Misfits, not Warriors

 1 Samuel 22:1-8

Often it requires more than joining the story to understand what is taking place at this time in the life of David.  David’s move or escape to the cave of Adullam puts him back in King Saul territory and once the word is out that Saul wants to kill David his family fears they also may be on the hit list.  Not only did his family come to David but also those who were in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him.  Can you imagine what that would look like in 2018; it would not be a secret very long over half of the United States would be there.  Only about four hundred men showed up, many of them were misfits, not warriors.

Why was David a man after God’s own heart and the answer found in his actions, not in just the words he spoke?  God commanded all people to honor their father and mother, and look at David’s first act, he goes to the King of Moab and asks if he will allow his mom and dad to stay with him till he knows what God will is for him.  Now we do not fully understand what his connection was with the King of Moab, but it may have been as simple as “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”  But Scripture tells us they stay with the King of Moab all the time David was in the stronghold.

David also listens to men of God such as Samuel, and the prophet Gad, who told David to depart the fortress and go into the land of Judah, so David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

Have you hear the term, “the old is forever new” well Saul is a master at manipulation and I bet many of you have worked for a guy like that.  He was telling his closest soldiers that they would be foolish to believe David a member of the tribe of Judah would reward them with positions of authority if he became king.  Next, he went for the poor me card, my son, my flesh and blood is the reason for this he entered into an agreement with David against me.  

Now Jonathan must not have been at the meeting, or for sure he would have said dad that just not right.  In fact, we know it not true for later he dies fighting beside his father.  My mother would often tell us as kids when we were not doing as she wished, you're going to be so sorry when I'm gone or dead; that manipulation, and sometimes it works.  It worked for King Saul, “None of you is sorry for me of discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day.”  Now, that a bald-face lie, but it worked, and Doeg the Edomite rats out the priest at Nob.

Tomorrow we will examine the cost of what Doeg the Edomite and servant of King Saul words did to this priest.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice