Equipped

Equipped

David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” David answered Ahimelech the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.” But the priest answered David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here—provided the men have kept themselves from women.” David replied, “Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men’s bodies are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!” 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. Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; he was Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief shepherd.

David asked Ahimelech, “Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s mission was urgent.” The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.” David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

(1 Sam. 21:1-9)

He’s despondent in the corner of the church where the others are gathered. His mouth is as dry as the desert, but his palms are clammy, even wet. He barely moves except for his chest which heaves while he tries to stifle the sobs that threaten to pour out of his heart. He feels very out of place, but where else can he go? He’d just violated every single belief that he cherished; hurt every person he ever loved; spent a night doing what he swore he’d never do. And now, on Sunday, he sits and stares blankly at the floor. He doesn’t speak and thinks to himself, “If these people only knew what I did; they have no idea.”

He could be a child beater, a wife cheater, an addict or even a thief. In fact, “he” could be a she: maybe single, pregnant and confused. He could be any number of people because it’s any number of people who come to God’s people in this condition – helpless and without hope.

A thousand questions race through his mind. How will the church react when they hear about the horrible things I did? I guess I shouldn’t expect much since I can barely believe it myself! Will I be criticized, or will they have compassion? I don’t think I could handle their rejection because now, more than ever, I just really need their acceptance” He needed a helping hand, not a bunch of raised eyebrows.

A helping hand is what David needed, too. He’s desperate; he’s on the lam; he’s a wanted man. He’s on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, and there’s a poster-sized glossy of his face in every post office in Israel. Saul’s got a contract out on his life and doesn’t particularly care who kills him. Whether the Wanted poster said “Wanted – Dead or Alive,” it was pretty clear that the outcome would end the same way – dead. So, David runs. He runs looking over his shoulder; he sleeps with one eye open; he eats at the table nearest the exit door which faces the window in a restaurant. He’s being stalked.

It’s been a blur for David. “Wasn’t it just two or three years ago that I was just minding my own business, tending my Dad’s sheep in Bethlehem?” Back then a big day for David was watching sheep sleep, working on his aim and strumming his guitar to a new tune he just wrote. And then along comes Samuel, this old guy with a mop of hair and some anointing oil. And as Samuel poured the oil over David’s head, God’s spirit poured over his soul.

Just like that, David went from serenading sheep to serenading Saul. The runt of Jesse’s litter, the youngest of eight boys, became the talk of the town. He was to Israel what King Arthur was to Camelot. David was handsome and humble. Enemies feared him. Michal, Saul’s daughter, married him. (Call her a trophy wife) Now, David’s father-in-law hates him with a deadly passion. So, after the sixth attempt on his life, David finally gets the point: “Apparently, Saul doesn’t like me very much.” So, with a price on his head and a posse on his trail, he kisses Michal and life in the court good-bye.

But where can he go? If he goes to Bethlehem, he jeopardizes the lives of his family. But if he runs into enemy territory, he risks his own. So, he chooses another hideout – church. He runs to Ahimelech, the great-grandson of Eli, who’s heading up a monastery of sorts in a city called Nob to seek sanctuary from Saul and his henchmen. David is desperate, scared and very hungry.

Now, it would be the understatement of a lifetime to suggest that David’s arrival didn’t cause much of a stir. Fact is, there was huge concern, maybe even panic in Nob, especially with Ahimelech. What in the world would bring a warrior like David to Nob? What does the son-in-law of the king want?

Desperate to get what he wants, however, David lies to the preacher. He tells him that he’s on a secret mission for the king and that he could really use some food for both himself and his men which is kind of a surprise because, at least up until this point, David had always taken the high road, told the truth and protected the king. A regular Mr. Clean. He stayed calm when his brother snapped; he remained strong when Goliath roared; he kept his cool when Saul lost his. But now? He lies like a rug, and he does it blatantly and very convincingly. Let’s face it – David’s not on some secret, royal business for the king. He’s a fugitive.

Now, Ahimelech doesn’t question David because, well, he didn’t have a reason to doubt the renegade. There’s just one problem, however: Ahimelech doesn’t have any resources to help him out. Oh, the priest had some bread alright, but it wasn’t just any kind of bread; it’s not like he had some spare loaf of Wonderbread in the back of the pantry. What’s Ahimelech to do? Give David the bread and violate the law? Or, keep the bread and ignore David’s hunger? So, Ahimelech looks for a loophole: “I don’t have any regular bread on hand. I only have holy bread. If your men have not slept with women recently, it’s yours.”

Ahimelech probably wondered if he’d done the right thing. Did he break the law? Well, yes. Did he obey a higher law? I guess that’s what he figured. He decided the hungry stomach was a higher call. So, rather than dot the “i” of God’s code, he met the need of God’s child. But now, even though David’s gotten the food thing squared away, he’s still desperate. Next on his “to-do” list? Get a weapon. David’s faith is really in quicksand now. Isn’t it funny how, not that long ago, his shepherd’s sling was all he needed against Goliath. Now, the same guy who refused both the armor and sword of Saul to defend himself against the giant requests a weapon from a priest no less. (Like priests are always packing) What’s happened to David?

Simple. He’s lost his God-focus.

Saul’s on the big screen of David’s imagination now, not God. As a result, desperation has set in. You know the kind, don’t you? That lie-spawning, fear-stirring, truth-shading kind of desperation? There’s no place to hide. There’s no food to eat. There’s no going back and, worse yet, there’s no resources except stale bread. Making matters worse, the only weapon in the monastery is a relic: Goliath’s sword. Interesting. The same steel that David had used to guillotine the head of the giant is now an artifact in the church basement.

Ever felt like a David? Teenaged and pregnant; middle-aged and broke; old-aged and sick. So, where can the desperate go? They can go to God’s sanctuary. God’s church. They can look for an Ahimelech, a person, or people, in a church that have a heart for desperate souls.

Bread and a sword. Food and equipment. The church exists to provide both. Does the church always succeed? No, not always. People-helping is not exactly a tidy business because people who need help don’t lead neat, tidy, little lives. They enter the church as fugitives, seeking shelter from angry Sauls in some cases, and bad decisions in others. The Ahimelechs of the church (leaders, teachers, members, etc.) are forced to choose not so much between black and white, but between shades of gray. The choice is not between right and wrong, but degrees of both. David stumbles in the story, but desperate people always do. At least David stumbles into the right place – where God meets and ministers to hopeless, helpless hearts.

Remember the guy sitting in church as we began this study? Did I mention the size of the church? It was pretty small – a dozen or so souls clustered together for strength. And did I tell you where they were meeting? It was a borrowed upstairs room in Jerusalem. And the date? The Sunday after Friday’s crucifixion. The Sunday after Thursday night’s betrayal.

Can’t you just see him there? Peter cowering in the corner and covering his ears. But as hard as he tries, he can’t silence the sound of his empty promise to Jesus that keeps echoing in his head: “I’d die for you!” (Luke 22:23) Yeah, for all his bluff and bluster, his courage melted in fear while he warmed himself by a midnight fire. And now he and the other runaways wonder what place God has for them. And then Jesus answers the question – by walking through the door.

Have you ever been there? Seeing yourself in desperate circumstances and lying to avoid any number of Sauls in your life who want to destroy you? Ever seen yourself in hopeless circumstances because of a lifetime of dumb decisions? Jesus brought bread for their souls – “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) And, He brought a sword for the struggle – “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22)

Jesus equipped them with bread and a sword. He gives both to the desperate. Still.

Grace,

Randy