Week 2

Today’s Readings:

Psalm 52 and 1 Samuel 21:1-9, 22:6-19

The Hate Mail that Became Scripture

David is pissed! Psalm 52 isn't your typical worship song—it's more like a diss track, a heated rant aimed at one of David's enemies, scribbled angrily in his journal.

Let's rewind: David was anointed by the prophet Samuel to be the next king of Israel, replacing Saul. The Holy Spirit came powerfully over David, but instead of immediately stepping into his new role, he returned to tending sheep. Later, David became famous for defeating Goliath with a sling and a stone. After that, he won many battles for Israel, gaining fame that eventually made Saul jealous—so much so that Saul tried to kill him by throwing a spear at him.

In 1 Samuel 21, David is on the run, fleeing from Saul's men hunting him down. Is this what anointing feels like? Tired, desperate, and hungry, David reaches Nob, where priests live. He begs the high priest, Ahimelech, for food but lies about being on a mission from Saul. Though the Bible doesn't judge David for the lie, he often sought the Lord with these priests, and they respected him. While David is there, a man named Doeg, one of Saul's herdsmen, sees him and reports everything to Saul. Later, Saul has all the priests and their families killed for helping David. When David hears this, he writes Psalm 52. The first seven verses are filled with biting insults directed at Doeg.

From Rage to Rooted

One of the harshest lines is:

"God will tear you limb from limb, sweep you up and throw you out,

Pull you up by the roots from the land of life." (Psalm 52:5 MSG)

Not exactly the peaceful tone of "goodness and mercy will follow me all my life," but it's real and raw. Psalms like this can feel jarring because they don't align with Jesus' command to love and pray for our enemies. But what we see in David is a man who processes his anger by bringing it to God. David doesn't kill Doeg. Sure, he gives God some suggestions on how to do it, but even in doing so, David vents his frustration in prayer and trusts God to deliver justice.

The psalm closes with David reflecting on where he's rooted:

"But I am like an olive tree, flourishing in the house of God;

I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever." (Psalm 52:8)

In the midst of a rage, David reminds his emotions that he is rooted in God's mercy. Psalm 52 shows us not only that God can handle our raw emotions but that when we give our anger to God, we're choosing to leave the situation in His hands rather than seeking revenge ourselves. David didn't chase after Doeg—he didn't just say God was just; he truly believed it.

Priestly Provision

There's more to this story. When David flees, the priest gives him a few things, such as Goliath's sword. This was a huge reminder for David of how God had delivered him in the past. While on the run, David might have doubted his anointing, but holding Goliath's sword must have brought back memories of God's faithfulness. When David was first going to fight Goliath, he showed Saul the resume of all the ways God had delivered him before (1 Samuel 17:34-37). Now, the Priests of Nob are unintentionally doing that for David. Some moments in life feel uncertain, but you are armed with the testimony of what God has done through you before.

The priests also gave David holy bread—that was usually reserved for the priests. The priests' nourishment of David cost them their lives. This foreshadows what Jesus, our High Priest, would later do for us. It cost him the broken bread of his holy body to nourish our souls and make us new. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

While we were on the run, Christ offered us bread.

While we were lying about our situation, Christ made us whole.

Ultimately, David could have spiraled into despair, but he focused on God's promise. Even though paranoid Saul, 9-foot Goliath, and Doeg, the shepherd turned bounty hunter, all seemed like major threats, David kept his eyes on the fact that God had called him to be king, and nothing could change that.

Dive Deeper

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” (Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬-‭7‬)

In the Christmas story, we read about how Mary and Joseph also found themselves in a challenging situation. They were forced to travel 90 miles to Bethlehem for a Roman Censes, but Mary was also due to give birth at any moment. Struggling to find shelter in the city, Mary and Joseph most likely had to rest for the night in the open courtyard of a house where they kept the animals. God provided for Mary and Joseph’s challenging situation like he had for David.

In Mark 2:23-27, Jesus talks about David receiving the sacred bread from the priest in his time of need. Jesus uses this as an example to make the point that God values people more than rules or traditions.

Christmas can be stressful for many, filled with expectations and obligations. But whether you're dealing with grief or struggling to meet the demands of the season, remember that God cares about you more than the plans you've made. When life doesn't go as expected, God is still there, providing and guiding us—just as He did for David, Mary, and Joseph.