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1 Samuel 21:1-9 Faith in difficult times

Liars need good memories! Having lied once, the second time is easier, the third one easier still. David, God’s chosen king, is finding life difficult. Saul has become very jealous of David and has sought to take David’s life. David is finding the way hard and it is damaging his integrity. Fear is chipping away at David’s principles. His walk with God is compromised.

Sadly, lying is becoming a habit. David is seeking to escape from Saul. As he plans his escape his says to his friend Jonathan, “If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the clan.’” (1 Samuel 20:6). It is a blatant lie, a total fabrication. He is concocting a false alibi. In so doing, he makes Jonathan complicit in the deceit as well. The world would say, ‘The end justifies the means. Needs must, a white lie causes no harm.’ But the Bible is very clear – we are to be truthful at all times, even those times when we find the going difficult.

David escapes under rives in the town of Nob, where the Tabernacle has been established and where the priests are there to carry out their daily duties. He arrives not far short of destitute – virtually nothing and no one with him. He hopes to find some assistance in the Tabernacle. Ahimelech is a friend, but he is anxious. He knows Saul is out for David’s blood. It is also the Sabbath day. David would not normally travel alone on this day. David senses Ahimelech’s mind. He is afraid he won’t give him the help he needs so he invents a pack of lies, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” (v2-3). He says he is on a hush-hush mission. David comes to the priest for support and food.

Fear has lowered his standards. Desperation and deception have overcome his faith and his trust in God. On many occasions God has proved His faithfulness to David: spared him from harm, protected his life. This is the man who took on and defeated Goliath, the ten foot giant. God had appointed Samuel to anoint him to be the king of Israel. You would think David would feel untouchable, knowing that he is under the protection of the sovereign God. But he is suffering from spiritual amnesia. God’s goodness has become a dim and a distant memory. He is depending on own initiative and his own ingenuity to see him through this difficult time. He has decided to go it alone without seeking God’s help. He resorts to deception and lies.

We cannot justify David’s actions, but we are in no position to criticise. We have all felt the heat and burden of the day in our Christian lives. Do I deal with anxiety any better than David when the pressure is on? Does fear and anxiety get to me? Where is my first port of call when things get difficult? Is it the throne of grace?

We can learn from David’s failure. We go through the trials. If we turn to the Lord, we can find Him closer than ever. He is our God. He is faithful, shaping us more into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4). That is God’s invitation as He takes us through difficulties. It is always for our good. When the Lord leads us down difficult paths, it is always for our own good and blessing. There may be torrents of hardship, floods of sadness, but God will always keep our heads above water and be with us. We won’t be completely consumed. If there are hardships that come your way, we need to look to Him, the Father of all mercies and the God of all comfort.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:26-27). These are the promises of Jesus Himself. Every promise is a blessing to us, and we should hold onto them.

David’s circumstances were desperate and he had legitimate concerns. He fell into the trap of falling away from the Lord. Thankfully, God never took His eyes from David, or from us. David is hungry but all Ahimelech has is the holy bread of presence. The loaves were renewed every Sabbath day, but they were only to be eaten by Aaron and his sons, the priests. The bread also pointed forward to God’s great provision, that of satisfying our spiritual hunger. “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. ³⁶ But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. ³⁷ All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:35-40).

In Bible times bread was the staple diet of the people for physical existence and well-being. Without the bread of life, Jesus, there is no possibility of spiritual life. He is fundamental and essential to our eternal existence. If we refuse to feed on Him by faith, then we starve ourselves of life and we will be afflicted, as David was. Are you feeding upon the bread of life, the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you looking to Him for your spiritual and eternal well-being?

David’s need is legitimate; he is suffering from real hardship and is desperate. He requires assistance. God had made provision for such circumstances. Compassion and kindness is more important than the law. The law was an incentive to lead them in God’s ways, but not a set of handcuffs to bind the people. There was no allowance which permitted anyone but Aaron and his sons to eat the bread. But the spirit of the law allows love and compassion.

“One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. ²⁴ And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” ²⁵ And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: ²⁶ how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” ²⁷ And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. ²⁸ So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:23-28).

The Levitical law gave Jesus the right to pick the grain for those who were hungry and in need. God makes provision for all our needs. He provides that spiritual help and strength in times of difficulty. Jesus came to be the instigator and fulfiller of the new covenant. Praise God the Lord Jesus came and did what we could not do for ourselves. All that the Lord does is to reveal our sin and show us the need for salvation. Jesus came to obey the law for us. It frees us from the condemnation of sin. We are a privileged people. God has drawn us, opened our eyes to see the need for salvation.

For David, in his desperate situation, he was entitled to eat of the bread from the Tabernacle. But, as a result of David’s deceit, if we read on, so much grief and tragedy resulted. For us, as believers, obedience to God’s law is important. But now, it is written on our hearts. Jesus has fulfilled that law. We should have a desire and honour to please Him.

We cannot use grace as an excuse to live our lives as we please. God’s commandments show He wants us to live in accordance to His ways. He wants us to be good ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ. We are saved by grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We should long to walk in God’s ways. We should have total reliance on the promises of God.

For unbelievers, failing to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, their situation is even more desperate than David’s. They are eternal souls are in grave danger. God says you are invited, welcome to eat of the bread of life.

Satan is the father of lies. He will whisper deceit into our minds. Don’t believe this nonsense that you can get by on your own. None of us are good enough to come into the presence of a holy, righteous God, unless we are covered in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you clothed in garments of salvation?

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Look only to the one who says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.  If we are children of the living God we have that wonderful, eternal future that lies before us, when we will see Him, our Saviour, face to face.