1st Samuel 21:1 Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? 2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
Fear drove David to tell a blatant lie to the priest at Nob, and by so doing, the priest, and others were slain by Saul as a direct result. Fear often drives the Christian to tell lies, and once that route is taken, in some cases it could very well turn out to be the final nail in the coffin, literally, as we will see.
1st Samuel 22:7 Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him hear now you Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; 8 That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that shows me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or shows unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
1st Samuel 22:9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 And he enquired of the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. 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.
1st Samuel 22:16 And the king said, thou shalt surely die Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house. 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.
1st Samuel 22:19 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.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!