"Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?" And the Lord said, "They will." (1 Samuel 23:12)David retrieved Goliath's sword from Ahimelech, which was with the ephod. The fact that Ahimelech was in possession of the ephod makes it safe to assume he was the High Priest. After Ahimelech's death, his son Abiathar takes possession of the ephod and the office. The ephod, worn by the High Priest, was associated with the Urim and Thummim, used for discerning the will of God. It is likely the Urim and Thummim specifically that are being used by David to hear God's voice.
When I read this passage where David asks the two sacred stones a question, and the stones answer, I have to admit it reminds me of the plastic 8-ball we all used to play with as kids. Q: Will I get a new bike for Christmas? A: Unclear at this time.
This was God's chosen way of communicating his will with his people, and should not be diminished by equating it with something as mundane and benign as a plastic 8-ball. God frowned on divination, but encouraged people to seek his will. Saul did not make a habit of inquiring of the Lord. He let his paranoia make his decisions. When he finally did inquire of the Lord (28:6), there was no answer. David had a different kind of relationship with God, and when David consulted God, God was pleased to answer.
You had said, Why Ahimelech the priest was scared when David showed up, I don't know. I guess in these chapters we find out why he was afraid, and had good reason to be ... it not only caused him to lose his life, but that of all of his family (and other priests) and of all of the town (except one). I wouldn't want to have Saul as an enemy, for sure!
ReplyDeleteI concur with Merry - nasty stuff, reading about all those priests and their families right down to the babies being slain like that. :-(
ReplyDeleteI've always been a bit torn about the Urim and Thummim, due to their resemblance to stones cast for divination, while I recognize it was an accepted way for God's leadership to be communicated it still sits uneasy with me. But then again, it's typical of the Enemy to counterfiet something good and twist its use, perhaps the Urim and Thummim were the "real thing" that all the rune-casting, etc. was a counterfeit of. - Amy