(Matt. 12:4.)

David was hungry. Moreover, he was in a low state of soul. Such statements as, "The king hath commanded me a business," and "The king's business required haste," are so far from the truth that only a careless disregard of the context would ever permit their use as slogans in the Lord's work. David was not telling the truth when he uttered them. Even a casual reading of 1 Samuel 20 and 21 will make this clear. But of all this the Lord says nothing in Matt. 12. There He simply says that David was hungry and that he went into the house of God and did eat.

No doubt there were a number of places in Nob to which David might have gone to beg supplies for himself and his fellows with less risk of being detected. Nevertheless he went into the house of God. "Common bread" would suffice, but He who is the Host there has something better for this hungry fugitive. "So the priest gave him hallowed bread," for there was no "common bread" there. What a provision for one who, a little later, was to prove himself more unworthy than ever by playing the madman at a heathen's gate. But such is divine grace!

David was a man of like passions with ourselves, and his experiences are recorded for our admonition. Our blessed Lord selects the one commendable thing in the whole circumstance and emphasizes it. "Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungered, and they that were with him; how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread?" He knew where to turn in his need. Do we? And if we do, how often do we turn there? Alas, how many of God's dear children turn again to the husks that can not satisfy. Every worldly novelty finds hungry Christians ready to pay the price for the satisfaction offered. But,

"The world has nothing new to give;
It has no true, no pure delight."

There is only one Living Bread, only One who can truly satisfy the longing soul. Then "wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not?" "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you." "Lord, evermore give us this bread." Hallowed bread indeed, to be enjoyed in His own blessed presence. Thither let us go and eat our bread continually at His table. C. Armstrong