King Saul immediately sent for Ahimelech the priest and his family.
When they arrived, Saul shouted at him, that he conspired with David against him. By giving him food and sword and consulted God for him and also encouraged him to kill Saul. Though He knew David was running away from him yet he didn’t tell him a word.
Ahimelech replied that among his servants there was no one as faithful as David. He was the captain of the bodyguards and a highly honored member of his household. It was not the first time he consulted for him and he knew nothing about the plot against him.
Saul said that Ahimelech should surely die, along with his entire family! So he ordered his bodyguards to kill the priests of the LORD.
But Saul’s men refused to kill the LORD’s priests. Then the king said to Doeg, to do it. So Doeg turned on them and killed them that day,
Eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments died.
Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the families—men and women, children and babies—and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats. Only Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, escaped and fled to David.
When David heard that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD, David exclaimed that he knew it that Doeg would tell Saul when he saw him there that day.
He felt bad that he caused the death of all the priests and families. So he requested Abiathar to stay there with him.
David said that he will protect Abiathar with his own life. ( 1 Samuel 22:11-23 )
To Ponder:
Because of one man's mistake, a whole community of priests and their families were murdered.
David wouldn't have thought that his small lie would have such devastating consequences.
We too sometimes casually speak lies for FUN, but Bible says in Proverbs 26:18-19 "Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon is someone who lies to a friend and then says, “I was only joking”.
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