Introduction

Good day to you all! Let us turn to 1 Samuel, chapter 21. This chapter will bring deep consternation to many. Should you find yourself in such a predicament, would you act as David did, or according to your own methods? If you were to follow your own methods, especially as Christians, you would find this chapter unacceptable, for you might think David was being deceitful. I shall propose a topic here, a term learned from Jesus, who said we must be shrewd as snakes.

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

Many are perplexed by this, wondering why we should emulate a snake. It would seem more fitting to be as shrewd as a rabbit, or a goat, or even a spider. To be shrewd as a snake seems somewhat amiss, lest we invite the spirit of the snake. As you follow along with this passage, consider why Jesus would say we must be shrewd as snakes. We were not present then, or else we would surely have asked why a snake, rather than a weasel or a fox? Yet such questions are of little significance. To be shrewd as snakes is a profoundly important attribute for Christians.

In fact, Christians are often the least successful in embodying this attribute. Who embodies it best? First, Jesus, and then the Apostle Paul. They embodied it superbly, with great freedom and without moral constraints. We must carefully contemplate why the Lord Jesus wants us to be shrewd as snakes, for if you are not shrewd as snakes, you cannot strike the snake. This is an interesting saying. Many among us are preachers who, having preached in other churches, cannot even become minor pastors here, but must be shepherded. I have found that many people have been misled by churches, living such wretched lives as Christians, devoid of any serpentine shrewdness. Furthermore, I have observed that if one does not embody shrewdness like a snake, one cannot effectively cast out demons, lacking that particular skill.

Have you noticed recently that I seem to possess a bit of serpentine shrewdness? You see me as quite flexible and free, yet you do not know how I have achieved this. It is all learned from the Bible, not mere haphazardness, but the proper embodiment of the attribute of shrewdness like a snake. Take our Q&A sessions, for instance. Those who have heard Q&A from other pastors often find mine more palatable. When confronted with thorny, unanswerable questions, I must respond with serpentine shrewdness. Though my manner of speaking may be somewhat coarse, you can sense that I answer with great freedom, daring to say anything. Some who are constrained by morality are consumed with hatred, not because they do not desire such freedom, but because they dare not.

For example, if we are gathered together and someone suggests wine, another might say: If our elder were here, we could not drink. I say: Come now, your elder secretly indulges when he returns home, putting on a pious facade in public. As for me, being unassuming and unconcerned with appearances, I not only drink but also tell jokes while doing so. I have a standard repertoire of jokes, though fewer than Guo Degang, and I am constantly creating more. Though I may not become Guo Degang, I could become a Guo De Xiu. My point is that many are conflicted about whether they can drink alcohol. Yet the Lord Jesus is quite interesting; He turned water into three vats of wine. How many people must have become intoxicated? Someone might have fallen from the railing and nearly died, for many things can happen when one drinks too much. In the present day, if you invite someone to drink, whether for a birthday or a baby's first 100 days, and a relative or friend has an accident on the way home, the host is finished and must pay compensation.

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. (John 2:6-9)

The Lord Jesus drank on that day, and His capacity was considerable. He was free, plucking heads of grain, disregarding Sabbath observance. Jesus did many such free things, much to the consternation of the Pharisees.

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” Jesus answered them, “Have you never 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 is lawful only for priests to eat.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” On another Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus. (Luke 6:1-11)

Our generation is very similar to Jesus' generation. Some people look more and more like Pharisees, more and more like a brood of vipers, bound by morality, yet utterly ineffective in dealing with the flesh. Returning to David, the previous chapter recounted his meeting with Jonathan, after which he immediately fled. Saul was searching for him everywhere, and anyone who informed the king of David's whereabouts would be rewarded.

David went to Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” (1 Samuel 21:1)

A shrewd man like David surely knew his arrival would trouble Ahimelek. If he were a legitimate commander of thousands, he would have traveled with at least a small contingent. But at this moment, fleeing for his life, his clothes torn, covered in dirt, and famished, he was a far cry from the high-spirited David. No one would have imagined that David would concoct a tale in response to Ahimelek's question.

When to Fabricate, Fabricate

To be shrewd as snakes means fabricating stories when necessary. We must learn to fabricate when the time is right. Some people, when fabricating, reveal their deception with every expression. David's ability to fabricate stories was extraordinary. Not only were his actions and expressions perfectly executed, but his tone was too, making his performance complete.

