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Result of Insanity, June 10
1 Samuel 22
And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy
father’s house.
1 Samuel 22:16
.
Men cannot depart from the counsel of God and still retain that calmness and
wisdom which will enable them to act with justice and discretion. There is no
insanity so dreadful, so hopeless, as that of following human wisdom, unguided
by the wisdom of God.
Saul had been preparing to ensnare and capture David in the cave of Adullam,
and when it was discovered that David had left this place of refuge, the king was
greatly enraged. The flight of David was a mystery to Saul. He could account for
it only by the belief that there had been traitors in his camp, who had informed
the son of Jesse of his proximity and design.
He affirmed to his counselors that a conspiracy had been formed against
him, and with the offer of rich gifts and positions of honor he bribed them to
reveal who among his people had befriended David. Doeg the Edomite turned
informer. Moved by ambition and avarice, and by hatred of the priest, who had
reproved his sins, Doeg reported David’s visit to Ahimelech, representing the
matter in such a light as to kindle Saul’s anger against the man of God. The
words of that mischievous tongue, set on fire of hell, stirred up the worst passions
in Saul’s heart. Maddened with rage, he declared that the whole family of the
priest should perish. And the terrible decree was executed. Not only Ahimelech,
but the members of his father’s house ... were slain at the king’s command, by
the murderous hand of Doeg....
This is what Saul could do under the control of Satan. When God had
said that the iniquity of the Amalekites was full, and had commanded him to
destroy them utterly, he thought himself too compassionate to execute the divine
sentence, and he spared that which was devoted to destruction; but now, without
a command from God, under the guidance of Satan, he could slay the priests of
the Lord and bring ruin upon the inhabitants of Nob. Such is the perversity of
the human heart that has refused the guidance of God
[168]
16
Ibid., 658, 659
.
173