The Holocaust at Nob

Unscrupulous and unchecked power can create a situation in which a person is seemingly forced to make decisions they would never have otherwise made. I would suggest that David found himself in just such a situation as Saul relentlessly pursued him. Seeking to escape Saul’s murderous intent, David flees to Nob, where the sanctuary was currently located. The high priest, Ahimelech, upon seeing David, is apprehensive. But David dissembles and assures him that he is there on the king’s business. In the end, the priest gives David some of the Bread of the Presence so that those with David might have something to eat, as well as the sword David had won from Goliath. Unfortunately, an opportunistic member of Saul’s court witnessed all of this. He reports back to Saul what he had seen and Saul proceeds to damnably devote to destruction the priestly city of Nob.

Telling is the exchange between Saul and Ahimelech. Saul asks why the priest conspired with his sworn enemy. Ahimelech protests. It’s true that he helped David, even inquiring of the Lord for him, but as David was a much loved and respected member of Saul’s court this is something he had always done. Ahimelech didn’t realize that Saul had changed the rules. Good was now evil, and evil was now good. As a result, Ahimelech, along with the priests at Nob, are executed. When David heard the news he understood that it was his deception that had placed Ahimelech in danger.

There are a vast number of similar scenarios that were generated by the unfathomable rule-changing abuse of power perpetrated upon innumerable Davids in 1930s Germany. People were being placed in circumstances in which they had to make decisions they could not have imagined they would have to make. Some stood firm; most did not. I think the fateful decisions of David and his German counterparts serve as a warning: impossible situations make the unthinkable possible.

Peter’s denial of Christ fits the pattern. The good news is that Jesus extended love and forgiveness to Peter. This doesn’t justify Peter’s actions but it does teach that Jesus is the Lord of impossible situations, drawing good out of evil and transforming weak men into men of principled resolve who can say, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.”