Rewarded Sacrifice
For those familiar with the Bible, the story of David fleeing King Saul before he himself is crowned king is likely a tale that is both comforting and disturbing. That David, a man after God’s own heart, would endure such dire circumstances seems unjust, but his relative faithfulness throughout the endeavor make his eventual crowning all the more deserved (until the whole Bathsheba debacle, that is). Despite having grown up with a basic understanding of this story, I recently noticed a minor detail with major implications. In an attempt to evade Saul in 1 Samuel 21, David goes to Ahimelech the priest in the town of Nob. Admittedly, I sometimes catch myself zoning out when I read passages with multiple names/places I don’t recognize. However, buried in this little passage is a passing comment where David asks the priest if he has a sword he can use to defend himself (David lies and says he’s on mission for Saul and left in such a hurry that he didn’t bring a weapon). The priest resp