I was currently working on a commentary lesson on a subject that includes this very moment in Biblical history. It ties into the account of Jesus teaching on the Sabbath, which comes from a commentary I wrote on the
Sabbath sometime late last year. I originally shared parts of this with a Bible Study group I am leading on the Book of Matthew. You may, or may not find it enlightening. I have yet to post it to my blog, and thus have yet to share it here. However, your post led me to share what I have with you to get your thoughts on it.
Using this incident of when David was on the run from Saul, we see our LORD using it as an example for the Sabbath. Looking closely at the Scriptures, there is much more involved in the whole incident than just HIS teaching on the true nature of the Sabbath as meant by GOD, or than just the attack on David by Saul. An incident that also includes the fulfillment of a 20 year old prophecy.
I called the study, "Schisms"
A schism is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denominations. In my example we see a schism take place in two incidents where the one's in control lash out at God's anointed. Thus causing a schism that puts the very lives of GOD's people in jeopardy, while ultimately culminating in GOD's plan for mankind's salvation.
One example would be the schism of 1054, when Eastern and Western Christianity split. The Eastern half was more wrong at the time, yet almost 1000 years later the Eastern half is now closer to the truth than what the Catholic Church has morphed into. I say closer only because the Catholic Church has strayed so far from their humble beginnings that one would be hard pressed to even recognize it from what it was in 1054.
Another example would be the Reformation, which created a schism that led to many being persecuted and murdered by the old entity that could not stand losing control of GOD's people. In reality, while I believe that the Reformation movement was GOD's anointing of those who held to the truth, in time even more schisms were created by men wanting their traditions to hold sway over GOD's Words.
This brings me to the study I did on the parallel Scriptures of Matthew 12:1-8 and 1 Samuel 21:1-9.
Instead of getting into the main discussion of the Sabbath and how Jesus used the incident of Him and His disciples being asked by the Pharisees as to why they break the Sabbath by gleaning food from the grain fields, I want to get into another point. A point that is seldom, if ever mentioned by Scholars. Who knows, maybe my bringing awareness upon it will cause some to stop and ponder the importance of what I share.
Mind you, the reason David came upon Ahimelech at Nob, was because he was on the run from Saul. Remember, in chapter 20, we read about the pledge David gave Johnathan for his loyalty to David. Johnathan finally came to the realization that his father, Saul, truly did want to kill David. After pledging their oath to each other at the stone Ezel, David and his men fled from Saul and were starving from having no food.
So David arrives at Nob, which is a Levite city where the Tent of the Tabernacle was. Now Nob was set aside by GOD for the Levites, but at the time the Ark of the Covenant was still at Kiriath-Jearim (aka Baale-Judah). Now David asked for bread and the High Priest Ahimelech gave him bread sanctified but not yet placed into the Tabernacle.
Later when Saul found out the High Priest gave David food, he got angry, and the High Priest and others killed along with ordering the city of Nob to be burned to the ground. In so doing he also ordered all the men, women, children, and infants, along with all the animals of the city slaughtered. Thus Satan put it in Saul's heart to murder the ancestor of mankind's eventual Anointed Savior, by killing GOD's anointed King. So the schism officially started between Saul and God's anointed King.
Fast forward to the Pharisees confronting Jesus, because HE and HIS disciples were picking heads of grain to eat on the Sabbath. They accused them of harvesting on the Sabbath, which was a tradition they created from bastardizing of GOD's Law. Since GOD never said they could not eat on the Sabbath, but the traditions they put in place turned gleaning a grain of food to eat into harvesting crop.
Gleaning on the Sabbath a problem in the Mishnah (traditions, not the Law)
Mishnah: 39 actions prohibited on the Sabbath
They turned gleaning for sustenance into harvesting
by twisting what GOD had commanded
The Bible: Don't do ordinary work on the Sabbath
Religious leaders sought to tell people what that meant
Disciples broke four laws of the Mishnah (Traditions)
Reaping: became the simple plucking of grain
Threshing: became the mere rubbing of grain in hands
Winnowing: became an act of blowing away the chaff
Preparing food; became the very act of eating the kernal of grain they just plucked
This incident, and the one later that same day when Jesus healed a man's withered hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath, was too much for the Pharisees to handle. This is when they began making plans to destroy GOD's anointed King. The schism between men's priests, and GOD's anointed Priest had begun.
Man's king, Saul, rejected GOD and went after GOD's Anointed KING. Twelve hundred years later, priests appointed by men rejected GOD and went after HIS Anointed KING, Jesus The Christ.
This was all set in motion from the moment GOD said, "Let there be Light." About 6,000 years later when LIGHT entered the World, men preferred the darkness, and set about to extinguish The LIGHT. Throughout the Scriptures, GOD reveals to us the schisms that are created by men who reject HIS Anointed. I guess we could say that the first schism began when Eve bought into the first lie told to her by Satan.
"God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:5
So man began anointing their own to lead them instead of GOD. However, there is a lesson intertwined in these passages for us to learn from. The lesson is that whatever Satan persuades man to perpetrate will always be used by GOD's for HIS glory. Thus the schisms we create, are but a tool used by GOD to keep HIS clock moving ever towards the final fullness of times when HE will return.
Finally, as to the fulfillment of a 20 year old prophecy, which I alluded to at the beginning, I offer this bit that again shows how GOD's word will always come true. In the passage from 1 Samuel 2:31-33, we learn how the symbolic strength of Eli's arm will be destroyed and that his priestly family would be cut off. Never again would any descendants of Eli sit as High Priest. It was fulfilled by Saul wiping out the town of Nob. Abiathar, Eli's great grandson lived, but was removed from the priesthood, and his children never reassumed the position.
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. 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. 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.
1 Samuel 2:31-33
Interestingly, the one who killed Ahimelech (the last High Priest from Eli's line) and the other 85 priests was Doeg, an Edomite. He was also used by Saul to go after David, GOD's anointed. Similarly Herod The Great, was also an Edomite, who was sent forth by Satan to kill GOD's anointed child, Jesus. An example of how Satan has tried time and time again to stop GOD's anointed seed from fulfilling HIS destination to be our eternal forever Redeemer. Those who claim the Bible is made up, will be hard pressed to find anyone who can create a novel with so many twists and stories over 6 thousand years that all come together for the fullness of times like GOD's WORD does.
I pray this did not come off too Convoluted, but you know as well I do that GOD works in mysterious ways. So while we may think we know everything there is to know about HIS Word, HE is ever opening our minds eyes to more lessons that are hidden like nuggets in a gold mine. One other thing, the reason my commentaries are so long, is because I am also in the process of writing a book titled, "Walking Circumspectly". In it I will be publishing some of my best commentaries, psalms, and devotionals. I want to be sure I do not leave any information out that would properly explain my position on a topic. Something I can get away with on blogs where I can interact with the reader, but I cannot with a book.
I am ever enjoying your posts, even if I seldom comment. I guess with comments as long as I write, you are probably happy I do not comment very often. Keep up the good work my brother.
GOD bless you and yours,
Chuck Ness
