A STATUTE AND ORDINANCE
A STATUTE AND ORDINANCE “David made this a statute and ordinance from that day to this” (1 Sam. 30:25)
Jesus said: “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).
Today we will study an obscure text written thousands of years ago that still has meaning and significance to us today.
First let us consider a brief background of our text:
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Achish, the Philistine, gave David and his men the city of Ziklag as a place to live (1 Sam. 27:6).
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While David and his men were out fighting the Amalekites attacked Ziklag and burned and plundered it (1 Sam. 30:1).
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The Amalekites didn’t kill anyone, however, but took everyone captive, both young and old. •
Everyone’s wives and children were taken captive, including David’s wives Ahinoam and Abigail (1 Sam. 30:4,5).
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David sought counsel from the Lord and the Lord assured him of success in following the Amalekites and rescuing the captives (1 Sam. 30:8).
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Therefore David with 600 men pursued the Amalekites. When they came to the Besor Ravine, however, 200 men were too exhausted to continue (1 Sam. 30:10).
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David left these 200 men to watch their supplies and continued the pursuit.
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David surprised the Amalekites while they were eating, drinking, and reveling because of all the plunder they had stolen (1 Sam. 30:16).
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David and his men attacked and fought the Amelekites from dusk until the evening of the next day. They also recovered everything the Amalekites had stolen. “Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, ‘This is David’s plunder’” (1 Sam. 30:19,20).
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When David and his men returned to the Besor Ravine where their supplies were, the men who guarded the supplies came out to meet them (1 Sam. 30:21).
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Some evil men and trouble makers with David didn’t want these 200 men to share in the plunder for they did not participate in the battle (1 Sam. 30:22).
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David, however, made a decree. He said: “The share of the men who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike. DAVID MADE THIS A STATUTE AND ORDINANCE FOR ISRAEL FROM THAT DAY TO THIS” (1 Sam. 30:24,25).
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It is this decree that is the subject of today’s lesson!
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This statute and ordinance gives us something profound to think about today. These 200 men represent thousands of godly people whose work many consider “insignificant”. DAVID, HOWEVER, RECOGNIZED THAT WHAT THEY DID WAS NECESSARY. THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE! CONSEQUENTLY, HE MADE IT A STATUTE AND ORDINANCE THAT MEN LIKE THAT SHOULD ALWAYS BE HONORED. DAVID’S DECISION WAS HONORED FOR YEARS TO COME AND STILL NEEDS TO BE HONORED TODAY!
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This is encouraging to most of us who are not famous. Jesus taught His disciples that even a simple act of kindness like giving a cup of cold water will not be forgotten by God (Matt. 10:42).
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On the night before Calvary Jesus humbled Himself and washed His disciple’s feet (Jn. 13:1- 17). Jesus said: “Now that I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you should also wash one another’s feet. I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you” (Jn. 13:14,15).
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On Judgement Day the saved will be rewarded for simple acts of kindness that are easily overlooked. Feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty clothing the naked, looking after the sick and visiting the prisoners may seem insignificant to many, but they are not insignificant to God! (Matt. 25:31-46).
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If God calls you to do something it is not insignificant!
DAVID UNDERSTOOD SERVICE WITHOUT GLORY
These 200 men who stayed behind with the supplies probably reminded David of his own humble task of tending sheep. David’s oldest brother, Eliab, made fun of him for being assigned such an insignificant task (1 Sam. 17:28).
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Remember when Samuel came to Bethlehem to make a sacrifice to the Lord and also to anoint the next king of Israel (1 Sam. 16:2).
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It was, of course, a special event that involved the elders of the town and the whole family of Jesse, David’s father (1 Sam. 16:2-5). Naturally, David wanted to be there.
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David, however, was not allowed to come. As the youngest son in the family he had to tend the sheep (1 Sam. 16:11).
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Sheep without a shepherd will scatter (Ez. 34:5). Without someone to protect them the sheep could easily become prey to a lion or a bear (1 Sam. 17:34-37). The good shepherd will not abandon the sheep, but will lay down his life for them (Jn. 10:11).
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David was a good shepherd. He wanted to be in town at the celebration, but recognized that tending sheep in the country was a job that needed to be done.
