David at Nob and Gath

David came to Nob, and Ahimelech the priest came to meet him trembling. He asked David why he was alone with no one else beside him. David said he was on the king’s business and asked for five loaves of bread, or whatever could be found.

Ahimelech said he had no ordinary bread, only holy bread, if the young men had kept themselves from women. David answered that they had. So the priest gave him the holy bread, because the bread taken from before the Lord had been replaced with hot bread that day.

That day one of Saul’s servants was there before the Lord: Doeg the Edomite, the best of Saul’s herdsmen. David also asked Ahimelech whether there was a spear or sword there, because he had not brought his weapons with him and said the king’s business had required haste.

Ahimelech said the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom David had killed in the Valley of Elah, was there wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. There was no other weapon there, so David took it, saying there was none like it.

Then David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. But Achish’s servants recognised him and repeated the song about Saul striking down thousands and David ten thousands. David took their words seriously and became very afraid of Achish.

So David changed his behaviour before them and pretended to be insane in their hands. He scribbled on the doors of the gate and let spittle run down his beard. Achish told his servants that the man was insane and should not be brought into his house. What do you notice about how fear shaped David’s choices in this escape?