Posted on 11/23/2025 9:46:48 PM PST by metmom
“But He said to them, ‘Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, 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?’” (Matthew 12:3–4).
David the great king, psalmist, and warrior was a true hero of the Jews, even more so than the prophets and patriarchs were. Jesus here reminds the Pharisees of what happened when David and his men sought to escape the vengeful and jealous King Saul south of Gibeah. They asked for food when they came to the town where the tabernacle was located.
Ahimelech the priest gave David and his men the bread of the Presence because there was “no ordinary bread on hand” (1 Sam. 21:4). That consecrated bread was baked weekly, and each Sabbath day twelve new loaves (representing the twelve tribes of Israel) replaced the previous ones. Only the priests could eat these loaves.
On that unusual occasion, however, God allowed an exception for the sake of David and his companions, who were weakened by hunger. This exceptional action did not offend the Lord, and consequently He did not discipline either David or Ahimelech. It was better for the men to violate a ceremonial regulation if it was necessary to meet their basic needs.
If God allowed His people to sometimes disregard His own law in order to bene-fit their welfare, how could He not allow the purposeless and silly traditions of men and women to be broken so a work of necessity could take place?
Ask Yourself
How does this picture of a practical God square with your perception of Him?
Are we sometimes protective and provincial about the name of God for reasons all our own—or perhaps as excuses for not dirtying our hands with human need?
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Studying God’s Word ping
These days most Christians think that Sunday is the Sabbath instead of Saturday. The changing of honoring the Sabbath to honoring the Lord’s day was an evil contrivance by man, not God. Some wrongly believe that because Jesus never said, that we know of, to continue to honor Saturday Sabbath then we no longer need to. However, Jesus was an observant Jew himself who was always careful to observe the Saturday as Sabbath.
Jesus observed the Sabbath as an observant Jew because He was an observant Jew. We are not Jews and the Sabbath was given to the Jews as a particular sign. Neither Jesus or the Apostles told the Gentiles to obey the Sabbath. The apostles made a special point of telling the Gentiles what was important for them to observe so they could fellowship with the Jews.
Act 15:19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
Act 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
The Petrine vision set much of the old law aside.
And the sabbath is a day of REST.
It was never mandated to be a day for worship of God and yet somehow, over the centuries, it legalistically turned into just that.
Sabbath is a gift from God to mankind.
We should observe it, but I do not believe God cares what day.
You work 6 days, rest one, as He did.
Saturday was given as the Sabbath to Jews by Law, however we are not Jews. I am not sure that that particular part of the law would still apply. As noted by another Freeper, I do not recall anything from Jesus or his Apostles stating we had to keep the Jewish Sabbath as they do.
REMEMBER the Sabbath day, to keep it Holy. Ex.20:8
Acts 15 is referring to the ordinances and ceremonial laws. As far as you not being a Jew, Paul mentions Gentiles have the opportunity to be grafted in. Remember God said the Sabbath was a sign between Him and His people.
The Petrine vision was about the Jewish prejudice against Gentiles who were considered unclean and beyond redemption.
The SABBATH has become a NEHUSHTAN for some churches. You are saved by grace “IF” you (fill in the blank). Soon that “IF” becomes more important to them than believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.
The sabbath day was ordained as a day of REST, not mandated as a day of worship.
God RESTED on the 7th day.
The sabbath is always referred to as a rest in Scripture.
What does the term “to keep it HOLY” mean?
“Arise Peter kill and eat.”
So the Jews were eating Gentiles?
It was about more than prejudice. AND Jews were told in the Old Testament not to marry outside their race/tribe/group. That prejudice came from the Bible itself. It was in the Torah. God was instructing Peter that the law had been set aside through the death of Christ.
You’re half right. The ceremonial laws and ordinances were to keep His people separate because otherwise idolatry would set in. Those laws were set aside to allow the Jews to evangelize the world, including Gentiles. A novel concept to them.
Israel, as explained in Ezekial 14:1 and Eze 20:20
Eze 20:20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.
Thank you. Using the idea of NEHUSHTAN is very appropriate.
Yes, they were God’s people entrusted with keeping God’s laws. There is a way to be grafted in for those who wish to follow Jesus.
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