21David went on his way and Jonathan returned to town. David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the Priest. Ahimelech was alarmed as he went out to greet David: "What are you doing here all by yourself—and not a soul with you?"H935H1732H5011H288H3548H288H2729H7125H1732H559H3762David answered Ahimelech the Priest, "The king sent me on a mission and gave strict orders: 'This is top secret—not a word of this to a soul.' I've arranged to meet up with my men in a certain place.H1732H559H288H3548H4428H6680H1697H559H376H3045H3972H1697H7971H6680H3045H5288H6423H492H47253Now, what's there here to eat? Do you have five loaves of bread? Give me whatever you can scrounge up!"H3426H3027H5414H2568H3899H3027H46724"I don't have any regular bread on hand," said the priest. "I only have holy bread. If your men have not slept with women recently, it's yours."H3548H6030H1732H559H2455H3899H3027H3426H6944H3899H5288H8104H389H8025David said, "None of us has touched a woman. I always do it this way when I'm on a mission: My men abstain from sex. Even when it is an ordinary mission we do that—how much more on this holy mission."H1732H6030H3548H559H518H802H6113H8032H8543H3318H3627H5288H6944H1870H2455H6942H3117H36276So the priest gave them the holy bread. It was the only bread he had, Bread of the Presence that had been removed from GOD's presence and replaced by fresh bread at the same time.H3548H5414H6944H3899H3899H6440H5493H6440H3068H7760H2527H3899H3117H39477One of Saul's officials was present that day keeping a religious vow. His name was Doeg the Edomite. He was chief of Saul's shepherds.H376H5650H7586H3117H6113H6440H3068H8034H1673H130H47H7462H75868David asked Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or sword of any kind around here? I didn't have a chance to grab my weapons. The king's mission was urgent and I left in a hurry."H1732H559H288H3426H371H3027H2595H2719H3947H2719H3627H3027H4428H1697H1961H51699The priest said, "The sword of Goliath, the Philistine you killed at Oak Valley—that's here! It's behind the Ephod wrapped in a cloth. If you want it, take it. There's nothing else here."H3548H559H2719H1555H6430H5221H6010H425H3874H8071H310H646H3947H3947H312H2108H2088H1732H559H541410"Oh," said David, "there's no sword like that! Give it to me!" And at that, David shot out of there, running for his life from Saul. He went to Achish, king of Gath.H1732H6965H1272H3117H6440H7586H935H397H4428H166111When the servants of Achish saw him, they said, "Can this be David, the famous David? Is this the one they sing of at their dances? Saul kills by the thousand, David by the ten thousand!"H5650H397H559H1732H4428H776H6030H2088H4246H559H7586H5221H505H1732H723312When David realized that he had been recognized, he panicked, fearing the worst from Achish, king of Gath.H1732H7760H1697H3824H3966H3372H6440H397H4428H166113So right there, while they were looking at him, he pretended to go crazy, pounding his head on the city gate and foaming at the mouth, spit dripping from his beard.H8138H2940H5869H1984H3027H8427H1817H8179H7388H3381H220614Achish took one look at him and said to his servants, "Can't you see he's crazy? Why did you let him in here?H559H397H5650H7200H376H7696H93515Don't you think I have enough crazy people to put up with as it is without adding another? Get him out of here!"H2638H7696H935H7696H935H1004
Prayer Tents is a Christian mission organization that serves Christians around the world and their local bodies to make disciples ("evangelize") more effectively in their communities. Prayer Tents provides resources to enable Christians to form discipleship-focused small groups and make their gatherings known so that other "interested" people may participate and experience Christ in their midst. Our Vision is to make disciples in all nations through the local churches so that anyone seeking God can come to know Him through relationships with other Christians near them.
Columbus, OH
