1 Samuel 22
by Pastor David Groendyk

Certainly it’s been easy to see how Saul and David are two very different men in this book, and their differences are on display again in this chapter. Remember, David is still on the run from Saul and had made a pass through Nob on his way to Philistia, and now he makes stops in Adullam, Moab, and Hereth. Saul keeps chasing but still can’t catch him.

After Doeg spots David in Nob, he rats him out to Saul while Saul is sulking in Gibeah. He even shares that Ahimelech gave David the sword of Goliath. Perhaps Doeg means this as warning, as in, “Watch out Saul, because David is arming himself,” which is particularly ironic since just the mention of Goliath’s sword should have been a heavy reminder of the way God was working through David to deliver Israel. Saul, however, takes it as a threat and goes to Nob and slaughters the 85 priests there. On the one hand, we see Saul’s utter cruelty here. In his commentary on this chapter, Ralph Davis goes so far as to call Saul a type of antichrist because he’s opposing and crushing God’s people. And this really goes back to what Pastor Lawrence mentioned a couple days ago in that Saul and David are representing the age-old battle between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman from Genesis 3. Saul is working on the serpent’s side and cruelly oppressing God’s children. Just one more sign that Saul is a condemned king. But on the other hand, Saul’s slaughter fulfills the word of God. Remember all the way back in 1 Samuel 2:30–36, God had promised to Eli that his household would be totally cut off and would not serve the Lord in the temple forever. It’s a lesson that even when wicked men oppose God and abuse his people, they are only doing what the Lord has allowed them to do, no more and no less.

Contrasted to Saul, notice David’s actions in this chapter. If Saul is the antichrist, David is clearly the Christ figure. He is the leader of the distressed and indebted (v. 2). He is the protector and the guard of the persecuted and oppressed (vv. 20–23). He even seeks a refuge for his parents outside of Israel. (And as an interesting footnote, as we come to the end of the book of Ruth, keep in mind that Jesse and David both have Moabite blood in their veins through their grandmother / great-grandmother Ruth. Could that have been part of the appeal to the king of Moab? Perhaps.) These actions of David remind me of Isaiah 55: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Or Matthew 11: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The outcasts of Israel flock to David, and he shows them mercy. And another thing that sets David apart from Saul is that he is receiving direct help and insight from the Lord (v. 5). Remember that Saul had lost the Spirit of the Lord speaking to him long ago (1 Sam. 16:14; 28:6). What makes David such a magnificent pre-Christ figure? It all comes back to the fact that the Lord is with David. Thank God that we have for ourselves a merciful King and High Priest in Jesus and that the Lord continues to be with us through the Son and the Spirit, as he was with David.