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Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Genesis 36:1-37:11
Matthew 12:1-21

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Matthew 12:3-4 (CSB): “He said to them, ‘Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry: how he entered the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence—which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests?’”

Reflecting on God’s Word

There have always been liberals and legalists. Liberals celebrate grace but are careless with the truth, while legalists celebrate the truth but are careless with grace.

It’s my observation that we live in a time when people celebrate grace but aren’t hungry for righteousness (Matthew 5:6). Instead, people’s Bibles collect dust, so “Christians” simply try to be good people (not necessarily holy), celebrate spiritual mediocrity, and presume upon grace.

However, there have always been legalists, too. And no one in the Bible epitomized legalism (all law / no grace) like the Pharisees. In today’s Bible reading, we see Jesus and His disciples walking through a field and gathering grain to eat as they walk. The Pharisees condemned them based on their strict interpretation of the Sabbath law.

What Jesus says to them is striking. Let’s spend a few moments considering the implications.

If you reread Jesus’ words (that I chose as the verses for today), you’ll observe that Jesus appealed to some instances in Israel’s history. In Matthew 12:3-4, He reminded them of when David was fleeing from Saul (1 Samuel 21:1-6).

It is nothing short of astounding that Jesus appealed to that story. Why? Because David was fleeing from Saul when he deceived the priest Ahimelech and got him to provide the Bread of the Presence from the Tabernacle to feed David’s men. When referring to this story, Jesus made it clear that it wasn’t lawful for David’s men to eat that consecrated bread (see Matthew 12:4). Yet, the way Jesus appealed to this story, He didn’t condemn David. He actually seems to approve, even though David technically broke the Old Testament law.

After this, Jesus pointed out that the Old Testament priests worked on the Sabbath, thereby violating the Fourth Command (Exodus 20:8-11). Then, Jesus gave a principle. This is the point He was making.

Matthew 12:7 (CSB): “If you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent.”

In other words, God’s Law is to be obeyed. It was given by God for our good. But some laws might be suspended in times of need. In other words, the Bread of the Presence was to be eaten only by the priests. But God never intended for that law to be obeyed if it meant that men who were starving would continue to starve as the Bread deteriorated and was not eaten.

Yes, God gave us the law, and it is for our good. The Pharisees (legalists) celebrated their “righteousness” by how meticulously they obeyed (externally) God’s law. But they didn’t care for people like God did.

So, as you chase after obedience and holiness, don’t let your heart become filled with pride so that you look down on people and use God’s Word to condemn them. God loves obedience and expects it from us. But He also loves people, and He loves extending grace and mercy to those in need. We should do that, too.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to give you a greater hunger for righteousness so that you spend much time in God’s Word, get God’s Word into you, and obey it.
  • Ask God to keep you humble even as you grow in your knowledge and application of God’s Word.
  • Ask God to help you use His Word correctly as you relate to others. Let it convict sinners, point them to Jesus for salvation, and provide a standard for living as a Jesus follower. But never use it to beat someone up.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into David’s actions and Jesus’ justification of those actions, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“Was it wrong for David to eat the showbread in 1 Samuel 21:1–6?”

“What is the meaning of “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13)?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)