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You know the story! It had a happy ending for David. Samuel rejected all of David’s brothers, sent for David, and anointed him to be the next king of Israel (1 Sam. 16:12).
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“The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him” (2 Chron. 16:9). God found David because he was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22).
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“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power” (1 Sam. 16:13). •
No job is insignificant when you do it for the Lord. Remember! “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt. 23:12).
HAVING A “MUDANZA”
“Mudanza” is the Spanish word for “move”. If you are hiring a company to “move” your possessions you will say: “Contratamos a una empresa para la mudanza”. (We hired a company for the move)
The brethren in Peru have a saying that any time you leave your house unguarded you are apt to have a “mudanza”. Consequently, they never leave their house unguarded. Not everyone in the family gets to go to church or to a fiesta at the same time. In order to avoid a “mudanza” someone always has to stay home. To keep from being robbed their possessions must be constantly guarded. It is a lowly assignment, but someone has to do it.
Jesus used a similar analogy to warn everyone to be ready for His return. Jesus said:“But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him” (Matt. 24:43,44).
On another occasion Jesus said: “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It will be like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch” (Mk. 13:33,34).
Merely “keeping watch” may be a lowly assignment, but it is still something that needs to be done!
Remember! “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col. 3:17) Those who do any good thing in the name of our Lord Jesus are not to be looked down upon.
THE SABBATH DAY
What Jesus did on the Sabbath provides insight! It encourages us to do things that need to be done!
Jesus taught that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mk. 2:27). This is an important principle. If your ox fell into the ditch on the Sabbath God expected you to immediately pull it out (Lk. 14:5) Jesus set an example for us in this regard because He never hesitated to do something that needed to be done, even if it was on the Sabbath. To illustrate this here are 7 miracles that Jesus performed on the Sabbath:
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Healing the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda (Jn. 5:1-15).
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Casting out an evil spirit in the synagogue at Capernaum (Mk. 1:21-28). •
Healing Peter’s mother-in-law and many others (Mk. 1:29-34). •
Healing the man with a withered hand in a synagogue (Mk. 3:1-6). •
Healing the man born blind (Jn. 9:1-41).
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Healing a woman who had been crippled for 18 years (Lk. 13:10-17). •
Healing a man with dropsy (Lk. 14:1-6).
When Jesus and His disciples were criticized for picking heads of grain on the Sabbath He reminded them: “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread – which was
not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ you would not have condemned the innocent. FOR THE SON OF MAN IS LORD OF THE SABBATH” (Matt. 12:3-8).
Jesus is God (1 Tim. 3:16). Consequently He is Lord of everything including the Sabbath! Jesus can therefore say what is lawful to do on the Sabbath! Some jobs have to be done seven days a week and Jesus understands that. It is never wrong to do what is right! No one should ever be criticized for doing what needs to be done.
David’s men did what needed to be done. Jesus also did what needed to be done. We also should do what needs to be done!
MERCY AND SACRIFICE
Jesus told His critics “If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’ you would not have condemned the innocent” (Matt. 12:7).
Remember! We began our study considering 200 men whom David honored for doing what needed to be done. They could not do what 400 of their comrades did, but they could do something. Obviously, most of the possessions they guarded were not their own. They guarded everything just the same. They were not thinking of themselves, they were thinking of others.
Jesus explained His actions on the Sabbath by asking us to consider “mercy” and “sacrifice”. These two important actions come from opposite motivations. The focus of mercy is outward. The focus of sacrifice is inward. Nobody makes a sacrifice for someone else, and no one extends mercy out of selfishness!
This quotation about mercy and sacrifice comes from the book of Hosea. The prophet Hosea was commanded: “Go, take to yourselves an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord” (Hosea 1:2).
The implications of this command are profound. If Hosea was thinking of himself he would never have married such a woman. Similarly, if Jesus was thinking of Himself He would never have come to earth to die for sinners. Therefore Hosea teaches an important lesson. He gave himself for an adulterous wife just as God gave Himself for an adulterous nation, and just as Jesus gave Himself for an adulterous world. Perhaps we should also give ourselves to someone else.
The quotation: “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God more than burnt offerings” is found in Hosea 6:6. This is not a peripheral matter but strikes at the very heart of understanding God.
