A Place of Safety

A place of safety.  David is a type of Christ in the Old Testament.  This does not mean that David was a preincarnate Christ, nor does it mean that David lived a perfect, sinless life like Christ.  It simply means that God had chosen to use the life of David in a special way and that some of his experiences and actions would typify the Christ who was to come.  For example, in our reading today, we read how David was fleeing from Saul because Saul was trying to kill him.  David goes to the priest, Ahimelech, and ask for some bread.  Ahimelech gives David the bread that had been removed from the Table of Shewbread (1 Samuel 21:6).  When Saul finds out about this, he instructs his men to kill the man of God, Ahimelech and the other priests of the Lord (1 Samuel 22:17).  They refused, so Saul instructed an Edomite by the name of Doeg to kill them and he did.  However, one of Ahimelech’s son, Abiathar, escaped and fled to David (v.20).  Once he tells David what had happened, David said, “the one who wants to take my life wants to take your life.  You will be safe with me” (v.23).  Abiathar found refuge and safety in being with David, who had already been anointed as king, but had not assumed the throne yet because Saul was still in that office.  I also thought of what Jesus told his disciples they would be hated by the world because the world hated him first (John 15:18).  Christ is King and we find our safety in His presence.