Has The Glory Departed From Your House?

The Daily (NASB) Reading: 1 Samuel 21-22

What is the mystery behind the change of possession of the ark and the ephod from Ahijah to Ahimelech? Why would Ahimelech be in fear of David? What is he expecting, his removal as priest? And are Ahijah and Ahimelech brothers of the same father, Ahitub, Ichabod's brother? (v.1)

1 Samuel 14:18–19 (NKJV)

18 And Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here" (for at that time the ark of God was with the children of Israel). 19 Now it happened, while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase; so Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."

1 Samuel 14:3 (NKJV)

3 Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord's priest in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.

1 Samuel 22:20 (NKJV)

20 Now one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.

1 Kings 2:27 (NKJV)

27 So Solomon removed Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, that he might fulfill the word of the Lord which He spoke concerning the house of Eli at Shiloh.

Is David lying to the priest? Isn't David the rightful king before God? Therefore isn't his secrecy for the safety of them all? (v.2)

How did David know that there would be bread in Nob among the priesthood? Was the showbread only available on the sabbaths? (v.3)

Numbers 4:7 (NKJV)

7 "On the table of showbread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the pans, the bowls, and the pitchers for pouring; and the showbread shall be on it.

Exodus 25:30 (NKJV)

30 And you shall set the showbread on the table before Me always.

What made the priest assume that those who ate the bread had to be consecrated from women? (v.4)

Exodus 19:21–25 (NKJV)

21 And the Lord said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. 22 Also let the priests who come near the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them." 23 But Moses said to the Lord, "The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, 'Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.'" 24 Then the Lord said to him, "Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest He break out against them." 25 So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

1 Samuel 2:12 (NKJV)

12 Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord.

1 Samuel 2:17 (NKJV)

17 Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.

1 Samuel 2:22–25 (NKJV)

22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 23 So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. 24 No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the Lord's people transgress. 25 If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him?" Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to kill them.

1 Samuel 2:30 (NKJV)

30 Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: 'I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.' But now the Lord says: 'Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.

1 Samuel 2:31–33 (NKJV)

31 Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age.

Is David's word sufficient to vouch for the men since he is the priest of the army? They haven't so much as touched a dead body since before their last mission, so how does David believe the bread has the power to keep them even more holy from sinning when they partake of it with the knowledge of what it is offered for? (v.5)

1 Samuel 21:5 (NKJV)

5 Then David answered the priest, and said to him, "Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect common, even though it was consecrated in the vessel this day."

Frankly, I find that all of the translations are steering us wrong concerning this verse. Neither the bread nor the suggested journey (that they are presently on) is what is being judged as common or ordinary. Rather it refers to the direction or manner of their (spiritual) lives. First, David vouches and says they are holy, but then he checks himself, because he is not omniscient, by saying, 'but where (their way of life) [it] (is) common,' he believes the bread is able to keep (their way of life) [it] holy in the knowledge of the omnipresence of God being made more alive in them through this consecrated and holy bread. Therefore it was by David's faith in God that He would bless the men rather than judge them that the priest gave him consent. Therefore consider the precedent that the king is offering to those of us of the new covenant in Christ's priesthood.

Matthew 12:2–8 (NKJV)

2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" 3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Why is it called the bread of Presence here? What is the significance of the bread always being before the face of God? And will this knowledge help the men who are with David order a more holy life if it's not because they will have a sense that the presence of God is now watching over them as the bread of heaven becomes a part of their person?

1 Corinthians 2:11–13 (NKJV)

11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Therefore how will this cause them not only to fear but to be more liberated to serve God in truth as God is watching over them with the intercession of the blood sprinkled upon the mercy seat, which faces this bread that is sanctified to them (by the law of faith)?

John 10:34–38 (NKJV)

34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."

John 17:8–9 (NKJV)

8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. 9 "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.

John 17:13–19 (NKJV)

13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Romans 3:27–31 (NKJV)

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Why was Doeg detained before the LORD? Is it possible that he was made unclean by the law in some way and sent to the priest for examination? (v.7)

Does David have the right to defend himself after being put on the run by Saul's persecution? (v.8)

Why does David believe the safest place to hide from Saul would be among the enemies of Israel? (v.10)

Since he is the one who killed Goliath and bears his sword, wouldn't he be standing out like a sore thumb? (v.11)

Therefore what did Philistines think him to be but one of their own once he was able to conceal his identity? (v.12-13)

David is a man of many talents, but how good of an actor is he? (v.14-15)

///////////////////// CHAPTER 22 ///////////////////////////

Now that it is revealed to David's brothers why he was anointed by Samuel as king, how do they show their loyalty to him? (22:1)

Why does misery love company? And why do they believe in David to give them the opportunity to be free of their present misery? (v.2)

Why would the king of Moab be more obliged to show mercy to David? Isn't David of Moabite heritage because of Ruth? (v.3)

And is that the foundation upon which he trusts the king of Moab with his loved ones? (v.4)

Who is the prophet Gad, and how does he serve as a witness to all the events of David's life? (v.5)

2 Chronicles 29:25–26 (NKJV)

25 And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the commandment of the Lord by his prophets. 26 The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

1 Chronicles 29:29–30 (NKJV)

29 Now the acts of King David, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer, 30 with all his reign and his might, and the events that happened to him, to Israel, and to all the kingdoms of the lands.

Was Gad king David's personal cheerleader?

1 Chronicles 21:9–13 (NKJV)

9 Then the Lord spoke to Gad, David's seer, saying, 10 "Go and tell David, saying, 'Thus says the Lord: "I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you."'" 11 So Gad came to David and said to him, "Thus says the Lord: 'Choose for yourself, 12 either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the Lord—the plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.' Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me." 13 And David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man."

Therefore how was God in complete control of all these events between David and Saul, working all things together for the good of the whole nation? (v.6)

What does Doeg stand to gain by David's death? Why does he have compassion for Saul if it is not because he despises the Law of God and wants to protect his self-interest? (v.7-10)

How do Saul's actions serve us as an example against the State establishing its own priesthood? (v.11-19)

How do we know that David is made the priest to serve Israel as an example of the law of faith for justification rather than the ceremonial law serving as the means for their justification when all the ceremonial law could do was condemn them as unclean?

1 Samuel 2:34–36 (NKJV)

34 Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them. 35 Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever. 36 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and say, "Please, put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece of bread."'"

1 Samuel 3:11–14 (NKJV)

11 Then the Lord said to Samuel: "Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. 14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever."

Therefore how was Saul made the instrument of God's justice against Eli's house? (v.19)

Nevertheless, why was it still an evil act on Saul's part to strike the priesthood? And how is David ordained to protect their liberty rather than establish it? Therefore how was David more qualified to partake of the showbread than the house Ahitub through the prophetic word of God? (v.20-23)

Shouldn't the house of Ahitub have recused themselves from serving as priests knowing the judgment against Eli's house? Therefore their judgment was just, wasn't it?

Romans 3:1–8 (NKJV)

1 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: "That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged." 5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, "Let us do evil that good may come"?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

And how do we know that neither Saul nor David fully understood how they were fulfilling prophecy?

1 Peter 1:10–12 (NKJV)

10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.