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First Reading: 1 Samuel Chapter 21 and 22
1 Samuel 21
21:1 David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he
met him, and asked, "Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?"
2 David answered Ahimelech the priest, "The king charged me with a certain
matter and said to me, 'No one is to know anything about your mission and your
instructions.' As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place.
3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever
you can find."
4 But the priest answered David, "I don't have any ordinary bread on hand;
however, there is some consecrated bread here-provided the men have kept themselves
from women."
5 David replied, "Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever
I set out. The men's things are holy even on missions that are not holy. How
much more so today!" 6 So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since
there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed
from before the LORD and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.
7 Now one of Saul's servants was there that day, detained before the LORD; he
was Doeg the Edomite, Saul's head shepherd.
8 David asked Ahimelech, "Don't you have a spear or a sword here? I haven't
brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king's business was urgent."
9 The priest replied, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed
in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If
you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one."
David said, "There is none like it; give it to me."
10 That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. 11 But the
servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land?
Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances:
"'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?"
12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of
Gath. 13 So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in
their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and
letting saliva run down his beard.
14 Achish said to his servants, "Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring
him to me? 15 Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here
to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?"
1 Samuel 22
22:1 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers
and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there. 2 All
those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and
he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.
3 From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, "Would
you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will
do for me?" 4 So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with
him as long as David was in the stronghold.
5 But the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold. Go
into the land of Judah." So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
6 Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul, spear
in hand, was seated under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all
his officials standing around him. 7 Saul said to them, "Listen, men of
Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he
make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? 8 Is that
why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant
with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my
son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today."
9 But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul's officials, said, "I
saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. 10 Ahimelech inquired
of the LORD for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the
Philistine."
11 Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and his father's
whole family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. 12
Saul said, "Listen now, son of Ahitub."
"Yes, my lord," he answered.
13 Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son
of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that
he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?"
14 Ahimelech answered the king, "Who of all your servants is as loyal as
David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected
in your household? 15 Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him?
Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father's family,
for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair."
16 But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's
whole family."
17 Then the king ordered the guards at his side: "Turn and kill the priests
of the LORD, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing,
yet they did not tell me."
But the king's officials were not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests
of the LORD.
18 The king then ordered Doeg, "You turn and strike down the priests."
So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five
men who wore the linen ephod. 19 He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the
priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys
and sheep.
20 But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join
David. 21 He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. 22 Then
David said to Abiathar: "That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew
he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your father's
whole family. 23 Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your
life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me."
Second Reading: Psalms Chapter 66 and 67
Psalms 66
66:1 For the director of music. A song. A psalm.
Shout with joy to God, all the earth! 2 Sing the glory of his name;make his
praise glorious! 3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!So great is
your power that your enemies cringe before you. 4 All the earth bows down to
you;they sing praise to you,they sing praise to your name."Selah
5 Come and see what God has done,how awesome his works in man's behalf! 6 He
turned the sea into dry land,they passed through the waters on foot — come,
let us rejoice in him. 7 He rules forever by his power,his eyes watch the nations
— let not the rebellious rise up against him.Selah
8 Praise our God, O peoples,let the sound of his praise be heard; 9 he has preserved
our lives and kept our feet from slipping. 10 For you, O God, tested us;you
refined us like silver. 11 You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our
backs. 12 You let men ride over our heads;we went through fire and water,but
you brought us to a place of abundance.
13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you
— 14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble. 15
I will sacrifice fat animals to you and an offering of rams;I will offer bulls
and goats.Selah
16 Come and listen, all you who fear God;let me tell you what he has done for
me. 17 I cried out to him with my mouth;his praise was on my tongue. 18 If I
had cherished sin in my heart,the Lord would not have listened; 19 but God has
surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. 20 Praise be to God,who has not
rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!
Psalms 67
67:1 For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us,Selah
2 that your ways may be known on earth,your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, O God;may all the peoples praise you. 4 May the
nations be glad and sing for joy,for you rule the peoples justly and guide the
nations of the earth.Selah 5 May the peoples praise you, O God;may all the peoples
praise you.
6 Then the land will yield its harvest,and God, our God, will bless us. 7 God
will bless us,and all the ends of the earth will fear him.
PROMISES JESUS MADE TO HIS DISCIPLES
There are promises made by God throughout the Bible. We have seen some of the promises made to Adam & Eve, to Noah, and to Abraham. God through Jesus also made many promises to those who became believers or followers of Jesus:
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