Jesus clearly distinguished between mercy and sacrifice by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10:25-37). The priest and the Levite in this parable represent the sacrificial system. When they saw a stranger in need they thought more about themselves than they thought of the stranger. Touching this stranger could easily have made them unclean and thus prevented them from
making sacrifices. The Good Samaritan, by contrast, thought more of the stranger than he thought of himself. He was willing to risk contamination by helping the man in need. He poured oil and wine into his wounds, put him on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and paid his expenses. Jesus asked: “Which of these three was as neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? The expert in the law replied, ‘the one who showed mercy on him’. Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise’” (Lk. 10:36,37).
Jesus does not criticize those who forgot themselves and show mercy, and neither should we! In the eyes of God showing mercy is more important than burnt offerings.
ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES
Doing what needs to be done requires discernment. There are always more things that need to be done than we can possibly do. That’s why we need to pray to God for wisdom and establish priorities. Jesus provides insight into this when he healed a man with a withered hand (Matthew 12:9- 14). This miracle took place in a synagogue on the Sabbath. It seems that the enemies of Jesus staged the event for they were looking for a reason to accuse him. So they said:
“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
Jesus answered and said to them: “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other”
“But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus” (Matt. 12:10-14).
OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPORTANT TO JESUS THAN ANIMALS! IT IS THEREFORE MORE IMPORTANT TO RESCUE A MAN THAN IT IS TO RESCUE A SHEEP!
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THE PHARISEES, HOWEVER, HAD WRONG PRIORITIES! THEY WOULD RESCUE A SHEEP ON THE SABBATH BUT NOT A MAN.
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THEY CONDEMNED JESUS FOR HEALING ON THE SABBATH BUT ON THE SAME SABBATH WERE PLANNING TO KILL JESUS!
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THAT’S WHY JESUS SAID TO THE PHARISEES: “YOU SNAKES! YOU BROOD OF VIPERS! HOW WILL YOU ESCAPE BEING CONDEMNED TO HELL?” (MATT. 23:33).
Meeting a need and helping people was a priority with Jesus, and it should also be a priority with us!
MORE IMPORTANT MATTERS
When we don’t know what to do we need to pray to God for wisdom (Ja. 1:5). God can help us to choose the things to do that are the most important!
Jesus said: “Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cummin. But have have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain at a gnat but swallow a camel” (Matt. 23:23,24).
Tithing was important, but “justice, mercy, and faithfulness” were more important!
In Matthew 23 Jesus pronounced seven woes upon the teachers of the Law and Pharisees (Matt. 23:13, 15, 16, 23, 25, 27, 29). Their problem was that they elevated rules and regulations over people. Just as a man is more important than a sheep, a right relationship with people is more important than making a sacrifice. Jesus said: “Therefore if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift” (Matt. 5:23,24).
Once a teacher of the Law asked Jesus: “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” (Mk. 12:28).
(Remember! The Jewish Talmud lists 613 commandments found in the Torah).
“The most important one, answered Jesus, is this: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mine and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. There is no commandment greater than these” (Mk. 12:2-31).
“Well said, teacher, the man replied. You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mk. 12:32, 33).
“When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God’” (Mk. 12:34).
WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ALL BURNT OFFERINGS AND SACRIFICES YOU ARE NOT FAR FROM THE KINGDOM OF GOD!
WE CAN LEARN TODAY FROM THE STATUTE AND ORDINANCE MADE BY DAVID
Remember! “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Rom. 15:4).
400 of David’s men were young, strong, and energetic. They were eager and able to pursue to Amalekites and to defeat them in battle. 200 men, however, were too exhausted to continue the journey. These 200 men could not do everything, but they could do something. What they did was so significant that David instituted a statute and an ordinance that men like them should always be honored. WE TOO CANNOT DO EVERYTHING, BUT WE AN DO SOMETHING!
There are an infinite number of things we can do for God. Paul wrote to the Corinthians:“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:4-7)
As we have already said, you cannot do everything, but you can do something!
Solomon said that when you are dead it is too late to do anything. He said: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom” (Eccl. 9:10).
Look around right now! Surely you can see something that needs to be done. While you cannot do everything after you are dead, you can do something now! So do it!
(This study was written by Boyce Mouton. No rights are reserved! You are free to use this material in whole or in part for the glorification of Christ and the advancement of His Kingdom)