1 Samuel 22:1-6

David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest.

1 Samuel 21:1

No matter how difficult your circumstances, you can find what you need at the Lord’s house.

“I was praying this morning about a big question in my life, and the Lord answered through you as you preached.” This faithful sister, weighed down with family troubles and illness, came to church expecting to hear from God – and He met her there. People come to church for many different reasons, many of them wrong. But she came for direction, encouragement and spiritual sustenance. She knew that God had the answer, and she came with her ears and eyes and heart wide open to receive it. No wonder God met her there! She knew where to go for help.
David also looked for help from God. Like many who come to church these days, David wasn’t in the best of shape. He was being hunted by the king and was frantically running for his life. He was without weapons or food and, as Ahimelech noticed right away, he was alone. It was clear that something was wrong, and Ahimelech was worried. But when he was questioned David about why he was there, David lied and tried to make it appear as if everything was okay. Like so many of us, David was a mess.
So it’s no wonder that the first place he stopped after leaving Jonathan was the house of God. David was cut off from all of his friends and from all other sources of help. He needed help, he needed direction and he needed to know that God was still with him. So, he came to Ahimelech, to a man of God. But he was really looking for the Lord.
He had come to the right place.
God delights to provide for His people and His house is intended to be a place of safety and provision. People get the wrong idea many times, thinking that they need to get their act together before they come to God’s house. It may be that we Christians give them that impression, with our fancy clothes and correct behavior and calm appearance. Maybe if others could see us without our masks, they wouldn’t be so reluctant to come. Because we are no better than they are. In ourselves, we are just like David: dirty, confused, helpless, hungry and alone. That’s why a passage like this is so vital for all of us. David came to God’s house for help and so should we. What did David find?
First, David found acceptance. No doubt it seemed to him that the whole world (except Jonathan) was out to get him. But here in God’s house, he was accepted. Ahimelech knew David well and had often inquired of the Lord for him. And so, despite his condition he was welcomed and received help.
Second, he was fed. David asked for the only food that was present in the place – the bread of the Presence. This bread was set out on a regular basis as an offering to the Lord, and it was holy. It wasn’t lawful for David to eat this bread, it was only for the priests. And yet, Ahimelech gave it to David. [While it may seem insignificant to us now, this event was later cited by Jesus Christ as a justification for his disciples, who ate grain on the Sabbath Day. You see, the legalities of the Old Testament (i.e. the ceremonial law) were never intended to prohibit the meeting of legitimate needs among God’s people. In fact, the Sabbath was intended to actually meet man’s need for rest, and to provide a foreshadowing of the eternal rest we have in Christ. This is why Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” However, Jesus’ critics placed Sabbath-keeping – or at least their interpretation of it – above people’s needs. Such an approach was abhorrent to Christ, and He repeatedly told these legalists that they needed to learn what the Lord meant when He said, “I desire compassion and not sacrifice.” Jesus approved of David’s action and He felt free to set aside the legalities of the OT ceremonial system when it was for the purpose of meeting needs. He is “the Lord of the Sabbath” and He interprets its meaning.]
The Lord’s house is source of food for us as well – spiritual food. Here is where we find food for our souls: in celebrating the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper and in the preaching of the Word. One of the primary reasons for gathering at church is to receive this spiritual nourishment from those who are called by God to dispense it. “Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.” Jer. 3:15
David also received direction while in the Lord’s house. We find in 1 Sam. 22:10 & 15 that Ahimelech “inquired of the Lord” for David while he was there. During OT times, the priests used the mysterious Urim and Thummim to discern God’s will and direction. Apparently, David was accustomed to seeking God’s direction through Ahimelech. This was certainly a time in which David needed guidance from God. And while we don’t know what God told him, we do know that he asked for a weapon as he was leaving. Clearly, David knew that danger lay ahead of him.
It is common these days to restrict the Lord’s guidance to the Bible alone. The Bible does give us general guidance, and God certainly never guides His people in a way that contradicts those Biblical principles. But the Bible itself is full of examples of “extra-Biblical” guidance – guidance from the Holy Spirit that is direct, detailed and clear. So, it is not unbiblical to ask God to give specific guidance. That He has done it so infrequently in our experience may have more to do with our lack of faith and expectation than with His willingness to speak.
Finally, David found a weapon he could use against his enemies. Some time before, he had given Golaith’s sword to Ahimelech, dedicating it to the Lord as a memorial of God’s victory through him. But at this point, when he was unarmed and helpless, he gladly received it back from Ahimelech. The New Testament often characterizes the Christian life in terms of warfare. This is one of Paul’s favorite analogies. And he wrote about weapons also, most clearly about “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Eph. 6:17 This weapon, so vital to us in our spiritual warfare, is often found and sharpened in the Lord’s house.
What do you need today? How difficult are the circumstances you’re struggling against? Do you feel like David - dirty, confused, helpless, hungry and alone? Now you know where to go for help.