Sermon Bible Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? 1 Samuel 21:8-9 The token of the victories of youth. There is nothing like that—no such talisman, no such weapon as that to be borne or wielded—no marvel that David rejoices to hear it is within reach. The sword was to David: (1) The token of a good deed which he had done in singleness of heart. (2) The token of God's certain help in answer to faith. (3) The memory of a great danger past. I. The thought of a good deed done in singleness of spirit lies at the heart as the warmest of God's comforts. Forty days the Philistine drew near, morning and evening, and presented himself. What lay before Israel, if the boy champion had not arrived, was to be the servant of the enemy; yet no one stirred. But David's spirit had not been overpowered. His instinct was not to watch till the fascination of fear had overcome him as it did the other warriors. It was to strike; strike with the simple weapon he was used to, and lo, the terror was gone. Our solitary souls as well as the great world are such a battlefield. The struggle is daily renewed. Two principles within—one godless and defying, one whose eyes are lit with the eternal light. Sin will overcome faith or faith will overcome sin; and each memory of a victory of faith is a strength in itself. II. And then again, to look back on the signs of God's ready help, old answers to prayer when we were in trouble, the expected strength which did not disappoint us but was with us in some trial; these things bring home to us the sense of God's presence and of God's help, until we are most sure of this, that all things work together for good to them that love Him. III. But above all sources of strength, the memory of a great danger past is the most fruitful A terror taken possession of, the assurance that it will terrify us no more; this is what God gives to good men in the evening of life. Archbishop Benson, Boy Life: Sundays in Wellington College, p. 171. References: 1 Samuel 21:8, 1 Samuel 21:9.—J. M. Neale, Sermons for the Church Year, vol. ii., p. 15. 1 Samuel 21:9.—Parker, vol. vii., p. 19 (see also The Ark of God, p. 241); Johnstone, Sunday Magazine, 1873, p. 350. 1 Samuel 21:10.—F. W. Krummacher, David the King of Israel, p. 118. And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.
And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house? William Robertson Nicoll's Sermon Bible Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission. Bible Hub |
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