David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king charged me with a certain matter and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. (1 Samuel 21:2)

This logic is utterly untenable. Even if he had instructed them to wait for him somewhere, he could have dressed the part. As David appeared then, he looked as though he had escaped from prison. Yet David was a first-rate storyteller, delivering his lies with pitch-perfect voice, tone, and expression, truly a stellar performance.

Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find. (1 Samuel 21:3)

This sounds like the plea of a beggar. A commander of thousands asking for five loaves of bread? How could the renowned David, the king's son-in-law, the royal consort, have fallen so low? What had he been doing? Did he not realize he would be hungry without bread? Hearing David's fabrication, the priest found it ambiguous, neither quite true nor quite false. Take my word for it, if you want to be a preacher, you must learn from David. Fabricate stories when necessary. Some immediately suspect that the teacher is fabricating. Even when I tell the truth, they assume I am fabricating.

David was fleeing for his life at this moment. Survival was all that mattered. Had David told Ahimelek the truth at this point – that the king sought to kill him – anyone who reported him would receive a significant reward. If Ahimelek refused to give him bread, wouldn't that be the end of it? And wouldn't Ahimelek be scared out of his wits, his soup exposed? My words provide ample room for imagination, inducing laughter or disgust. But if David had not fabricated the story, it would have been terrifying, directly informing Ahimelek that giving him five loaves of bread would endanger his life if the king found out. David would have been harming him.

My point is that David was being considerate of Ahimelek. Like David, I am a good storyteller. Someone told me that his mother had died, and I said that it ended all her earthly suffering, which is the truth. The son continued to ask whether his mother had gone to heaven or hell. I told him to wait while I prayed and then informed him that I had seen his mother in heaven, dressed in white, dancing before the Lord Jesus. He was immediately relieved and reassured. But what was he reassured about? I had given away the key, and it would not work if I used the same story again. From now on, no matter who asks, I will insist that I saw them in heaven.

If I didn't say so, what else could I do? The person is dead, but the living are suffering and need comfort. Fabricating a story for them is harmless. Telling him that she had certainly gone to hell would be courting trouble. To be shrewd, one must know how to fabricate stories. I gain nothing from fabricating them, nor am I doing it for money. Some people, in pursuit of wealth, concoct scams: Want to know what your mother says? Send money – ten thousand, twenty thousand, thirty thousand, keep sending! This is deeply wicked. Do not think you will get rich doing this. Today you gain wealth, and tomorrow God will punish you. So fabricate when necessary, but do not harm others. Only do what edifies.

When to Be Imprecise, Be Imprecise

The priest answered David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here—but only if your men have kept themselves from women.” David replied, “Indeed, women have been kept from us, as always when I set out. The men’s bodies are holy even on ordinary journeys; how much more so today!” (1 Samuel 21:4-5)

David replied casually. Whether it had truly been three days was unimportant. Who would keep track? If it were me, I would swear it had been three days, and you would never know. David insisted repeatedly, and in his current state – filthy, unkempt, and weak with hunger – it would be strange if he were not unclean. Would one have to calculate three days, three hours, 53 minutes, and 69 seconds? This is nonsense. Quickly, take out the bread and eat. This is not launching an artificial satellite or engaging in the Starlink project, nor is it like Elon Musk taking over Twitter and firing half or even three-quarters of the employees. The matter we are discussing now is not so precise. The author of this passage wants to tell us that this is what it means for Christians to be shrewd as snakes. It is merely about eating five loaves of bread. Eating it is enough to fill the stomach.

If you have climbed to the top of the mountain, but have neither the bread offered to Jehovah by the priest nor anything to eat, and you see several sacrificial cakes placed before idols, would you eat them or not? A clever person would certainly answer yes, it really doesn't matter. The scripture here speaks of bread offered to God, while I am using a rather extreme example of things offered to idols. Many people who believe in Jesus believe foolishly, thinking that they cannot get vaccinated. But taking the vaccine is inconsequential; this fleshy body will turn to dust sooner or later. We really don't need to care so much about our physical bodies, only about living like God, and not being so rigid. This epidemic has immediately distinguished between the rigid and the flexible.

