Jul 12, 2020. I Samuel 22:9-20

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SLAUGHTER AT NOB. I Samuel 22:9-20. 7/12/20. #71.

I Samuel 22:9-20 [New King James Version (NKJV)]

⁹ Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, “I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. ¹⁰ And he inquired of the Lord for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

¹¹ So the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were in Nob. And they all came to the king. ¹² And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub!”

He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”

¹³ Then Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day?” ¹⁴ So Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, who goes at your bidding, and is honorable in your house? ¹⁵ Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king impute anything to his servant, or to any in the house of my father. For your servant knew nothing of all this, little or much.” ¹⁶ And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!” ¹⁷ Then the king said to the guards who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled and did not tell it to me.” But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to strike the priests of the Lord. ¹⁸ And the king said to Doeg, “You turn and kill the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests, and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod. ¹⁹ Also Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys and sheep—with the edge of the sword. ²⁰ Now one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.

• Doeg the dog
  • When David visited the Tabernacle at Nob, Doeg was there
    • Doeg was an Edomite and Saul’s chief shepherd
    • David is not honest with Ahimelech about motives
    • All David took from Nob is bread and Goliath’s sword
  • Ahimelech could not suspect that anything was amiss
    • David was an honored army commander and the son-in-law of the king
    • Ahimelech was unaware of Saul’s change toward David (spear thrown at David and Jonathan)
  • Doeg was aware of Saul’s change toward David
    • Was David aware that Doeg was a threat?
    • David had placed Ahimelech in a dangerous place
    • Doeg sees an opportunity to advance in Saul’s kingdom
  • Doeg is the typical self-promoter
    • He seeks to advance his cause by any means possible
    • Doeg is not loyal to Saul, but to self (he would turn against Saul if it were to his advantage)
    • There are many in church leadership who for self
    • Must avoid placing self-promoters in leadership positions
• Saul the tyrannical persecutor
  • Saul abandoned all pretense of honoring the Lord
    • Saul believes that everyone is conspiring against him
    • No one is above suspicion
  • Saul interrogates the high priest as if he is a criminal
    • Saul shows no deference to God’s anointed priest
    • Saul accuses the priest of aiding David against him
  • Ahimelech is baffled by the treatment
    • Ahimelech argues that David is the king’s faithful son-in-law and no one is more loyal to Saul than he is
    • Ahimelech knows of no plot by David
    • The priest could not have known of Saul’s paranoia or his intentions toward David
  • Not only is Ahimelech innocent, but he is also correct about David
• Slaughter at Nob    
  • Saul is convinced the priests are in on the plot to depose him
    • No amount of evidence will change Saul’s mind
    • Saul does not fear killing God’s priests
  • Saul orders the death of all the priests
    • He declares that they are all in the plot to help David
    • No trial, no evidence, no witnesses, and no appeals
  • Saul orders his guards to kill the priests
    • The guards are afraid to harm God’s priests (fear God)
    • The guards refuse to obey an unjust order (Acts 4-5 – God’s will is higher than orders given by men)
  • Saul then orders Doeg to kill the priests
    • Doeg is not even an Israelite
    • Doeg ends up killing 83 priests and their families in Nob
  • A crazed self-centered person is capable of any amount of evil
    • Saul’s conscience is dead and aligns with the pagan Doeg
    • The priests don’t fight back and do not invent any stories
  • Abiathar is the only priest to escape and goes to David
  • This horrific scene has many facets to it
    • Everyone is capable of great evil
    • Saul is not immediately struck down by God, but all things will be brought to account
    • Great evil can come upon you via no fault of your own
    • David told the lie, the guards didn’t stop Saul and Doeg