Are there situations to walk away from or even flee? What if people refuse to listen to the Gospel or worse, persecute us? Is mercy more important than sacrifice? Let’s begin in 1 Samuel 21.
Did David understand that eating the shewbread, putting hunger ahead of the letter of the law, was innocent and not a sin?
Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no man with you?” David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commanded me to do something, and has said to me, ‘Let no one know anything about the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you. I have sent the young men to a certain place.’ Now therefore what is under your hand? Please give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever is available.” The priest answered David, and said, “I have no common bread, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.” David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us as usual these three days. When I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was only a common journey. How much more then today shall their vessels be holy?” So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the show bread that was taken from before Yahweh, to be replaced with hot bread in the day when it was taken away. (1 Samuel 21:1-6 WEB)
Did David take the sword that had belonged to Goliath?
Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained in the Lord’s presence. His name was Doeg. He was an Edomite and Saul’s head shepherd. David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword on hand? I didn’t bring my sword or gear with me because the king’s mission was urgent.” The priest said, “The sword of Goliath, the Philistine you killed in the Elah Valley, is here wrapped in a cloth behind a priestly vest. If you want it, take it, because there are no other swords here.” David said, “No sword is as good as that one! Give it to me!” (1 Samuel 21:7-9 CEB)
Why did David pretend to be crazy in front of king Achish?
David kept on running from Saul that day until he came to Gath, where he met with King Achish. The officers of King Achish were also there, and they asked Achish, “Isn't David a king back in his own country? Don't the Israelites dance and sing, ‘Saul has killed a thousand enemies; David has killed ten thousand’?” David thought about what they were saying, and it made him afraid of Achish. So right there in front of everyone, he pretended to be insane. He acted confused and started making scratches on the doors of the town gate, while drooling in his beard. “Look at him!” Achish said to his officers. “You can see he's crazy. Why did you bring him to me? I have enough crazy people without your bringing another one here. Keep him away from my palace!” (1 Samuel 21:10-14 CEV)
Should a Christian walk away from those who refuse to receive them or listen to the Gospel?
And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. (Matthew 10:14 ESV)
Should a Christian flee persecution or stand still and suffer?
When they persecute you in one town, escape to another. For I assure you: You will not have covered the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 10:23 HCSB)
Did Jesus explain why David ate the sacred bread? Is mercy more important than sacrifice?
But he told them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? How is it that he went into the house of God and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him and his companions to eat but was reserved for the priests? Or haven’t you read in the Law that on every Sabbath the priests in the Temple violate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? But I tell you, something greater than the Temple is here! If you had known what ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice’ means, you would not have condemned the innocent, for the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:3–7 ISV)
Are there situations to walk away from or even flee? What if people refuse to listen to the Gospel or worse, persecute us? Is mercy more important than sacrifice? You decide!
