Dover Assembly of God
Sometimes we are apt to think that the Old Testament is just a history book with no real application to us today.
It’s great to know or learn it but does it apply to me today?
The New Testament speaks directly to that.
Romans 15:4 NIV
2 Timothy 3:14-17 NIV
The books in the Old Testament weren't written strictly for our enjoyment.
They were written so that we may find hope and encouragement through them.
The Psalms are a great example. Most are prayers of people who were going through trials and tribulations and heartache and prayed their feelings out to God.
When we left our study of David last week, David’s plan to let Jonathan see the truth about Saul had worked.
1 Samuel 20:41 NIV
David knew the truth that Jonathan would discover would cause them to have to go separate ways.
Sometimes following God’s direction will cause us to leave what we are familiar with and leave friends and maybe family behind.
Leaving is never easy, but sometimes necessary.
1 Samuel 20:42 NIV
Jonathan wanted to leave David with some encouragement: GO IN PEACE -- which literally means to “go with the spirit of God”, “to leave with safety and peace of mind”.
This was the beginning of an exile for David that would last 10 years. It was during this time that he wrote many of the psalms about his experiences.
20 that we know for sure: Psalm 7, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 22, 25, 31, 34, 35, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 63, 64, 142, 143
From these psalms we today can take comfort as we read them. When we experience hardships and testing and great suffering, we can read from someone who went through it as well.
1 Samuel 21:1 NIV
Nob was a town of priests. David knew he would find help there.
When he arrived by himself, Ahimelech wasn’t used to that and he was startled.
Ahimelech knew David, knew his position in the army and wondered why he wasn’t with his usual entourage.
Something wasn’t quite right for Ahimelech.
Godly people may question you when you are going through a situation, because they don’t really know the truth.
1 Samuel 21:2 NIV
He wanted Ahimelech to have “plausible deniability”. If he didn’t tell him the whole truth, Ahimelech wouldn’t have to cover for him if people came to him.
David’s motive was probably noble, but was we know it failed.
Sometimes in our efforts to protect others, we fail.
Maybe if David had told Ahimelech the truth, he may have been more on guard against Saul, maybe not, we don’t know.
The point is, we may try our best to help and protect others, but all those valiant attempts may not work.
1 Samuel 2:27-33 NIV
This sounds unfair. But it was simply a fulfillment of prophecy.
God promised to replace the house of Eli with the house of Zadok.
1 Kings 2:26-27 NIV
What does this mean for us?
God does not wipe out entire family lines any more, but he will allow hardships in our lives to fulfill his purposes.
John 9:1-3 NIV
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
How many people who have experienced hardships have been inspirations to us and many others?
Now back to David's visit with Ahimelech...
1 Samuel 21:3 NIV
1 Samuel 21:4 NIV
A FEW THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT HIS ANSWER...
1. David is asking for ordinary food. But Ahimelech says there isn’t any.
The problem with that answer is that if the people were bringing in the required tithes, there would be plenty of ordinary food.
This tells us that the nation was in a spiritual decline. Nobody was bringing anything to be offered.
They aren’t doing what they know they should do. If they weren’t bringing their offerings, that means they weren’t even going to the temple.
Why would they go if they had nothing to offer? So, they stayed away.
When people stray away from God, the first thing we notice is their obedience isn’t there.
Then they quit going to church. Why go if I can’t live right the rest of the week?
2. There was bread that was supposed to be consecrated to the Lord. Nobody but the priests were supposed to eat it.
Leviticus 24:8-9 NIV
1 Samuel 21:5 NIV
1 Samuel 21:6 NIV
So David may have gotten away with it because it was the week old bread-not the bread that was actually in the temple.
Even so, it was meant for the priests, not anyone else. But again something that God allowed was used by Jesus as a teaching moment.
Matthew 12:1-4, 7-8 NIV
Does the OT have value in our lives today? Can we use Old Testament Biblical accounts and testimonies to better our lives?
Jesus used many examples from the Old Testament to show New Testament Biblical principles and truths.
We believe that every account and every nugget applies to somebody here today. It might not all apply to you right now, but in time God will bring it back as a way of encouragement and blessing.