In 1 Samuel 21, the historical
account of what's going on, and we're just going to look at one
verse, but basically, verse 1 of 1 Samuel 21, then came David
to Nob to Himalek the priest. And he's the high priest. So
this is where he's at. He's running from Saul. And Saul
believes that everyone, even Jonathan his son, is in league
with David against him. So he's paranoid. He's paranoid.
He has these fits where it's uncontrollable, lust. So David
is tirelessly fleeing from one location to the next. He's fleeing
the king, and he's fleeing the king's court, which he's a part
of, and he winds up in Nob. where the tabernacle is for now. It's been moved around. They
don't have a place yet. Solomon built the temple, but
they have the tabernacle. And it's been moved different
places. And apparently it's in Nob where the priests are, the
high priests, which is a hemelic for now. David goes in to see
the high priest and is provided showbread and a weapon. Let's look at verse 9. Let's look at verse 8. And David
said unto Ahimelech, Is there not here under thine hand spear
or sword? For I have neither brought my
sword nor my weapons with me. I think David knew that perhaps
Goliath's sword was there. Some writers say he did, some
don't mention it. And what is it we're going to
look at in verse 9? And the priest said, the sword of Goliath, the
Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold,
it is here, wrapped in a cloth, behind the ephod. Now that ephod
is that garment that the high priest would put on. It's behind
it. For if thou wilt take it, take
it. But there is no other save that
here. We don't have any weapons here.
That's it. And David said, and this is what
I want to single in on, there is none like that. There is none
like that. Give it to me. Several points. First thought.
is this sword was wrapped up in a cloth in the tabernacle
behind the ephod of the high priest. This sword David knew
that he had used to slay the giant, which we could say is
a picture of our enemy, our sins, or our flesh. Or we could say
that this sword is Like he says in Ephesians 6,
verse 16, And above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith
ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked,
and take the helmet of the salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the Word of God." The sword of the Spirit, which is
the Word of God. So that's why I'm going to use this correlation.
There's a sword. One sword. The Word of God. But this sword,
it was set back, almost in a memorial way, a reminder. And could we
not, David obviously, when he saw that and knew for certain
that the sword was there, don't you think he remembered
God's mercy in that day of victory? You would. That's the word. I
remember. So too, the gospel. The word
of the Spirit. The word of grace is a blessed
memorial to the glory of God in Christ Jesus. Christ, so to
speak, is God's memorial A constant reminder of the cost of our salvation,
the price of the law broken, the value of sins forgiven. Can
you not picture David exhausted, wore out, tired, coming into
the tabernacle, dejected, humbled, lowly, and the priest gives him
the showbread, the type of Christ, he feeds upon the bread, and
to hear, to hear of this sword, this sword, this very sword is
here. As we gather together, we memorialize Christ. We do
this in remembrance of Him who suffered and bled and died for
us. You talk about getting your thoughts off of yourself, you're
wore out, you're tired, you had a tough week, you're going to
get ready to go into a tough week, or right in the middle
of a tough day, as Scott Richardson would say, that's the three phases
of the believer. Heading into trouble, you're in trouble, or
you just left trouble. Can you imagine He's thinking about himself,
which is our problem. We think about ourselves all
the time. And for a moment, he gets relief
from the bread, but he knows the sword is there. Oh, the memories of the victory
that sword brought to him. He was lifted up to fight another
day. Which leads me to my second point.
This sword, this remembrance of the sword, I'm sure boasted
David's faith. As it is with this word of truth,
believed upon and rested upon the sword of the word of God,
the truth. Lord, increase our faith as we open this book, loose
the seals therein, and oh to see and behold and worship the
Christ within its pages. To understand its precepts, its
doctrines, its central theme. To view rightly the total and
complete fall of ourselves in Adam. As Isaiah 1 verse 5 says,
to know in and of ourselves that we are polluted from the top
of the head to the bottom of our feet. To see within its pages,
to stare, to believe upon Christ as our singular and sole substitute
for crimes against the God-man. To witness The pure, holy, and
harmless Son of God, raising up on that third day, victorious
over our transgressions and raised for our justification. To go
to this and see the sword. To know that the sword and know
what the Lord had done by this sword. The Word of God. To shout
with our Savior, it is finished. It is finished in harmony. with
our lovely and adorable Redeemer. The law is satisfied. Sins are
covered. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
4 for our third point. And verse 12, for the Word of
God, wherein the Gospel is preached unto us, the everlasting Gospel,
does not change about the Son of God, the good news of the
Gospel. It's all tied together. You can't have the Word without
the Gospel. You can't have the Gospel without
the story of how God saves sinners. It's all tied in together. The
Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder soul and spirit. the
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of
the heart." The sword. Back to our text, may we say
as David said then, give it to me. Give it to me. This is what I want to hear.
