DCLM Daily Manna 7 July 2026: Saying a Costly No
KEY VERSE
“And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests the LORD…” (1 Samuel 22:17).
Bible Reading:
1 Samuel 22:11-23 (KJV)
11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.
12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.
13 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king’s son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?
15 Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me; let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.
16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house.
17 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.
18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.
19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
21 And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD’s priests.
22 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house.
23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.
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History is replete with accounts of men and women who had to say no even when they knew it would cost them a great deal. German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of such. Based on his faith and moral conviction, he dared to say no to Adolf Hitler’s regime and the compromising “German Church.” In the 1930s-1940s, he openly opposed Nazi ideology and helped form the Confessing Church. He was eventually arrested and executed, but his stand remains a symbol of Christian courage.
The footmen who worked with King Saul in his evil hunt for David’s life dared to disobey the command of the king to kill Ahimelech, the priest of the Lord, for his supposed support for David. They could not bring themselves to partake in such injustice, cruelty, and ungodliness. Not many Bible readers have considered the bravery of these soldiers. To disobey a wicked King Saul was risky enough. But to disobey an outraged King Saul in such a circumstance amounted to a suicide bid. What became of them is not recorded, but these soldiers have earned a name among the ‘greats’. They would rather obey the voice of their conscience than obey an evil command.
As for Saul, his malice against David made him lose his mind, and so blinded him that he suspected anyone who did not openly support his misguided mission. Neither Ahimelech’s plea of innocence nor his servants’ caution could restrain him from his murderous resolve. It took a sycophantic and malicious Doeg, an Edomite overseer of Saul’s flocks, to carry out Saul’s execution of not only Ahimelech and eighty four other priests, but also a whole town of Nob.
As Christians living in a world full of contradictions and moral depravity, we often run into circumstances that demand we take a stand for the Lord. Here, many succumb to the popular options that hold little or no suffering and ridicule. But they become the real losers. Those who take their stand and dare to say ‘no’ to a King Saul on conscientious grounds are the real heroes. Their wages are paid in the currency of time and eternity. Will you dare for the Lord?
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
When saying no to man means saying yes to God, say yes!
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Genesis 21-23
DCLM Daily Manna 7 July 2026
