“So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the LORD, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away. Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD. His name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul’s herdsmen. Then David said to Ahimelech, ‘Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.’ And the priest said, ‘The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it, for there is none but that here.’ And David said, ‘There is none like that; give it to me.'” 1 Samuel 21:6-9
Devotional Thought For The Day
Difficult and dire circumstances often call for drastic measures, even within the lives of children of God. This account follows the expulsion of David from Saul’s court – even though David had always been a faithful servant to the king and to the fortunes and well-being of God’s nation, the children of Israel. He was essentially a fugitive from the law at this point, and the “instituted” authority – King Saul – was “determined to put David to death.” [1 Sam. 20:33] David’s men, those loyal to him even in these terrible circumstances, were desperately short of the most essential supplies – simple food, bread. David was so pressed to provide for them that he came to the priest at Nob [later referred to as “Nob, the city of the priests” – 1 Sam. 22:19] and begged for bread, even the sacred “bread of the Presence” which was reserved for the priests only. Jesus commented on this incident and approved of this use of food – under the circumstances, much to the chagrin of the Pharisees. [Mark 2:26]
We might find it surprising that David commended himself to Ahimelech – apparently the priest in charge – with a somewhat dubious and misleading account. He claimed to be on the king’s business, a secretive mission [1 Sam. 21:2]. We should probably parse this a bit. David had already been anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel [1 Sam. 16], so I suppose it could be said that he was about a matter of the king. And certainly his business had to be kept secret, as Saul was out to kill him. It is interesting that there is no disapproval of these actions of David found in Scripture, even though we might find his manner of speaking to be less than completely forthright. And later on Ahimelech and the priests would be considered traitors to Saul and unjustly executed for their provisioning of David and his men – in one of the more disturbing accounts of the fate of God’s servants. [1 Sam. 22:9-23] However, the focus of this account is on the beastly wickedness of Saul [and of Doeg who betrayed Ahimelech and the priests], who were solely to blame for this atrocity. At times it is dangerous to be a servant of God, to support a servant of God, and even to be in the presence of a servant of God. There is solemn and somber mystery in this, but it is part of denying self and taking up one’s cross.
It is also interesting to contemplate David’s inquiry as to another need – that of a weapon. We do not associate weapons of violence with priests, houses of worship, churches, pastors. It is rather fascinating that the sword of Goliath ended up with these priests, stored among the holy vestments of the high priest! It is also ironic that this beastly sword of a brutal antagonist of God and His people should now be taken up by David – God’s chosen instrument, but as noted earlier difficult and dire circumstances often call for strange and drastic measures. Yes, David was a soldier, a political figure, anointed into the office of king – but he was also a poet, musician, prophet, servant of God, servant and author of God’s Word. The admixture of roles and functions created great complexity in the life and work of this remarkable man – a type of the Messiah, and a man of many sorrows. His life is full of lessons that have benefited God’s people immeasurably through the centuries, and we should probably learn more from him.
We also have protocol and principles of decent and godly behavior provided for us in Holy Scripture that we seek to follow. We also have enemies and at times come into dire and difficult circumstances. We also have the king’s business to tend to, for we are His servants in all that we do – within our household, our family life, within our vocation, our employment, and within the church. There can be danger in all of this – people like Doeg seem always to be lurking on the sidelines, in the shadows, waiting to bring harm and destruction upon God’s dear people. We also have to contemplate taking up whatever is at hand to accomplish God’s good and gracious purposes – even though there will always be Pharisees around to object. We are committed to following the protocol, faithful to the order set forth in God’s Word, and there are very few times when we need to consider greater principles which outweigh propriety, tack, decency, and order. And suffering may follow us – as allowed by God. So Jesus has advised that we be “wise as serpents but as harmless as doves.” May He always grant us provision, as He did David, and also wisdom and courage to take up what is at hand to accomplish His purposes, and may He always keep us firm in our faith and trust in His gracious mercy, forgiveness, and love.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, there are many strange, odd, and ironic accounts in Your Word. Your thoughts are higher than ours, and we marvel at how Your holy history is cobbled together as You accomplish Your good and gracious will to save and bless Your people. Help us to remain faithful to Your Word, and preserve us from difficult circumstances. Strengthen us in the assurance of Your continuing grace, mercy, and forgiveness, and give us courage to fearlessly pursue the tasks that You place before us – until that day comes when we enter into Your blessed heavenly kingdom. Amen