1 Samuel 21:1-22:5

1 Samuel 21:1-22:5

David begins his journey of running away from Saul in 1 Samuel 21. Although he knew that he would one day be sitting on the throne of Israel, he also knew that that day would not come until Saul was dead. David could not chance remaining with Saul until that day, in fear that Saul would continue to try to kill him. Even if he was not killed by God, he probably thought about all the awful things Saul could have done to him instead.


As David began this journey, he ran into people all across the nation that knew him. His name was well known because of all the great battles he had won. When he stopped in Nob for food, the priest, Ahimelech recognized him as one of Saul’s men. Then, when David asked for a weapon so that he could defend himself if he needed to, Ahimelech gave him the sword that Goliath had used in their battle. Ahimelech knew that David was the one who had killed Goliath. David then went to Achish, and immediately, the king of that city recognized David as the man who had been so successful in battle. So when David grew suspicious of the king, knowing that the king knew of his past victories, David pretended to be insane in order to escape that city as well.

Whether it was for good or for bad, the people in and around Israel knew of David. God had blessed him countless times, giving him victory after victory. Even if the people did not like David, such as Saul and the king of Achish, they knew who he was and what he stood for. David is commonly referred to as a man after God’s own heart. At this point in his life, that was a very accurate statement. David knew that it was God that was giving him the victories, and he did it all for God’s glory. As a result, people took notice. In the same way, we must be sure that when people see us that they recognize us as a child of God. Without even having to say a thing to them, they should be able to tell where we stand just by the way we act. Now while this does not excuse us from actually sharing the Gospel with these people, for we must use words to actually do that, our lives should not contradict the message that we preach.

David continued on his journey and ended up in a cave at Adullam. When his family heard that he was nearby, they went out to find him. Then, many more people poured into the cave, people that were hurting and found themselves in tough situations. David was able to minister to them and help them. As a result, those men became his army, and they were willing to fight for him. He gathered 400 men, and after making sure that his parents had a place to stay, he set off back for Judah. Again, these people knew who David was, they had heard of what he was doing, and they came to him. He did not go out in search for a great army, but after ministering to these people, they in turn became willing to serve him.

Matt