It's Never Harmless

By Danny Saavedra

“David went to Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled when he met him, and asked, ‘Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?’ David answered Ahimelek the priest, ‘The king sent me on a mission and said to me, “No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.” As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.’ But the priest answered David, ‘I don’t have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here . . .’ Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; he was Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief shepherd. David asked Ahimelek, ‘Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s mission was urgent.’ The priest replied, ‘The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.’ David said, ‘There is none like it; give it to me.’”—1 Samuel 21:1–9 (NIV)

“What’s the big deal? It’s not hurting anyone!” Have you ever heard this? I’ve often come across this argument primarily from non-Christians regarding lifestyles or behaviors they deem acceptable, but the Bible calls sin. They wonder why we don’t support these things because they believe it doesn’t affect us or anyone else except the person(s) involved. I’ve even heard this from Christians wrestling with a struggle or a biblical principle, or sometimes just trying to justify themselves. If I’m being honest, I’ve asked myself this question before. But as we’ll find out soon regarding today’s passage, there’s no such thing as a sin that doesn’t hurt anyone.

As we saw in chapter 20, David’s now fully on the run. Having fled and parted ways with his wife Michal and best friend Jonathan, he finds himself in Nob—a town about three miles away from Gibeah where Saul ruled from. At this time, Nob was a priestly city and the location of the tabernacle during Saul's reign.

When you think about it, David seemingly did what he had always done and what we should all do in crisis: He came to the house of the Lord. BUT that’s where the good and right action stops, because what he does when he gets there isn’t what he or we should ever do.

We’re told that Ahimelech “trembled when he met him.” It could be that it simply seemed strange that someone like David was traveling alone, looking tired, weary, and probably puffy-eyed from crying. It made Ahimelech think something was wrong. It’s also possible that a faithful servant of God had good spiritual discernment and knew something wasn’t right.

David then proceeded to straight up lie to Ahimelech about his situation and asked for bread. All that Ahimelech had was the Bread of Presence that was reserved for priests to eat before the Lord. But unlike the Pharisees who became indignant when Jesus’ disciples picked and ate grain on the Sabbath, this priest understood the words of God: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6 NIV). He understood that the highest laws of God are to love God above all and neighbor above self. David also asked for and was given the only weapon they had: Goliath’s sword. This request, like the bread, was built on his lie.

Ahimelech acted like Jesus here, but David didn’t. And David’s lie, which likely seemed like it wouldn’t hurt anyone, would come back to hurt many. You see, there’s a seemingly insignificant detail sprinkled in this passage: “One of Saul’s servants was there that day.”

That’s the thing about sins we deem “harmless” . . . they never are. What if the thing you think is harmless is actually shaping your soul? What if the unseen ripples of your choices are already affecting others?

For example, watching pornography alone may seem harmless, but what about the fact that a large majority of women in sex work were coerced, manipulated, or trafficked into it? What about the families of the people in the video? What about your spouse or future spouse? What about your own mind and the desensitization to things that overwhelmingly normalize some form of aggression or power over women? What about your soul? Most importantly, what about the fact that every sin, no matter how seemingly small or large, hurts God and is offensive to Him, an affront to Him, a violation of Him? Does that still seem harmless?

Do you see it? What may seem harmless and private and like it doesn’t affect anyone else IN THE MOMENT may have massive future ramifications (1 Samuel 22:6–23) that you’ll eventually see, or maybe ones you never see, that happen beyond your lifetime, but that you’re accountable for. Imagine standing before God and having to give an account for something you called harmless and insignificant, only to find out that 50 years after you died, the seeds of that sin led to something bigger. Does it seem like I’m being hyperbolic? I’m not, friends. I promise you that sin is NEVER harmless, NEVER victimless, and NEVER without consequences—even if you’re not the one who suffers them.

I implore you today to stop, take a breath, step back, and prayerfully consider this story and the fallout of it in chapter 22 whenever you’re wrestling with rationalizing something you know may be sinful.

Pause: Take a moment to reflect: Have you ever justified a sin by thinking it wasn’t hurting anyone? Maybe it was a secret habit, a little white lie, or a compromise that seemed insignificant. How did that choice shape you, even in small ways? Did it impact others in ways you didn’t realize at the time?

Practice

1. Examine Your Heart – Ask God to reveal any area of your life where you’ve been rationalizing sin as “harmless.” Write it down and reflect on who or what could be affected in ways you haven’t considered.

2. Seek Accountability – If you’re struggling with something in secret, share it with a trusted friend or mentor who can encourage and pray for you.

3 .Remember the Long-Term Impact – Read 1 Samuel 22:6–23 and see how David’s lie led to devastating consequences. Consider how today’s decisions can shape not just your future but others’ as well.

Pray: Father, help me to see sin for what it truly is—never harmless, never isolated, never without consequence. Give me wisdom to recognize the lies I tell myself to justify what I know is wrong. Strengthen me with Your Spirit to choose holiness over compromise, truth over deception, and obedience over rationalization. May I live in a way that honors You and draw those around me toward You and not away from You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.