1 Samuel 22:11-15 – Excessive negative thoughts can make one a paranoid

Treacherous Doeg was bad news for David and Ahimelech. He revealed to Saul what he saw transpired between them at Nob. Immediately Saul summoned for the priest and his whole family to Gibeah. Needless to say, all of them came before Saul with much apprehension and foreboding. Saul did not even accord Ahimelech the honor of addressing him by his name. He addressed him only as the son of Ahitub, just as he did to David as the son of Jesse. But notice how Ahimelech returned his ungraciousness. He respectfully addressed him with gentleness and humility saying, “here I am, my lord.” What a contrast! We must learn from Ahimelech, even if we do not think much of a person, we must accord him the respect due to his position. It is true that people do have superiors who display questionable character and conduct that are not worthy of any respect. Even then, we must always remember that they are still our superior and must be accorded the honor due to their position. We must always respect the office they hold. That was exactly what Ahimelech did.

What happened next was a salvo of accusations from Saul. He said, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he would rise up against me by lying in ambush as it is this day?” He was exaggerating. Saul made it seemed as if the priest knowingly conspired with David against him. He was clearly displaying evidence of a paranoid. His insecurity had got the better of him that he would even accuse an innocent man and his family with imaginary untruth. We must always act based on facts and not any negative imagination. We need to know that our imaginations, positive or negative, will impact how we will act. That’s why it is always more profitable to imagine the best even in a dire situation.      

In 1 Samuel 22:14-15, Ahimelech tried his best to be reasonable. He presented what he knew was true. He said to Saul, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, even the king’s son-in-law, who is captain over your guard, and is honored in your house? Did I just begin to inquire of God for him today? He was vouching for David’s character. Besides, he told Saul that it was not as if this was the first time he had inquired of the Lord for David, the king’s son-in-law. Ahimelech was being naïve to think that Saul could be persuaded. So, we see him passionately pled with him saying “Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any of the household of my father, for your servant knows nothing at all of this whole affair.” He asserted that he knew nothing of what was going on. What Ahimelech said was absolutely true, but Saul would not believe him.

These verses teach us firstly, that we must not allow our negative thought to make us so paranoid to be driven even to doubt faithful people who had diligently served under our leadership. We must separate facts from the figment of our negative imagination. Always chose to believe and act the best. Don’t let insecurity drive us to see only the negatives in every situation. Secondly, we must learn to honor our leaders for the office they hold, even though we may not agree with the way they go about running their lives and administering their ministry or work.