Saturday 2021.02.13
Reading from 1 Samuel Chapter 21 JND
David ate the Shew Bread and armed himself with the sword of Goliath.
After David managed to flee from King Saul with the help of intelligence provided by Jonathan, David came to the city of Nob to meet Ahimelech the priest. He was hungry and he also needed a weapon. At his request, Ahimelech gave him the Shew Bread in the Tabernacle which was consecrated and was not to be taken by anyone. However the bread was due to be replaced by new bread on that day, and David reasoned that it was in a way "common" because new bread was being consecrated that day (1 Samuel 21:5).
It is noteworthy that David asked for five loaves of bread from Ahimelech (1 Samuel 21:3), for himself and also his men whom he had directed to another place (1 Samuel 21:2).
This event is also mentioned in Mark 2:25 - 26 where, in reply to the Pharisees who insisted that it was unlawful for his disciples to pluck and eat the ears of corn as they passed through a cornfield on a Sabbath day, the Lord Iesou pointed out that it was NOT unlawful for David to eat the consecrated Shew Bread when the priest had no other food available.
Mark 2:25 - 26 KJV
But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:
how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”
1 Samuel 21:5 - 6 JND And David answered the priest and said to him, Yes indeed, women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, and the more so, because to-day new is hallowed in the vessels.
And the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the shew-loaves that were taken from before Jehovah, to put on hot bread in the day when they were taken away.
David also asked Ahimelech for a weapon to defend himself as he had to continue his journey alone to flee to the city of Gath. The only weapon that Ahimelech had with him that day was the huge sword of Goliath, the Philistine giant whom David had killed earlier in the valley of the terebinths. The sword was wrapped in a cloth and kept behind the ephod (in the Tabernacle?).
1 Samuel 21:8 - 10 JND And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, for the king`s business was urgent.
And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of terebinths, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if thou wilt take that, take it; for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that: give it me.
And David arose, and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
