Articles, Bible Questions and Discipleship Guides

In 1791, at the height of the French Revolution, King Louis XVI disguised himself as a valet, bundled his family in a carriage and fled their palace. Queen Marie Antoinette was disguised as a governess, and their sons were dressed like young girls. 

Their plan was to flee Paris—where revolutionary sentiment was threatening the royal family—and escape to Montmédy, where royalist troops could better protect and aid the king. 

The dramatic attempt only made it as far as Varennes before the royal family was discovered, arrested, and placed under house arrest at the Tuileries Palace. This scene in history was the match that sparked the fall of the monarchy and ended with both King Louis and Marie Antoinette beheaded by the guillotine. 

The Bible is full of similar stories of men being forced to leave their royal station and flee the danger that surrounded them. 

Moses was a prince of Egypt, the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, before he was forced into a 40- year exile after killing an Egyptian taskmaster. 

Even Jesus fled Israel while He was still just a young boy, as His mother and father took Him to Egypt to escape King Herod’s butchers. 

As we rejoin the biography of David, he has lost his royal position as armor-bearer and court musician to King Saul. Even though he’s been anointed the next King of Israel, he is further from the throne than ever. At this point in his life, he is Israel’s Most-Wanted fugitive. King Saul wants him dead. 

David has just said a tearful goodbye to his best friend, Prince Jonathan, and runs off into the desert to escape Saul’s wrath. Imagine the mental and emotional state David must be in at this point. He’s afraid for his life; he’s homeless; he is without friends and allies to support him. 

Even the most accomplished Christian will have moments when circumstances can turn into excuses for sinful, faithless choices. Even a Goliath-slayer like David now responds with sinful action.

In 1 Samuel 21, as David arrives at Nob, he’s greeted by a priest named Ahimelech. David lies to Ahimelech, pretending that he is there on King Saul’s business. He asks Ahimelech to give him Goliath’s sword, which David had apparently donated to the place of worship after he defeated Goliath. Frankly, David wants a weapon for self-defense. 

There are some lessons in this that we can apply to our own lives today. 

EVEN THE MOST FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN CAN HAVE THEIR LIFE TEMPORARILY TAKEN OVER BY FEAR. 

The young man who once charged fearlessly toward Goliath armed with nothing more than slingshot now thinks he needs Goliath’s sword for protection. David is forgetting the faithfulness of God and choosing to live in fear rather than by faith. 

THOSE LIVING BY THEIR OWN STRENGTH WILL FALL INTO DANGEROUS TRAPS. 

We don’t see David cry out to God for guidance in chapter 21. Instead, after leaving Nob, David makes another foolish decision. 

Armed with Goliath’s sword, David walks into the city of Gath—Goliath’s hometown! What is David thinking? 

Of course, he’s immediately recognized, and must find a quick escape. Samuel records that David, “changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard” (1 Samuel 21:13). 

The anointed king of Israel is pretending to be a madman in order to escape the king of Gath. King Achish was fooled by David’s Oscar-winning performance, and rather than kill David, he sends David away. Obviously, God was providentially protecting David. 

David races off to the cave of Adullam, which is where we will rejoin this narrative in our next article. But before we leave David hiding in that lonely cave, here’s one more observation to consider. 

FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD FOR A WANDERING CHRISTIAN IS ONLY ONE PRAYER AWAY. 

Maybe you’re trying to wield a giant’s sword on your own, rather than trusting God with your shepherd’s sling. Maybe you consider yourself too unimportant for God to protect as you live by faith. Maybe you’re making foolish choices in your own strength and know you need to stop living independently of God’s counsel. 

Be encouraged that God is only a prayer away. He will restore fellowship with you when you seek to follow His will once again in your life. God’s Word promises, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:5-8).