Everyone, by all means, should not be foolish. No matter what, you must develop a good habit, which is to be flexible and not rigid. I am a more flexible person. For example, a brother's father was dying, and during the epidemic, he had to travel overseas to return home and undergo quarantine. As a result, his father passed away while he was still in quarantine. Don't blame me for speaking so lightly; to me, we can neither stop nor control matters of death. Before this brother went home, I suggested that he make up a lie to tell his family that he had tested positive and could not go. If they didn't believe it, he could take a nucleic acid test and send the results for everyone to verify. In reality, he could just draw one with colored pencils, in whatever color he wanted, or Photoshop one on the computer. Because if you are positive, you are in quarantine. But this brother of ours is an honest man; he couldn't withstand the pressure from his family and went back anyway.

I usually have many tricks for dealing with matters of death, even if it's my own mother who has died, it's the same for whoever dies. A dead person can do nothing. Do you want me to pray for you or do you want me to draw a certain amount of money for you to burn? Perhaps many traditional Christians cannot accept what I am saying, but don't worry, I won't burn paper money for you. I'm just saying it. Some things can be said but not done, and some things can be done but not said. If someone can't get over their own mental hurdle, then I have to teach them.

Have a Knife if You Should Have a Knife

David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s business was so urgent.” The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.” David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.” (1 Samuel 21:8-9)

Some people are confused when they hear this. Is this faith? Shouldn't David rely on Jehovah to fight, and not on swords, spears, or any other weapons? Where has David's faith gone? You need to know that this is not a time to compare faith, but a time to be as cunning as a serpent. We must develop a good habit, which is to have a knife if you should have a knife. Jesus specifically said to prepare several knives before He was crucified.

He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors'; and I tell you that this is what must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.” The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That is enough,” he replied. (Luke 22:36-39)

Hearing this, everyone seems even more confused. Is it possible that God will not protect us if we don't have a knife? Does our God have to rely on this knife to protect us? This sounds really stupid. Some people feel that that's not called having faith. When Abraham's wife was taken away, he said she was his sister. His son Isaac followed suit, like father, like son. In the end, many people could not forgive those who lived more than four thousand years ago.

Having a knife when you should have one does not affect God's protection. David was on the run. If he encountered a lion, tiger, or bear, having a knife would certainly be better than fighting empty-handed. It's like we are preparing to drill a hole in the wall to hang a water heater. The water heater is so heavy that the expansion screws used must be ten millimeters thick. If you don't use an electric drill but use your fingers to drill a hole in the wall, and think that you can drill it open because you have God, that means either you have a bump on your head, or the hole has been drilled into your head.

There are also people whose teeth are badly decayed and crumbling. They ask me to pray for them, and they repeatedly hurt for several days without getting better. When I asked them what the condition of their teeth was, they said that their teeth were so decayed that they were almost broken. What kind of brains do they have? Their teeth are like that, and instead of going to get them pulled out, they ask me to pray for them? Are they thinking: Teacher, aren't you very powerful? You can pray for the dead to be resurrected, can't you resurrect teeth and make them grow back? That sounds good, but I can't do it. Later, I realized that they actually wanted to save money on fillings. They were saving money even on me, saving money on the Lord Jesus. There are many such things, and in the end, it's just that they don't want to spend money. Everyone understands this now, right? Get a knife when you should have one.

Flee Wherever You Can

Flee wherever you can; it does not affect God's protection. Some people think that David doesn't need to flee and can just wait for God there. When I was young, it was popular to listen to crosstalk by Ma Ji and Hou Baolin. These two masters of crosstalk were like Guo Degang in this generation. One of their crosstalks told the story of a drunk man who lay in the middle of the road acting crazy. Someone next to him told him that a vehicle was coming. He asked if it was a bicycle, and the drunk man told the cyclist to run over him. Later, a motorcycle and a car came, and he said it was okay and continued to let them run over him. People would not run over him for no reason, and those cars all obediently detoured. Finally, a fire truck came, and the drunk man knew he couldn't afford to offend it, so he immediately got up, patted his butt, and ran away. This is called being clear-headed while drunk. It would be futile to be run over by a fire truck on a mission while acting tough and lying on the street, which is self-inflicted.

