Wednesday, October 21, 2020

2020.10.21 Hopewell @Home ▫ 1 Samuel 21:1–9

Read 1 Samuel 21:1–9

Questions from the Scripture text: To where did David come (1 Samuel 21:1)? To whom? How did Ahimelech feel about meeting David? What does he ask David? Whom did David say had sent him (1 Samuel 21:2)? How does He explain lack of details in his story? How does he explain being alone? For what does he ask in 1 Samuel 21:3? What does the priest say he does not have (1 Samuel 21:4)? What does he say that he does have? On what condition does he say he will give it to David? What answer does David give about the young men (1 Samuel 21:5)? What does he say about the vessels (bodies) of the young men? What does David say is the current condition of the bread? What does the priest give him (1 Samuel 21:6)? Why was this bread available now? Who was there that day (1 Samuel 21:7)? Before/by Whom had he been detained? What was his name? What was his ethnicity? What was his job? For whom does it repeat that he worked? For what does David ask in 1 Samuel 21:8? How does he explain not having his own with him? What sword does the priest offer him (1 Samuel 21:9)? Why does he offer him that particular one? What does David say about it and what to do with it?

The bread of the presence is a simple, marvelous thing. It’s simple, because it is bread. It’s marvelous because it represents God’s constant provision for His people. And ultimately, it is a picture of how dead sinners can be sustained in real spiritual life—only by Christ, Who is the Bread of life.

And David desperately needs life at this point! Ahimelech can sense this, as his knocking knees in 1 Samuel 21:1 attest. Why would David be alone? Shouldn’t he have some sort of government retinue? David’s story (and situation) is so bad that he actually claims to be on such an urgent government mission that he forgot to bring sword or food. And you can’t know why… because… uh… Top Secret! Yeah, Top Secret, that’s it!

The Lord’s servant is in need of the most basic of provision. And that’s exactly the situation in which the servant’s Lord displays Himself as the One who constantly provides.

David might have lost sight of it for a moment, but we can see it hiding under the cloth behind the ephod. Remember that day when all you needed for facing Goliath was Name of Yahweh? There may be no sword so great as that of Goliath. But the Name of the Lord is a surer weapon still.

The Lord has continued to ordain desperate situations for His people. But He has also continued to give both “our daily bread” and “the Bread of life that comes down out of heaven that one may eat of it and not die.”

Awful things may happen. Doeg the Edomite will be used to send some saints to glory. But we can face them all in the Name of the Lord, by His basic everyday provision, and especially by His provision of Christ.

What desperate situations have you been in? Upon what provision do you need to learn to rely and be content, to prepare for desperate days yet to come?

Suggested songs: ARP63 “O God, You Are My God” or TPH202 “Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face”


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