1 Samuel 21 - The Bread of His Presence

Previously in 1 Samuel, we saw David and Jonathan part ways for good. David was not convinced that Saul had truly repented after Saul’s encounter with Samuel at Naioth, so he asked Jonathan to cover for him at the feast of the new moon while he hid in a field near the rock Ezel. If Saul became angry at David for his absence, then David would know that his life was still in danger. Not only did Saul become angry, he tried to kill his own son for siding with David. They then covenanted with one another that Jonathan would help David in light of his father’s threats, and that David would deal well with Jonathan’s house when he was made king.

After leaving Jonathan, David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Whenever we are in trouble and don’t know what to do, it is always good to turn to the Lord and to His people. When Ahimelech saw him, he was afraid, and asked David why he was alone. David replied that he was on a secret errand from the king, and that his men were waiting for him in a designated place. This was an outright lie that would have severe consequences. We can understand why David would have done this, and may have even done the same in his position. He was on the run from a tyrannical king, and he needed food and weapons. However, it is always better to tell the truth.

David asked Ahimelech what he had on hand. He needed five loaves of bread or whatever he could spare. Ahimelech told him that there was no common bread, but there was holy bread if his men had kept themselves from women. Under the Levitical law, there were various things that would make a person ceremonially unclean, and some of these could result from sexual encounters. So, if none of his men had had sex with women, the priest deemed it ok under the circumstances. This was the showbread (the bread of His presence), and was only reserved for the priests, the sons of Aaron (see Leviticus 24:5-9). This is interesting, for Jesus referenced this passage when He took some heat from the Pharisees as His disciples picked and ate grain while walking through the fields on the Sabbath. He said to the Pharisees, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mat 12:5-8) In other words, showing mercy and meeting human need are more important than the legalistic requirements of the law. This showbread was a picture of the Bread who would come down from Heaven, and the giving of it in David’s time of need was in line with the nature and character of the Son of God. The priest saw this distinction, and gave David and his men the bread.

Next, David asked Ahimelech if there was a spear or sword on hand? The king’s business had required haste, so he didn’t bring any weapons with him. Again, this was not true, but David did so under the pressure of the situation. The priest told him there were not any weapons except the sword of Goliath which David had taken from him when he killed him in the valley of Elah. David replied, “There is none like it; give it to me.” We are told in verse seven that a man named Doeg, the chief herdsmen of Saul, was detained there before the Lord. Assisting Saul’s arch enemy would not be taken well by Saul, and it would not be good for David if Saul found out where he was. However, if David would have told Ahimelech the truth, Ahimelech could have at least made his own choice of whether or not he was willing to take on that risk, but he did not. This choice to help David and his men will prove to be disastrous for the priests in Nob.

After this, David fled from Saul to Achish, the king of Gath. It is difficult to understand why David would do this, for he was fleeing to the very city of the giant he had killed just a few years earlier. We don’t always make the best decisions when we are in distress. Fear replaces our faith and clouds our judgment so that we cannot see things clearly. He was fleeing from one enemy to another, possibly hoping they had forgotten or would not recognize him. However, they had not forgotten. They said, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands’?” When David heard this, he was very afraid of Achish, and pretended to be insane by scratching on the doors of the city gate and letting his saliva fall down on his beard. When Achish saw this, he said, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” In that culture they believed there would be a curse on anyone who killed a person who was insane, so this was probably David’s plan to avoid losing his head. After this, Achish drove David away, and he fled to the cave of Adullam. The cave of Adullam looks up the valley of Elah where David had killed Goliath, and it will be here where the Lord will strengthen David and begin building the future army that will serve under him.

Are we like David who was on the run and discouraged? Maybe it is from a person, or, more likely, it is from problems or situations we have no control over. Just like it was for David, the answer is to turn to the Lord and to His people. Jesus is the showbread, the physical presence of God. He is the true bread that came down from Heaven, who gives life to the world. He is the bread of life, that whoever comes to Him and believes on Him, they will never hunger or thirst. If you are not a Christian, come to Him and believe on Him today, and you will have everlasting life. If you are a Christian and want the presence of God, come to Jesus. Come to Him for all of life’s needs. Pray to Him and feast on His word, for “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psa 16:11)

This was a very dark time in David’s life, but we can see from his Psalms that he turned to and still praised the Lord. In closing, meditate on the following Psalm he wrote during this time:

 

Psalm 34

 

A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.