Another crosstalk told the story of two brothers drinking together. One of them took out a flashlight, turned it on with a snap, and pointed the beam of light at the other, saying: Come on, climb up this pillar. The other person said: Do you think I'm stupid? If I climb up, and you turn off the flashlight, I'll fall down. These are all stories, which are funny and seem a bit off-topic. But what I mean is, flee wherever you can. Who told David to be a deserter, even a fugitive? If he didn't flee, he would be caught by Saul. Some people say: It's okay, I have God! They just stand there and wait for Saul to come and kill them. But David doesn't do that. Those who do that are stupid.

David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. (1 Samuel 21:10)

David fled as far as he could, and he couldn't stay in one place and wait for Saul to come after him. Many people gave David advice: Don't you have faith? Can't you have more faith? Have any of our brothers and sisters ever encountered a pastor who said: Lift up your faith! But what if you can't lift up your faith? Just stay here and see what Saul can do to me? The Bible doesn't say that. If you insist on doing that, you will become a stubborn person. A stubborn person is particularly stubborn, insists on one idea, and can easily get into a dead end. It's actually being stupid.

There was such a person who used navigation to drive to the beach, and then continued to drive into the sea. He insisted on continuing to drive forward, saying that he had just been here yesterday and there was a bridge, but someone must have dismantled it. This person just didn't admit that he was wrong. This is called being a stubborn person. He would rather save face than admit that he was wrong. Don't be stubborn, just like David fleeing to Achish king of Gath doesn't matter. If David just stood there waiting for everyone to notify Saul to have a decisive battle with him, that would be stubbornness to the death.

But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” (1 Samuel 21:11)

According to my estimation, David is a very clever person. He knew that his reputation was too great, so he must have hidden the sword that killed the Philistine giant Goliath in a cave before he went there. Achish was the king of the Philistines. If David always carried that sword, many people would be able to recognize him as the David who killed Goliath. In this way, he fled all the way to Achish before being recognized by Achish's servants.

Act Crazy if You Should Act Crazy

David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. (1 Samuel 21:12-13)

Act crazy when you should act crazy. This is called a wise man submits to circumstances. David not only immediately thought of acting crazy, but also acted very well, which is amazing. There is a Chinese story about Goujian, the king of Yue in the Spring and Autumn Period, who was defeated by Fucha, the king of Wu. Goujian was captured and forced to do hard labor there. One day, Fucha fell ill. In order to determine the cause of Fucha's illness, Goujian personally tasted Fucha's feces. Goujian's situation was very similar to the situation David encountered. It is difficult for a person to succeed if he cannot endure injustice and hardship.

As a result, Fucha was very touched and released Goujian. Unexpectedly, Goujian worked hard and suffered hardships, and later sent troops to destroy Fucha. This is called a gentleman taking revenge is not long in coming. We must all learn to be people, of course, not to think about revenge all the time. What we want to learn is to endure injustice, just like David, say what you should say in any situation. Abraham went to Egypt, and he had to bow his head under other people's eaves. Bowing your head is not shameful, I am just afraid that you are a stubborn person and may be killed one day.

Say what you should say in any situation. This is called being shrewd as serpents. If everyone can learn to be shrewd as serpents, then that is a real man. Be strong, be a real man, and don't be a petty person. As you get in touch with me more often, you will find that although I am not tall, my heart is broad and I am mindful of the kingdom of God. A real man can bend and stretch, can endure hardship, can cook, can clean toilets, and can also enter the hall, which is very impressive. There are not many people who can make the profession of pastor like me. There are many people who show off, but you basically don't see me showing off. I do what I should do, and cleaning a toilet is not a problem for me at all.

One who endures the most bitter of hardships is fit to be the best of men. Some people cannot endure hardship, and they feel that the whole world is sorry for them, and they cannot endure any injustice. If David went to Achish carrying an LV bag and wearing high heels, tick-tock to Achish, that would be going to a fashion show. In any situation, do what you should do, and use as much faith as you have. Don't always judge David, and give Abraham some ideas, you should do this or you shouldn't do that. Some of the people I have served have made me very emotional. Their families are about to run out of food, and they are still insisting on taking the postgraduate entrance examination. I think it would be better to quickly find a job to earn some money to support themselves first. You must seek to live first and then seek development. What is the point of development if you cannot live? I really like this chapter of the scripture, and it may bring a lot of confusion to everyone. It doesn't matter, let's explore and grow together.

May God bless you all!