The Torah grants Authority to Judge and to Rule. When Yehuda (Judah, the Civil Arm) is at war, which Tribe ultimately has the Right to pronounce what is holy and what is unholy: Yehuda (the Civil Arm) or Levi (the Religious Arm)? Or was there something else entirely taking place in the case of David?
Each Tribe had its duties. But when it came to Judah, did he have the Right to suspend Levitical law?
Can we find Scriptural parallels in the TeNaK (Older Testament) that mirrored the struggles Yeshua (who was of Yehuda) had with the Levitical authorities in the 1st Century A.D.?
Let us look at I Samuel Chapter 21:
DAVID AND AHIMILECH
When David (who was of the Tribe of Yehuda, the Civil Arm) was at war and eluding the forces of Saul.[1] David and his warriors were in need of food. He went to Ahimilech the Priest (of the Tribe of Levi, the Religious Arm) at Nob and ordered that food be given to him for he and his warriors. David was questioned closely by Ahimilech the Priest:
Then came David to Nob to Ahimilech the Priest: and Ahimilech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, 'Why are you alone, and no man with you?'
Davids' answer to the Priest:
And David said, "The king has commanded me a business, and has said unto me, 'Let no man know of the business whereabout I send you': and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place."
David as Yehuda Under Arms did not reveal himself to the Priest as the Priest wanted.
David then immediately commands Ahimilech the Priest to produce food for him and his warriors:
"Now therefore what is under your hand, give me five loaves of bread in my hand or what there is present."
The Priest replies there is "no common bread" but seems to condescend provided certain Levitical conditions "at least" are met. Ahimilech then makes a remark about the worthiness of the warriors under Davids' command:
YEHUDA DECLARES ITSELF HOLY, SUSPENDS THE LAW
And the Priest answered David, and said, "There is no common bread under my hand but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women."
Ahimilech tries to place a doubt in Davids' mind that his warriors were not fit to partake of the showbread. The Torah says the the showbread is only to be eaten by the Priests. Ahimilech is in a situation here, and tries to place some Levitical Law on David before he will release any showbread. David fires back and completely nullifies Ahimilechs' condition:
And David answered the Priest and said unto him, "Of a truth, women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, though it were this day sanctified in a vessel."
David answered the Priests' suggestion that perhaps his men were defiled with the statement they were all holy. Holy according to whose determination? Ahimilechs? The Levitcal Law? The Religious Arm? No. Davids' word. Further, David makes clear that he and his men would have the showbread without any further delay. Yehuda was in the field. There would be no more questions about his men. David said as far as he and his warriors were concerned, the bread was now declared "common" by David in no uncertain terms even if it was "sanctified in a vessel". Here we see a Levitical attempt to exercise authority over Yehuda by a Levitical restriction. David however, will have none of it, and rejects it out of hand. Levi then submits and obeys Yehuda, and rightly so.
So the Priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before the L-RD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. I Samuel 21:1-6[2]
WHAT WAS DAVID DOING?
The actions of David were a reflection and forerunner also of what Yeshua would do. What was that? Institute the Melchetzaddik Covenant in the earth.
Now let us look historically at what occurred in Israel.
PRE-FIRST CENTURY A.D.
Did the "final say" in Israel continue to come from Yehuda or Levi?
By the 1st Century A.D., the Pharisees and Sadducees as Levitical authorities (the Religious Arm) had been taking turns excersizing that right for quite some time. There was no lawful King from the Royal House of Yehuda revealed. Yehuda was no longer even sought or consulted to be interrim authority, but Levi had taken over authority in Israel, using Levitical Law and Tradition as the basis for that authority.
The Prophet Hosea had Prophesied:
For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image and without an ephod, and without teraphim. Hosea 3:4
But the next verse Promises:
...Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the L-RD their G-d, and David their king; and shall fear the L-RD and His Goodness in the latter days. Hosea 3:5
The example of David would be restored.
THE "LATER DAYS"
What did the Prophecy mean: "in the Latter Days"?
In the Book of Daniel the Prophet, the Archangel Gabriel was Sent by G-d, and spoke of "the Latter Days" to Daniel before the Second Temple was built. The Archangel Gabriel speaking:
Now I am come to make thee Understand what shall befall thy people in the Latter Days: for yet the vision is for many days. Daniel 10:14
What would be "the end"? This is telling of One "clothed in linen, standing upon the waters of the river", Who Says:
It shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when He shall have Accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be Finished. Daniel 12:7b[3]
A TRUE KING IN THE "LATTER DAYS"
Yehuda had ceased to be a state after Jerusalem was conquered by the Roman general Pompey in 30 B.C. The Lawful Civil Arm, with the necessary Divine Mandate, was not seen.
When Yeshua was born, Judaea was under the absolute control of Herod the Great, an Edomite-Jew. Herod had made a deal with the Roman Senate to give him the title "King of the Jews". Herod had cleverly usurped his hollow title "king of the Jews" by promising the Senate to bring all Judaea under the heel of Rome. Herod was not of Yehuda and could not ever be "king of the Jews" Lawfully.
Herods' Edomite-Jews were basically everywhere. His usurpation of the title "King of the Jews" had brought vast numbers of his fellow Edomite-Jew loyalists to Judaea. The party of the Herodians was made up almost entirely of Edomite-Jews and the scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees also contained them.
