The First Book of Samuel
Chapter 22
Doeg the Edomite Kills Ahimelech the Priest
Abiathar Bible Concerns
Happy you're back for the continuation of our story about David. In
hopes to find refuge from king Saul, who wanted David dead, he fled
to Gath, but it was occupied by Philistines, so he left there and
went to a cave in Adullam, which was about 13 miles east, northeast
of Gath.
You'll find that David hid in caves a number of times from Saul over
the years that he was being pursued by him. In Psalm
142, you can read a prayer that David wrote to the Lord while he
was in hiding at one of those times.
When his family and others who were disgruntled with Saul for one
reason or another, learned where David was (about 400 people in all),
they joined him and became his followers.
Doeg the Edomite Kills Ahimelech in Cold Blood
Abiathar Bible Warning
From there, David took his mom and pop to Moab and asked the king of
Moab if they could remain there until he was sure of what God's plan
was for him, and the king of Moab obliged them.
Now, why would the king of Moab agree to protect David's folks, since
the Moabites and the Hebrews weren't exactly allies? Actually, that
may have been the best reason ... David was considered an enemy of
Saul's, so perhaps the king of Moab, knowing how mighty David was
from his reputation, thought it might be in his best interest to
befriend any enemy of the king of Israel.
Next, the prophet Gad told David to leave the cave at Adullam and go
into Judah, so he went to the forest of Hareth.
Meanwhile, Saul, back in Gibeah, learned that David had a band of
loyal men who had joined him and he found out where they were. So
Saul had a little chat with his own men, who he was suspicious of not
being as loyal as he had hoped.
Doeg the Edomite Kills Ahimelech Truth
Abiathar Bible Danger
He asked them if they thought David would be as generous to them as
he had been, giving them land and making them captains in his army,
and he accused them, since none of them confessed that Jonathan was
involved in conspiring against him, of all being conspirators.
Well, just then, Doeg spoke up and said,
1 Samuel 22:9-10
9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the
servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to
Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10 And he enquired of the Lord for him, and gave him
victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
So, Saul had Ahimelech and all the priests in Nob brought to him and
said to Ahimelech, Why have you conspired with David against me and
given him bread and a sword, and inquired of God on his behalf?
Doeg the Edomite Kills Ahimelech for Saul
Abiathar Bible Calamity
Ahimelech answered that he didn't know that David was his enemy, but
that since he was his son-in-law, a faithful servant and captain over
a thousand of his soldiers, he assumed that he was doing the king a
favor in helping David carry out a secret mission for the king.
Ahimelech asked Saul not to hold him or any of his family accountable
for wrongdoing since he was unaware of David's motives.
But Saul wasn't persuaded, being his disdain for David was so great
and ordered that Ahimelech and all the priests of the Lord be killed,
maintaining that they had all conspired against him. But the king's
servants were afraid to kill the priests of the Lord, so Saul ordered
Doeg to kill them ...
Remember that Doeg wasn't Hebrew, but an Edomite, so it made no
nevermind to him. So he killed them all and also went to Nob and
killed all that were there as well ... Men, women, babies, children
and animals alike. Only one of the sons of Ahimelech escaped alive,
which was Abiathar, and he fled to David.
Doeg the Edomite Kills Ahimelech Brings Tears
Abiathar Bible Sadness
Abiathar told David all that had happened and David said that he knew
that day when he saw Doeg, that he would certainly tell Saul, and he
blamed himself for the death of all of Abiathar's family.
So David invited Abiathar to remain with him, being that it would be
a safer place than anywhere else he could have gone.
Be sure to read Psalm
52 which David wrote at the time when Doeg disclosed to Saul that
David was with Ahimelech. Probably many of you Daily Bread Heads have
read all the Psalms before, but may have had a hard time relating to
some of them, because just like some songs you hear, the words may
rhyme and the song may have a good beat and a catchy tune, but
practically nobody can really understand what it means, unless the
writer of the lyrics explains it. After reading the story of what
Doeg did, David's Psalm makes a lot more sense, doesn't it?
Doeg the Edomite Kills Ahimelech Summary
Abiathar Bible Conclusion
Now here is an interesting thing ... We discussed this in the last
chapter about the bloodline of Ahimelech. When Eli's sons sinned
against the Lord, a prophet of God told Eli that He would cut off his
father's house (1
Samuel 2:31-35). And now there is only one left of that family.
Things are sure heating up in our story aren't they? Come on back
soon and we'll share more, right here at Daily Bread.
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