1 Samuel 21-25 CSB
David said to Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or a sword on hand? I didn’t even bring my sword or my weapons since the king’s mission was urgent.” The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want to take it for yourself, then take it, for there isn’t another one here.” “There’s none like it!” David said. “Give it to me.” 21:8-9
These are some of the most encouraging verses in all of 1st Samuel. David is on the run for his life. He has been anointed King by Samuel and he has been promised the kingdom, but the current king (Saul) is hunting for David to take his life. Where once David was the king’s right-hand man, now he is being hunted like a dog. He is too honorable to kill Saul himself and so he has no choice but to run into the night and escape with his life. In his flight, he runs to the priests at Nob and begs for help. Without telling them the whole story he asks for food and weapons; the two things that a temple would NOT have.
I can picture the interchange in my mind where the priest knows something is wrong, but he implicitly trusts David and wants to help. He racks his brain and remembers, “Well there is the consecrated bread.” This was not bread that was to be eaten by David, but it was bread that was put out for an offering. Yet, the priest does what he can and gives David the bread. “What about a spear or a sword?” David asks. Again the priest looks at him a bit confused… this is, after all, a temple and not an armory. And then he remembers, and goes behind a holy ephod and pulls out a sword. “We only have this one here, but I am sure you recognize it… the sword of Goliath.” I can imagine at that moment… at one of the lowest moments of David’s life… a flood of memories comes into his mind as he remembers (years ago) the faithfulness of the Lord to a little shepherd boy with just a sling and a stone.
I have no idea how the sword got there. If you read the account of Goliath it says that David put the sword in his tent; in other words, he kept it. Somehow, at some time, it was lost or given away or something. Yet, years later, at the very moment when David was at his lowest, God orchestrated the events of David’s life so that he would be in that temple, with that priest, asking that question and then see that sword as a visible reminder of God’s faithfulness and deliverance.
Isn’t that how God works in our lives? We go through challenges and trials (battles if you will) and He shows Himself faithful and wins the day. He doesn’t just do that to deliver us in the moment, but He also does it to encourage us and prepare us for the next battle that is coming tomorrow (See 2 Cor. 1:4). It is what I call God’s “trophy case.” Whenever you are discouraged or struggling, go back in your mind and remember all the times He delivered you; remember all the times He was faithful and let those memories encourage you to persevere in your current situation. David eventually won the war, but he needed momentary strength for the battle and that sword was God’s gift to David when he needed encouragement, so he could press on another day.