None of the Levitical authorities were interested at all in anyone from the Royal House of Yehuda re-establishing control. Especially if they were not catered to as Herod had been doing! Herod and Rome obviously had no interest in re-establishing the House of David either.
When Herod heard from the wise men that another King of the Jews was born, he subtly enquired where the Prophets had written where He would be born. The answer was Bethlehem, the city of David.
But thou, Bethlehem-Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be Ruler in Israel; Whose Goings Forth have been from Old, from Everlasting. Micah 5:2
Did Herod send diplomatic envoys? A fact-finding committee for the potential Messiah of Israel? No. He ordered a contingent of shock troops that butchered every Jewish male child in Bethlehem two years old and under. Matthew 2:16
Here we see Herod the vicious and murderous "king of the Jews" who had enlarged the Temple and environs to placate and appease the Levitical authorites. The "Western Wall" still stands as witness to Herods' "beautification project". Herod had no need of Yehuda. He had Levi in his pocket. Those that opposed were slaughtered.
This was the welcome they received in Yeshuas' home town. Yosef and Miryam had been forewarned in a dream to depart from Bethlehem and flee to Egypt with the young child.
Later Yeshua was brought back and raised in Nazareth Fulfilling the Prophecy:
..and He shall be called a Nazarene.
Let's see what happened as time went by.
YESHUA, OF THE TRIBE OF YEHUDA PROCLAIMED KING BY THE PEOPLE
It is clear from the New Testament that after the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes they sought to take Yeshua by force and make Him King.[4]. This would have been a King of Judah. But that was not what He was preaching.
On Palm Sunday, exultant Jews following before and behind Him were shouting and praising publically that Yeshua was the Lawful "son of David" and "Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the L-RD."
As we have seen, when Yehuda was under arms, Levitical law was suspended. Yeshua demonstrated wherever He went victories over unclean spirits and unseen forces of darkness. Yehuda was at war. The people rallied round Him and those in authority were becoming disturbed at the prospect of the House of David and its' Right. The Jewish people knew Yehuda Ruled.
YESHUA PLAINLY TELLS ALL THEY HAVE BEEN "UNDER ARMS"
He that has no sword, let him sell his cloak and buy one. Luke 22:36
Yeshua, by Saying this, Made no secret that the Royal House of Yehuda was in the field and what David did, He was doing. All Levitical Law was suspended. Kepha (Peter) jumped up and said he already had two swords! Kepha had known the score and had already been in battle-array under the Command of Yehuda. King Moshiach. The Messiah of Israel. Yeshua.
THE CUP
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Yeshua was Presented the Cup. His Mission was to go to the Cross. He Prayed:
Father if it Be Thy Will, Let this Cup pass from Me, but nevertheless, not My Will, but Thine Be Done.
As troops surrounded Yeshua to take Him, Peter drew his sword and cut off the servant of the High Priest Malchus' ear. Yeshua healed him on the spot and told Peter:
Put up your sword, for he that lives by the sword shall die by the sword. The Cup that the Father has Given Me, shall I not drink of it?
Go HERE to see that Messiah was Prophesied to suffer these things for us.
BELIVERS IN YESHUA ARE GRAFTED INTO YESHUAS' TRIBE: THE TRIBE OF YEHUDA
We are under the Command of King Yeshua Who Has "All Power in Heaven and in earth" right now and the King-Priesthood in which we all share. All Law is suspended for us also, but so as not to offend, we may Observe for Witnessing to His Saving Grace, Observance out of courtesy, not out of compulsion. The Moral Law still remains. (I John 3:4)
As the Apostle Paul said:
In the Jews, I have offended in nothing.
We do share in His Inheritance, as the Book of Revelation says, He Has "..Made us Kings and Priests unto G-d, even His Father, to Him, Glory, and Dominion Forevermore." (Revelation 1:6) and again, "has made us unto our G-d, Kings and Priests, and we shall Reign upon the earth." (Revelation 5:10).
MORE FOLLOWING SOON!
PEOPLE OF G-D MINISTRIES
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FOOTNOTES
[1
[2
Note the differences using the LXX:
And David came to Nomba to Abimelech the priest: and Abimilech was amazed at meeting him, and said to him,'Why are you alone and no one with you?' And David said to the priest, "The king gave me a command today, and said to me, 'Let no man know the matter on which I send you, and concerning which I have ordered you': and I have ordered my servants [to be] in the place that is called, "The Faithfulness of G-d (phellani maemoni)" And now if there are under your hand five loaves, give into my hand what is ready." And the priest answered David, and said, "There are no common loaves under my hand, for I have none but holy loaves: if the young men have been kept at least from women, then they shall eat." And David answered the priest, and said to him, "Yea, we have been kept from women for three days: when I came forth for the journey all the young men were purified; but this expedition is unclean, wherefore it shall be sanctified this day because of my weapons." So Abimilech the priest gave him the showbread; for there were no loaves there, but only the Presence loaves which had been removed from the Presence of the L-RD, in order that hot bread should be set on, on the day on which he took them. I Samuel 21:1-6 (I Kings in the LXX)
Here David says that all was be sanctified 'because of my weapons': that is, Yehuda under arms. Yehuda at war now Ruled on what was sanctified and what was not, even though the "expedition is unclean' in the eyes of Levitical law, David of Yehuda and his warriors with him were deemed clean by Yehuda. But by which Covenant? The Torah? No, the Melchetzaddik.
[3
"...when the Dispersion (Diaspora) is ended, they shall know all these things." Daniel 12:7b
[4