“David went to Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” 2 David answered Ahimelek 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.3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.” 4 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 keptthemselves from women.” 5 David replied, “Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever[b] I set out. The men’s bodies are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!” 6 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.” 1 Samuel 21.1-7
It was unusual for David to request and eat the Bread of the Presence. Scholars often link this bread to the bread of the Eucharist or the Last Supper. This bread, kept in the Tabernacle, represented God’s covenant with the twelve tribes and was considered holy. It was to be eaten only by priests, and David was certainly not a priest. He was a warrior from the Tribe of Judah and had no business eating this sacred bread.
However, practically speaking, there was a human need. When Jesus recounts the story of His disciples picking and eating grain on the Sabbath because they were hungry (Matthew 12:1-8), He references David and his men eating the holy bread. Jesus says, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” The principle here is that human need supersedes this aspect of the law.
I’ve discussed only the bread so far and haven’t touched on David showing up alone and unattended to the priest Ahimelech. David was part of King Saul’s court and a national hero—songs were sung about him, stories were told. His appearance in the town of Nob, near Jerusalem, was shocking. Imagine Pope Francis showing up at your doorstep today!
But I want to return to the bread, which sustained David while echoing God’s covenant with His people, including David. Jesus would later come from the line of David. David, a man after God’s own heart, was cared for by the Lord. God’s covenant promised love and provision for His people, and He fulfilled that very day through the Bread of the Presence, offered willingly by the priest Ahimelech.
In a similar way, God provides for each of us through His power and presence. Yesterday, I took Holy Communion and, as always, felt the presence of the Lord. He met me in that moment, providing strength, reassurance, and the love I needed. He reminded me of His saving grace, which He has bestowed upon me and which I willingly received by faith.
I wonder what needs you have from the Lord today. Do you need to be reminded of His power and presence? Do you need healing? To feel His love? To know His forgiveness? Christ, who is God, remains faithful, present in the bread of Communion as He was in the Bread of the Presence. His nearness to you, made possible by the Holy Spirit, is available to all today.
Draw near to God. Like David, take assurance in the God who is your provider. Allow Him to fill you with His grace and love.
“O Lord God, You are good. Your faithfulness extends to all generations. In the midst of struggles, You draw near. Thank You, Lord, for loving me, for allowing me to find assurance in You and purpose for living in Your presence. I love You, Lord, and praise Your name. For You are good, and Your love endures forever.” Amen.