When we come here, I don't want to hear about the weather or
this or that. I want to hear about Christ.
Give it to me. Give it to me. I want to hear
it. I want to hear of Him. I need
it. I need Him. I must have it. I must have Him. It is food for
my soul, health. It is my all in all. As a matter
of fact, one writer said, to be born again is, as it were,
is to enter in upon a new existence, to have a new mind, a new heart,
new views, new principles, new tastes, new affections, new likings,
new dislikings, new fears, new joys, new sorrows, new love to
things once hated, new hatred to things once loved, new thoughts
of God, new thoughts of ourselves and the world and life to come,
and new thoughts about salvation. Give it to me. I won't hear it out there. I
won't hear it here. We're going to hear it
at home. May we be as David. Give it to me. Give it me. Give
it me. Matthew chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13, verse 45
and 46. Yeah, verse 45, Again, the kingdom
of heaven is like unto a merchant, man seeking goodly pearls. the
kingdom of heaven, the gospel, the word of God, Christ, when
who he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all
that he had and bought it. Give it me. I must have this. This great price, that Greek
word is extremely valuable. A pearl of great price. One pearl
of great price. Extremely valuable. Such high
value. We do place upon this holy book. Containing the holy
seed, Christ telling us about the holy salvation through substitution
and blood bought pardon for sins. And he says, they sold all. In
verse 46, sold all. That means the whole. Christ
will have the whole heart or nothing. There's no partial salvation. He's not a partial Savior. He's
the one only Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because to us, He's precious. Or said in the way of our text,
there's none like that. There's none like that. There's none like that. There's
none like Him. In His nourishing content, in
His saving power, in His God-honoring doctrine, in His humbling capacity,
in His raising up potential, in His comforting solace, or
in His glorifying sonnets. There's none like it. This truth,
this sword, this gospel message of a crucified kinsman, we know
it as the only message that solely focuses upon the full and free
works of Emmanuel, able to save to the uttermost. There's none
like it, that exalts God, that honors Christ, and promotes the
Holy Spirit. And as Acts chapter 4 verse 12
says, there's none other name. Why there's none other name?
Because there's none like it. That's just the truth. There's
no other name as there is none like Him. And Ephesians 4 says
there's one Lord, one faith, one baptism. In closing, I want to draw your
attention back to our story in chapter 21 of Samuel. And the priest said, it's the
sword of Goliath is here, you know about it. It's wrapped in
a cloth behind the ephod and if you'll take it, take it. For
there is none other, there is no other save that here. So where's
David at? Where's David at? He's talking
to the high priest in the tabernacle where God met with man. And I
say, this is where we should be. This is where we want to
be. This is where we desire to be.
He was running for his life and he went there on purpose, but
that's where he's at. Secondly, how many swords are
in this place? There's one. There is only one,
and so too, when we gather together in this ordained place, we should
only hear preached one gospel about one Savior. Not many, not
plural, but singular. There is none like that, so we
say. The sword of the Spirit, the Word, when preached especially,
as milk warmed is fitter for nourishment and as the rain from
heaven hath a fatness with it and a special influence more
than standing waters, so there is not that life, operation and
blessing in the Word read as preached." The Bible, the first book, the
best book, the oldest book in the world, It contains the choicest
matter, it gives the best instruction, affords the greatest pleasure
and satisfaction that ever was revealed. It contains the best
laws and profoundest mysteries that ever were penned. It brings
the best of tidings and affords the best of comfort to the inquiring
and disconsolate. It exhibits life and immortality
from everlasting and shows Christ the way to eternal glory. It
is a brief recital of all that is past and a certain prediction
of all that is to come. It settles all matters in debate,
resolves all doubts, and eases the mind and conscience of all
their scruples. It reveals the only living and
true God and shows the way of Him. It sets aside all other
gods and describes the vanity of them. and of all that trust
in them. In short, it is a book of law
to show right and wrong, a book of wisdom that condemns all folly
and makes the foolish wise, a book of truth that detects all lies
and confutes all errors, a book of life that gives life and reveals
Christ the way from everlasting death. It is the most glorious
book in all the world. the most ancient, authentic,
and most entertaining history that ever was published. I wish
I could speak like that. Lastly, may our response be through
the Holy Spirit and His conviction Give it me. Give it me. I must have Christ
or I'll perish. I must see Him in the Gospel.
I must believe upon Him through the Word preached. Or as another
man said so many years ago, God be merciful to me, the sinner. Matt, would you close this?