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After escaping Gath, David begins camping out in the wilderness. It’s here we begin to meet the men that will soon make up David’s closest friends and confidantes—a group of misfits with plenty of baggage who would eventually become legends.
What made this ragtag group so special? No matter what, they always stuck together.
By this point, David is living in isolation. But the tides begin to turn when he gets people in his corner. When our backs are against a wall, we need friends who have our back. With this newfound community, David renews his strength and purpose to keep fighting.
But unfortunately, that’s not the end of this story. While David is making new friends, the consequences of his actions that led him here to the wilderness start catching up to him.
Saul finds out about what happened while David was on the run and goes on a rampage of revenge. David’s lies ultimately cost the lives of 85 priests.
David never could have imagined that his lack of transparency would lead to such a tragedy. So often, that’s the case with self-preservation: when we're too focused on our own well-being, we hardly consider the cost on the other side. Saul was trying to preserve his crown and lost himself. David was trying to preserve his life and it cost the lives of others. When we do the same—when we fail to look beyond ourselves—we lose sight of the impact our choices can have on others.