October 5, 2019: Day 21 – I Samuel 21

We start to see a side of David that we haven’t seen before.  Let us keep in mind that David is now a convicted felon running from the law.  He doesn’t want Saul to know at all where he is so he makes up a story for the priest in Nob in order to get the bread of the presence.  He arrives at Gath and pretends to be a madman so that they would not see him as a threat and the king of Gath is insulted as to why anyone would bring a madman to his gates, as if he doesn’t have enough madmen in his city.

What David is willing to do in order to protect himself is pretty extraordinary.  He is willing to tell untruths, what we call lies.  This catches  up with him as he unethically seduces and rapes Bathsheeba.  He is willing to play the crazyman in order to protect himself.  What we will see is that in the long run all of this will catch up to him.  Right now there is no harm and no foul as he does these things, but they are offenses not just to the people with whom he interacts, but offenses to God as well.    Keep in mind that when we betray those around us we also betray the Lord.