Bread and a Sword

David goes to the ancient city of Nob because Saul is trying to have him killed. Nob is one of those towns I have never heard of - Lucado wrote that it had 85 priests in it and was nicknamed "the city of priests." So it was a religious place. What would be a modern day equivalent?

David lied to the priest, claiming that he came to Nob under the king's orders. What!?! Is lying OK? What a slippery slope that could be? I struggle so much with so many Old Testament stories - how can I reconcile the behaviors we see in supposedly Godly men? Is morality relative or absolute?

Then David lies to the priest in order to get bread and weapons. More lies. More deception.

Lucado quotes author Eugene Peterson, who says that a church is "a sanctuary, where I, like David, get bread and a sword, strength for the day and weapons for the fight." Does my church provide me with "strength for the day and weapons for the fight?' Absolutely. I have attended other churches that did not provide both of those for me, but we have settled on a good church that does provide us with food (spiritual and actual) and weapons to prepare us for the battles we face.