«　WEEK 7　DAY 1　»

　　1 Sam. 21:4 And the priest answered David and said, There is no common bread on hand; yet there is holy bread…

　　6 So the priest gave him what was holy, for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence, which was taken from before Jehovah…

　　Matt. 1:6 And Jesse begot David the king…

　　When the Pharisees told [Jesus] that it was not lawful for His disciples to pick ears of grain on the Sabbath, He said, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, and those who were with him; how he entered into the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, except for the priests only?” (Matt. 12:3-4).

　　The Lord’s word here implies that He is the real David. In ancient times David and his followers, when rejected, entered into the house of God and ate the showbread, apparently breaking the Levitical law. Now the real David and His followers were also rejected and took action to eat, apparently against the sabbatical regulation. Just as David and his followers were not held guilty, neither should Christ and His disciples be condemned. King David was a prefigure of Christ, the real David. David had followers, and Christ, the real David, also had disciples as His followers. King David and his followers were rejected by the people, and the real David and His followers were rejected also. Just as David and his followers were hungry, so Christ and His disciples were hungry…. This implies that David and his followers were a type of Christ and His disciples. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 720-721)

　　Christ’s word in Matthew 12:3-4 implies the dispensational change from the priesthood to the kingship. In ancient times the coming of David changed the dispensation from the age of the priests to the age of the kings, in which the kings were above the priests. In the age of the priests the leader of the people should listen to the priest (Num. 27:21-22). But in the age of the kings the priest should submit to the king (1 Sam. 2:35-36). Hence, what King David did with his followers was not illegal. Now by the coming of Christ the dispensation has also been changed, this time from the age of the law to the age of grace, in which Christ is above all. Whatever He does is right. The matter of keeping the Sabbath belonged to the old dispensation of the law. But in the age of grace Christ has the final word. It is not a matter of law but of Christ. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 721)

　　The Lord seemed to be saying to the Pharisees, “You shouldn’t condemn Me or My disciples. It is no longer the law that gives the final word, but I, the Christ, I give you the final word. I am the real King, the real David. I am also the Christ who has brought in the dispensation of grace. Thus, whatever I say or do is the final decision.” Supposedly the Pharisees knew the Bible, but here they clearly lost the case. How strong was the Lord’s defense! (Life-study of Matthew, p. 397)

　　David was the eighth son of his father and was chosen and anointed by God (1 Sam. 16:10-13). The number eight signifies resurrection. That David as the eighth son was chosen by God indicates that his association with Christ was in resurrection. Furthermore, he was a man after the heart of God (1 Sam. 13:14) and brought in God’s kingdom for Christ. David was the last of the generations of the fathers. He was also the first of the generations of the kings. He was the conclusion of one age and the beginning of the next. He became the landmark of two ages because he brought in the kingdom of God and was closely associated with Christ. (Matt. 1:6, footnote 1) In this genealogy [in Matthew], only David is called “the king” because it was through him that the kingdom with the kingship was brought in. (Matt. 1:6, footnote 2)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Matthew, msg. 32; The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 67; Life-study of 1 & 2 Samuel, msg. 14