David is now a fugitive, and so he goes to the town of Nob where he approaches Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech seems to suspect that something is not right as he trembles and asks David why he is alone, but David fobs him off with some story about being on a secret mission from Saul, and talks him into giving him the consecrated bread from the altar and the sword of Goliath. David then goes to Achish king of Gath, but Achish's servants have heard rumours about David and believe he is the king of Israel, and so he feigns madness in order to convince the king that he is not a threat. I'm not sure how no one's made a film of this yet.
It seems that nowhere is safe for David and so he leaves Gath and seeks refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his family hear all that has happened they go to join him, as do all those who are distressed or discontented or in debt, and David becomes their leader. He is no longer a simple fugitive but is now the head of a new community and potential rebel army. Seriously, why is this not a Hollywood blockbuster? David knows that this puts his family in great danger, and so he seeks refuge for his parents in Moab, the land of his great-grandmother Ruth. He stays with them for a time, but then a prophet tells him he must go to Judah, and so he leaves for the forest of Hereth. It's not clear what happens to his followers in this time, but I presume they have stayed at the cave and will join him later.
When word of David reaches Saul he lashes out at his officials, asking if they have conspired against him because the son of Jesse has promised them wealth and status, and complaining that no one told him when his son made a covenant with his enemy. It is interesting that Saul can't even bring himself to name David, as though he is so consumed by fear and hate that he would choke on the word, and interesting too that he is beginning to see conspiracies in every corner. He is right to say that Jonathon has helped David, but his son has not turned against him or incited his enemy as he suggests, and there is nothing to suggest that any of his officials have yet sided with David. It seems Saul is giving into paranoia and becoming increasingly unstable as a man and as a king, making our villain a suitably complicated character. If somebody doesn't write the script soon, I will.
Doeg the Edomite, who witnessed the meeting between David and Ahimelech, tells Saul what he saw, and so the king summons the priest. Saul accuses him of conspiracy, but Ahimelech pleads ignorance, saying that as far as he knows David is the king's loyal son-in-law and captain of his personal bodyguard. Saul is unconvinced and has not only Ahimelech but his whole family put to death. He then orders his guards to kill all of the priests because they too have sided with David, but the guards refuse to raise a hand against the priests, and so Saul orders Doeg to do it. Doeg, who in the film will be a slimy kind of character willing to do anything to get ahead, goes right ahead and kills the whole town. The only survivor is Ahimelech's son, who joins David and tells him all that has happened. David feels guilty for his part in the massacre, and here he finds the motive every hero needs.
David hears that the Philistines are attacking a town called Keilah and so he asks the Lord if he should go and fight them. The Lord says yes, but David's men are afraid and so he asks again, hoping for a different answer. God has been known to change his mind, but when he asks someone to do something he has a good reason for it, and so he tells David once again to fight the Philistines because he will give them into his hand. David and his men realise there's no getting out of this one and so they go down to Keilah and defeat the Philistines.
David and his men stay in the town, and so when Saul hears about this he calls up all his forces and goes to Keilah to besiege David. When David learns of Saul's plans, he asks God if Saul will come and if the men of Keilah will hand him over to him, and God says yes to both counts. It seems however that the future is not set in stone, and that what God says will happen will only happen if things carry on as they are, because David and his men leave the town and Saul abandons his mission. I won't go into the debates surrounding omniscience and free will here because I could not do them justice, but I do think it's worth noting that this passage appears to argue against determinism and favour the idea that God can see possibilities rather than actualities.
David hides in the hills and the desert strongholds, and Saul continues to search for him without success. At some point, Jonathon manages to find David and encourage him to find strength in God because he shall be king over Israel, but then he returns home because he cannot fight against his father. The Ziphites go to Saul and offer to capture David for him, but it is the king who gets closest to his prey when he ends up chasing him round a mountain. Saul is closing in and things are looking pretty desperate for our hero, but then the king hears that the Philistines are raiding the land in his absence is forced to abandon the hunt, at which point we all breathe a sigh of relief and remember that the lead never dies halfway through the film.
Once Saul has dealt with the Philistines, he finds out where David is hiding and takes three thousand men in pursuit of him. He happens to go to relieve himself in the cave where David is hiding, and his men tell him that this is the day when God gives his enemy into his hands to do with as he wishes. David creeps up behind Saul and we prepare ourselves for a dramatic confrontation or fight scene, but instead he simply cuts a corner off the king's robe. It feels like an anti-climax, but then the emotional payoff comes as we realise that our hero is the better man, and that goodness counts for more than strength.
David later feels guilty about having treated the king, who is still God's anointed one, in this way and forbids his men from attacking him. Saul leaves the cave and David follows and calls out to him. When Saul turns David prostrates himself and tells him that he wishes him no harm, showing him the corner of his robe as proof that he did not kill him when he had the chance, and calling on the Lord to judge them. Saul weeps and calls David his son, declaring that he is more righteous and praying that the Lord will reward him. He acknowledges that David will be king and asks that he will not cut off his descendants or wipe out his name, and so David gives his oath and the two part on friendly terms. But David is still not king and so the credits cannot roll just yet.
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