1 Samuel 21:1-2 Lying

”Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid when he met David, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?” So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.’ And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.“ ‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. To Ahimelech the priest: In his uncertain circumstances David went to the right place – the house of the LORD.

b. Ahimelech was afraid when he met David: It seemed unusual to Ahimelech that a prominent man like David wandered around the villages of Judea by himself. It made Ahimelech think something was wrong, so he asked David, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?”

i. It seems that Ahimelech knew nothing of the conflict between David and Saul. It seemed strange and dangerous to him that David traveled alone. Plus, we can imagine that David looked tired, weary, disheveled, and probably looked like he had been crying a lot.

c. The king has ordered me on some business: This was a plain lie. David came to the house of the LORD, but he lied to protect himself. David elaborated on his lie when he put false words in the mouth of Saul to establish an environment of secrecy (Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you), and when he referred to “my young men” (David was all alone).

i. In many ways, we can understand why David lied and even sympathize with him. Many of us would have done the same or worse in a similar situation. Later, David would come to bitterly regret this lie (as he says in 1 Samuel 22:22).

ii. “Some go about to excuse David’s lying here: but that cannot be. The consequences of it were very sad…and afterward made his soul melt for very heaviness.” (Trapp) (Guzik)

Lying

Lying is a two edged sword, people lie to prevent from being cut only to be cut because of the lie. 

I wonder what Ahimelech would have done if David told him the truth?

The men in our Life Recovery Bible Group discussed honesty last night. When a husband was open and honest with his wife about a sin, she got upset with him because of previously loosing trust. So there’s the dilemma! But with godly counseling, prayer and work he’s praying that they can heal their marriage.

It’s far better to be honest and not to lie because the Lord will honor you for the truth even though you may suffer repercussions for speaking the truth.

Have you ever been caught in a lie?

Blessings