This past Sunday, I spoke in Rotterdam about a remarkable history in 1Samuel 21. David was suffering hunger together with his men. He went to the priest and asked him for five loaves of bread. No ordinary bread was available, but the priest allowed David to go into the sanctuary (Mat.12:4) and gives him the loaves of bread that, by law, were solely intended for the priests. But now, David and his men received these loaves. By this action, David fulfilled a priestly role. Before he actually became king, he is a priest in the sanctuary, and he provides the men, who share his rejection, with this holy bread. This is a beautiful picture of the present time! The Son of David is the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ), but His kingship over Israel waits for the future. In the meantime, He is rejected and He leads a hidden life. From the heavenly sanctuary, He provides the ecclesia with holy bread: His living Word.
It is rather noteworthy: David asked for five loaves of bread, but he received twelve ("they ate the show breads"; Mat.12:4; Lev.24:5). We cannot help thinking about these numbers in connection with the miraculous feeding in John 6. Jesus started with five loaves of bread, but in the end there were even twelve baskets of bread left over (6:13).
God gives of His bounty, beyond all expectations (cp Phil. 4:19)!
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Translation: Peter Feddema
