TEXT: 1SAMUEL 17:50-51 & 21:8-9
"So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a
stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was
no sword in the hand of David.Therefore David ran, and stood
upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the
sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith.
And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they
fled."
"And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under
thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my
sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business
required haste. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the
Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it
is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take
that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David
said, There is none like that; give it me."
The shew bread or the bread of His presence was an exclusive right of the priests: no any other person, who is not from the seed of Aaron, was allowed to eat thereof. This is a stern injunction from God to Aaron and Moses. It is holy and consecrated wholly to be eating by the high priest and his sons within the tabernacle. Howbeit, David requested for food, when he came to Ahimelech. Ahimelech told him there was nothing to eat except the shew bread.
David was given this bread: this has never happened before! This is an "aberration." Was Ahimelech unaware of the custom tied to this holy bread? No! He actually gave it to the coming messiah and hight priest in David. David is the type of Christ. David in turn gave it to the men that followed him and they ate as well. This is because these men were priests also in the light of the new testament. All that follow Jesus are considered as priests. These incidences depict David as a type of Christ.
It should be noted that the Sword of Golliath, the symbol and manifest token of his victory in the valley of Ella, was voluntarily brought into the temple by him with the sole aim of monumentalizing same so as to evoke sense of confidence in God and His ability. But it seems as though the old order has pushed it behind the scene. David needed to carry it along and makes war with it.
So, it is not going to be restricted and wrapped in a cloth again. The man that used it first on the enemy of Israel, has need of it now. He would become her king and her captain, and his sword would be this symbol of victory. The law wraps and hides the cross of Christ and projects works and traditions: the law makes the cross of Christ oblivion and keeps it away from men. All that God struggled to show the Israelites through the old testament is the cross. But the traditions of their fathers would not allow it.
But now the captain of our salvation, the one that made the cross possible has entered into the tabernacle, defied traditions and ate the shew bread and has demanded that the cross become free and a mobile war object and tools. It was unwrapped and unveiled: meant to be carried around as an instrument of war and also a symbol of victory. Actually, one may be correct to say that all the battles and wars David fought, were done with this sword.
Men and brethren, God does His battles by the cross of His son. God fights by the death of Jesus Christ. When God wants to help a man and gives him victory, He shows him the cross. David rescued the sword from behind the EPHOD, unwrapped it and took it with him any where he went to, conquering and dominating all nations. Any where the message of the cross goes to, victory is established. The sword became a moving object in the hand of David. Whenever David went, he went with the sword. Jesus and His cross cannot be separated. The message of the cross shows the presence of Jesus. The two are inseparable! Amen!
The evil of the law is that, the law wants to keep the cross wrapped in a linen: it desires that the cross be kept behind the aaronic priesthood; wrapped away and out of sight. Today, we see new testament ministers preaching rules and regulations. We see psychological and philosophical sayings taking over our pulpits. They come out to tell us "Eight ways to be deliver from sin" "75 prayer topics that would guarantee your breakthrough." "The praying positions that open the flood gate of heaven." "How to show the Devil the way out of your life!" These are not the message of the cross. Men are encouraged to fast, give fat offerings and be faithful in tithes so as to be guaranteed safety. These are wrong doctrines. The cross does not need anything from you other than faith! We must contend to rescue the cross from this linen behind the EPHOD! To be continued!