1 Samuel 21
Important: This passage and sermon interact with Matthew 12 where Jesus gives a defense for why it is not against the Law of Moses (why his disciples are not disobedient to Moses) in breaking off some grain heads and eating them while they traveled on the Sabbath on mission with Jesus.
Chapter 20 closed with Jonathan warning David of Saul’s evil intent. They arranged a signal to warn David and Jonathan and David bid a tearful goodbye to his faithful friend. Now from chapters 21-31, David is in exile from Saul’s court and is a fugitive fighting for survival as Saul attempts to assassinate him. This exile lasts 9 years, from about 1020-1011BC.
In that time we see David’s forces growing stronger and stronger while Saul’s forces get weaker and weaker. These chapters are highly instructive for us for two reasons. First, they help us see how the difficulties that God permitted David to experience refined his character and prepared him for the throne (cf. Heb. 12). Second, these chapters illustrate the sovereignty of God in working out His plans for both Saul and David. They help us see how God works and uses the choices people make to accomplish His will.
Helpful, too, are the parallels between David’s experiences as the LORD’s anointed and Jesus Christ’s as the LORD’s anointed (Christ = anointed). Rejection preceded acceptance, and suffering preceded reigning, in both cases. God blessed both of these servants personally, and they became a blessing to others because of their commitment to Yahweh and His Law. The church age generally follows the same paradigm. We are promised troubles, but because Jesus leads us, our troubles yield maturity and perseverance in this life, and finally bring forth the fruits of glory and joy when we are with the Lord.
Stanley Tucker notes here, “The true servant of God must willingly suffer affliction with the full assurance that God is performing His purposes. Positions of prominence and prestige are not to be sought and worked for. Rather, the leader who desires Christ’s blessing must wait patiently on Him for advancement and promotion to opportunities of greater service.”