Wednesday, January 12, 2022

The Sabbath Does Not Restrict Deeds of Necessity

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/12/2022 10:45 AM

 

My Worship Time                            Focus: “The Sabbath Does Not Restrict Deeds of Necessity”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                        Reference:  Matt. 12:3-4

 

            Message of the verses:  3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did, when he became hungry, he and his companions; 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, but for the priests alone?”

 

            I am thankful that I can study these verses as they have always’ seemed to be an issue to me, even though I know that the Lord is saying the truth here, but I have never just understood them like I should have.

 

            It was known by the Pharisees who were asking questions to Jesus and his disciples that David was a supreme hero of Judaism, and he was loved and honored even above the patriarchs and prophets.  David was the great king, poet, and warrior, and they knew this.  We see here that Jesus reminded the Pharisees of a familiar story about David and “his companions” as they were fleeing for their lives south of Gibeah in order to get away from Saul who was trying to kill David over the fact that he was jealous of him, and he knew that God had chosen David to be king.  David and his men arrive at Nob where there was a tabernacle located there, and so they asked for some food.  We see in this passage that they were offered food, but the food was only to be eaten by the priests as it was the consecrated bread of the Presence, and this was all they had for them to eat.

 

            This bread of Presence was baked weekly, and then on each Sabbath twelve fresh loaves were then replaced these one week old loaves which then could be eaten by the priests.  MacArthur writes “On that particular occasion, however, and exception was made on behalf of David and his men, who were weak from hunger.  God was not offended by that act, and He did not discipline either Ahimelech or David.  The Lord was willing for a ceremonial regulation to be violated when doing so was necessary to meet the needs of His beloved people.

 

            “If God makes allowances for His own law to be broken under certain circumstances for the welfare of His people, Jesus said, He surely permits purposeless and foolish man-made traditions to be broken for that purpose.”

 

            So we see in this short section that God was more interested in helping David, in order to keep him from starving to allow a law to be broken to keep him alive.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  God’s mercy is more important that the keeping of this kind of law.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I trust that the Spirit of God will give grace and wisdom to me as I continue to prepare my Sunday school lesson for this upcoming Sunday.

1/12/2022 11:07 AM

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