“Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated, spear in hand, under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing at his side. 7 He 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? 8 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.” 9 But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub at Nob. 10 Ahimelek inquired of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” 11 Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek son of Ahitub and all the men of his family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. 12 Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.”“Yes, my lord,” he answered. 13 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?” 14 Ahimelek 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? 15 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.” 1 Samuel 22.6-15
The whole affair is unpleasant to read. The final half of this chapter is even more so than this portion.
Saul is out of his mind. An evil spirit has come upon him, and he has become the typical jealous and paranoid king. When he hears that David and his men have been found, and that the priests helped David by giving him a sword, bread, and refuge, Saul is mad. He is even more so when he finds out that his son Jonathan made a covenant of friendship and protection with David. He’s incensed that none of his advisors or officials told him of this pact.
And so he orders the death of all the priests in the verses following 15. But in defense of his deeds, Ahimelek the priest defends his actions, 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? 15 Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not!”
Misunderstandings are easy to come by and easy to believe. If someone has a quarrel against you initially, further actions can often exacerbate the situation. People can be falsely accused of deeds that were never intended for harm.
I’ve been the victim of this more than once. I’ve often had my actions and/or deeds misinterpreted. What was intended for good was seen as evil. What was meant for love was received as hate.
Ahimelek’s and Jonathan’s actions in assisting David were done with the best intentions. But as someone once said, “No good deed goes unpunished.”
If you have been falsely accused or if your actions have been misunderstood, seek to reconcile with your accusers. If the difficulty is unable to be resolved, seek the Lord’s strength and guidance in how to proceed. Sometimes we should respond like Jesus’ early disciples who, when they were rejected while spreading the gospel, wiped the dust off their feet and continued on their way.
“O Lord God, humans are always going to find fault with one another. Sometimes people will take our good intentions and turn them evil. Sometimes people will understand our actions and think the worst. And yet, You, O Lord, know the truth. You know the heart and offer Your healing grace. Come now, Mighty King, and reign among all grievances and bring peace. I love You, Lord, and praise Your name. For You are good, and Your love endures forever.” Amen