“Stay with me, do not be afraid, even though he who is seeking my life is seeking your life. For you are safe with me.”
Galatians 6:2 says, "Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." What was Jesus' law? To "Love one another as you love yourself."
It's indisputable that we love ourselves. We all have self interest. Which is fine. This drives us to better ourselves. People will go through training for years to prepare for a career. They will deny themselves all sorts of pleasure for this. This is loving one's self. Jesus wants us to love others like this. To love others when it's inconvenient for us.
Life is complicated for everyone. We will encounter problems. Our parents help us cope with them. Galatians 6:5 tells us to "Bear our own load." We are raised to be responsible for ourselves.
Our parents also raise us to be helpful. Just as Jesus tells us to be helpful, so most parents would support that. As children, we play sports and are in school. We learn to be competitive in a healthy way. Some lose their helpfulness here. Everything becomes a competition. They seek for themselves, even at the detriment of others.
Since the sixties there has been an emphasis on rights. Part of this is good, much of it is self centered. This is another area were helpfulness and kindness is lost. The emphasis on me and mine loses sight of Jesus' command.
He shocked His audience when He said, "When someone strikes you on the cheek, give them the other" or "If someone asks you to go one mile, go with them two", (Matthew 5:41). This puts aside competition and a demand for rights. God's ways are on a higher plain and require His power to love.
Abiathar is the one that fled to David for help. His entire family was slaughtered by the assassin. This included parents, siblings and other relatives who were priests and their families. All were killed. He was in shock. It would take years to get over this. He was traumatized.
David shows empathy, takes him in and promises to protect him. David is showing the kind of love Jesus described. David is the rightful king in the eyes of God. This is how a ruler should act, caring for their people. This was quite a contrast to Saul. He was the one who ordered the carnage. David was a good, godly man who cared for others.
The Lord allowed David to go through years of being hunted by Saul. I would assume God was seeking to instill empathy in him. God allows us to go through troubles for similar reasons. "Who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we have been comforted by God", (2 Corinthians 1:4). We pass on the comfort we've received.
The powers of the state ordered these killings. How terrifying. Most would agree that if the government wanted one out, it would succeed. People were paid to do the hunting. It's hopeless. David takes this one in and promises protection.
Lord, thank You that You protect us. Thank You for empowering us to pass on comfort and love.