AT THE INTERSECTION OF GOOD AND EVIL

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In Christ, Mark

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Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul, spear in hand, was seated under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing around him. Saul said to them, "Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today."

But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul's officials, said, "I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, at Nob. Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine."

Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, and his father's whole family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. Saul said, "Listen now, son of Ahitub."

"Yes, my lord," he answered.

Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?"

Ahimelech answered the king, "Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and highly respected in your household? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father's family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair."

But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family."

Then the king ordered the guards at his side: "Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me."

But the king's officials were not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.

The king then ordered Doeg, "You turn and strike down the priests."

So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day, he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys, and sheep.

But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David. He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. Then David said to Abiathar: "That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your father's whole family. Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me."

1 Samuel 22:6-23

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As 1st Samuel, chapter 22 opens, we find David and his four hundred men still on the lam from Saul and heading to the forest of Hereth in Judah after receiving a prophecy from Gad. To this point, David had been able to give Saul the slip but as our passage opens today, we see where Saul had “heard that David and his men had been discovered”.

Given this information, we see Saul turn his anger toward his officials who were “standing around him” as he sat “with spear in hand…under the tamarisk tree”, saying to them:

“Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today."

Saul expected to know everything that was going on and in order for this to happen, he expected that his officials keep him informed on what they knew. Privacy was not a consideration for Saul and he even wanted to know what his son was up to. And so not getting the information he felt he should have led to Saul accusing his men of conspiring against him…a treasonous act that would command the death penalty.

It was into this scene that we see his head shepherd, Doeg the Edomite, step in and interject what he had witnessed, no doubt to try and gain some special favor with Saul. He tells the king that “the son of Jesse” had “come to Ahimelech…at Nob” where the priest “inquired of the Lord for him”, also providing David “provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine."

This led Saul to feel that the priests were against him as well as his officials and so we read where he “sent for the priest Ahimelech…and his father's whole family, who were the priests at Nob”. Once there, Saul asks Ahimelech the same question he asked his officials saying:

"Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?"

Well, unlike the officials who offered no response to Saul’s accusations, we see where Ahimelech didn’t hesitate to reply saying:

“Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father's family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair."

Here, we find Ahimelech speaking truth to Saul and any rational man would have opened his eyes to the wrong of their own ways, especially when they were being counseled by a priest of the God Most High. But unfortunately Saul wasn’t rational at this point. In fact, his thoughts and actions had been nothing short of sinful and wrong. And so the priest was hoping to bring Saul back to his senses to a place where the Lord wanted him to be…the place that would turn him toward right and righteous conduct.

And so Saul was at a critical decision point or you could also say he was standing at the intersection of good and evil. His next choice would show what path he was on.

You know, we sometimes find ourselves at this point as well in life…at the point where we have a decision to make after being presented with the pros of doing right against the cons of doing wrong. In other words, we have also stood at the same intersection that Saul found himself at.

In regard to that, Israel’s king could have stepped back from the situation after hearing what Ahimelech had to say, praying and seeking the Lord’s guidance. If he had done this, I don’t think there’s any doubt that the Lord would have convicted him of his transgressions and it would have put an end to his needless pursuit of David for Saul would have chosen to take the road that was good and godly.

But we know Saul didn’t do this. He never consulted God but relied instead on his own judgment. This led to him becoming judge and jury in regard to Ahimelech and his father’s family as he told the priest:

“You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family."

With this, we read where Saul gave his guards the following order:

“Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me."

This demand now placed the guards at the same intersection of good and evil that their king had been at. However, the outcome was different for the guards fully knew that it was totally wrong to attack anyone or anything that represented the Lord, despite Saul commanding them to execute Ahimelech, his fellow priests, and his father’s family.

And so the guards had a choice to make…whether to do right or wrong…good or evil...and thankfully, they chose to do what was right and good, “not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord”.

So at this point, it looked like the priests and others were spared but unfortunately evil and the devil who manifests it can be a stubborn foe. If Satan can’t get his work done though one person or persons, he just looks for those who are willing to do his will. This happens within our passage in the person of Doeg the Edomite.

For we see where Saul, rebuffed by his officials, turns his attention to Doeg, a man who Saul knew would have no emotional connection to the priests…and thus would have no problem carrying out his evil intentions.

And Doeg didn’t disappoint.

For no sooner had Saul given him the order to “turn and strike down the priests” that we see Doeg spring into action, killing “eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod”…eighty-five men who had been enlisted and ordained by God for His service.

And with his bloodthirst unsatisfied, we read where Doeg also “put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys, and sheep”. When it was all said and done, the death toll was incredible…and evil had reigned supreme because Doeg chose to walk that path with Saul from the intersection they had been at…the intersection of good and evil.

Well, as the chapter closes, we see where there is one positive that emerged from the bloody assault on the priests and everything they owned. For we read where “Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David” where he told him how “Saul had killed the priests of the Lord”. And as you would expect, David was distraught because he recalled being with Ahimelech and seeing Saul’s head shepherd, Doeg, present there. He felt that Doeg might return and tell Saul what he had seen and his intuition proved correct, leading David to feel accountable for the tragedy saying:

“I am responsible for the death of your father's whole family”.

And with that, David told Abiathar:

“Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me."

Abiathar’s father and family had been slain and we see that David was committed to make sure he didn’t lose anything more…including his own life. For now David and Abiathar shared something in common…Saul wanted them both dead.

In this scripture, we see various examples of people who were faced with having to make critical decisions regarding right and wrong…decisions that are required when we find ourselves at the intersection of good and evil.

So what will it be for us when we find ourselves there?

Will we do what was right like Saul’s officials, standing up for good even in the face of pressure to do otherwise? Will be always decide to stand firm in the Lord and seek to please Him with all we say and do, opting to travel the way that is right and good…the way that He will always guide us onto if we seek His help?

Or will we be like Saul and Doeg…deciding not to seek the Lord’s guidance and instead choosing the ways of sin and evil which are the ways of Satan?

Friends, there really isn’t any middle road here…no line to toe. We’re either going to make a choice to do right or wrong…good or evil.

My prayer is that we will always pick the good road when at the intersection. We always will as long as we stop to ask God for directions first.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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