I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Samuel 21-24.

    At the end of yesterday’s passage David fled from Saul’s men in the middle of the night. David chose to go to the priest Ahimelech in Nob to obtain supplies. We are not given any reason why David went to Ahimelech. Ahimelech’s reaction to David arriving alone (the passage tells us that Ahimelech trembled) suggests that Saul had earned a reputation for sending agents to kill people. Further, Ahimelech found David’s response about being on a secret mission for Saul believable. Further down we read of Saul’s reaction to Doeg the Edomite telling him about this. The entire account of Saul’s reaction to David, and now to Ahimelech, reminds me of modern totalitarians. When David’s success began to give David support among the people that did not derive from Saul, Saul began to perceive him as a threat and started to take action to eliminate David. When Ahimelech offers support for David, not knowing that David has fallen out of favor, Saul orders Ahimelech and his entire family killed for their perceived disloyalty.