SCRIPTURE: 1 Samuel 21
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the LORD and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away. [1 Samuel 21:6] Jesus uses this story to shed light on His perspective on the Law of Moses, namely that human need ought to take precedence over religious observance: Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” [Luke 6:2-4] Only priests were to eat this bread [Ex 29:32-33; Lev 22:10-16].
Jesus saw the Law of Moses as a helpful servant, not an oppressive master. It is designed to help us, not to enslave us. It helps shape our hearts towards God and people. Its not supposed to keep us from thinking (blind ritualistic observance) but to shape our minds to think like God. God gave the priests to serve the people, to mediate between them and Himself. Their needs were provided through the temple (the meat of the sacrifice, the bread). This was their right. God warned against taking this support away from the priests and their families, since it was their only means of support. But this did not rule out the use of the bread for good purposes (like feeding the hungry). Jesus uses the bread example in the context of another controversy, the Sabbath Law. Jesus makes it plain that the Sabbath was a gift for humanity, not humanity enslaved to the Law. It was not a command against doing justice or showing mercy, but a command against enslaving people to work 7 days a week (like the Egyptians did).
In this passage, we see God’s servant on the run, lying to Ahimelech about being on a special mission for Saul, pretending to be insane before Achish. Aren’t they technically “bearing false witness”? Is David justified in using deception to protect himself and his followers? I hesitate to make this a ‘rule’ to follow, but I do think that in some circumstances, deception can be used for a greater good (like Rahab lying about the spies, or people lying to the Nazis about hidden Jews). There is no simple set of rules for deciding when a lie is justified or not, it has more to do with knowing God’s heart, for sharing His desire for mercy. As we are shaped by the Law of love, we follow the other laws as they fit within that Law.
PRAYER:
Lord, You have not spelled out exactly how I am to follow You each day, but You have given me the Law of Love. Shape my heart and mind so that I will know how to respond to the specific situations that arise each day.