Jesse. After receiving a warning from the prophet Gad, David parted ways with his family and went into the forest of Hereth (1 Samuel 22:5).
As we wrap up today, continue dwelling on how David cared about others despite his own difficulties. The king literally wanted him dead, and yet he invested in the safety of his family and the well-being of the four hundred men who came to him. David lived out God’s love to them and built them into a great army. (Some of them even became the famous Mighty Men we read about throughout 2 Samuel —in fact, 2 Samuel 23 shares incredible detail about some of these men!)
David acknowledged that he wasn’t the only one going through a painful season. We need to remember we’re not alone in ours, either. The details of our lives may be different, but the sadness, loneliness, and devastation are universal. We can say yes in the darkness as we are with and for each other, allowing ourselves to be vulnerable with our shared stories.
Spend some time talking to God about how helping others could actually help strengthen you, too. In what ways could He use you through your struggle?
Amen.