The Lie that Killed

In the book of First Samuel, chapters twenty-one and twenty-two, is the story of a lie that killed an entire town of God’s priests and their families.  That lie was perpetrated by a man who God said was “after my own heart” 

David, a man who would later be king, was on the run from King Saul.  Not everyone was aware of the situation, most thought David and Saul to be good friends.  Saul was subject to great fits of jealously which were hard for him to control.  He tried several times during fits of rage to kill David, a loyal and faithful servant.

After one of these attempts, David runs away from Saul and comes to Ahimelech the Priest at the holy city of Nob.  He was hungry and without any weapons since his departure was unplanned.  David lies to Ahimelech and says that he is on a secret mission from the King, and that he is hungry and that he needs a weapon.  Ahimelech, not knowing the truth, gives David stale bread from the Holy Place and offers him Goliath’s sword which was stored there.  David leaves, not realizing he had set in motion a terrible chain of events.

There is in physics a theory which seems to apply here.  It is the Chaos theory sometimes called the “butterfly effect”.  In a simple definition, even the motion from the wings of a butterfly can cause changes in the future.  The official definition from Edward Lorenz is as follows:  When the present determines the future, but the approximate present does not approximately determine the future.  Confusing isn’t it?  Something very tiny can effect the future in a great way.  If you could list the initial cause of family feuds, business closings, or even wars, many would seem almost miniscule to have caused such terrible events.  David’s lie seemed to justify his needs at the moment.  How often have you heard the end doesn’t justify the means?  In this case as always, God’s laws should have been followed.  Lying is always wrong and hurts not only others, but the reputation of the liar.  Liars are always considered untrustworthy.

But lets follow David’s lie to its conclusion.  Somewhere in the area where David and Ahimelech the priest talked that day was Doeg the Edomite.  Doeg was King Saul’s Chief Shepherd.  He witnessed what transpired when Ahimelech, unknowingly, assisted the man Saul considered a traitor.  Saul calls a meeting of his officials and makes the following statement, “Listen here, you Benjaminites! Don’t think for a minute that you have any future with the son of Jesse!  Do you think he’s going to hand over choice land, give you all influential jobs? Think again.”   Then, the opportunistic Doeg speaks up, “I saw the son of Jesse meet with Ahimelech son of Ahitub, in Nob.  I saw Ahimelech pray with him for God’s guidance, give him food, and arm him with the sword of Goliath”.  Doeg had made a quick choice for promotion.  He sold out God’s priest for more money, land, a better car, bigger house, stock options, etc.  You knew where I was going with that one didn’t you.  We do it every day in corporate America.  The little lie to move up the ladder.  Someone else has to make a sacrifice for the liar’s glory and reward.

Saul sends for Ahimelech.  Ahimelech tells Saul the exact truth about what happened with David and further tells the King that David is his most loyal servant.  For the truth, Saul sentences Ahimelech to death along with all the priests that had accompanied him.  Saul’s soldiers wouldn’t do it.  To strike a man of God took more courage than they had.  Again, Doeg comes to Saul’s rescue.  Probably thinking, I may one day be King from this loyalty.  Doeg kills Ahimelech and all eighty-five priests.  He then carries the massacre into their homes killing “man, woman, child, baby, ox, donkey, and sheep”.  Everybody and everything in the holy city of Nob died at the hand of Doeg!  Only Ahimelech’s son, Abiathar, escaped.

Telling a lie is not something that should be done lightly.  I know men who think they can lie with impunity.  It is absolutely impossible to get away with it.  God is omniscience and will justly reward all wrongs.  That little lie you thought you got away, you didn’t!