Most things are not what they appear to be. They certainly were not for David when, after being rejected by the Philistines, he finds that another enemy of Israel, the Amalekites, had “attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire.” I Samuel 30:1
Ziklag was laid waste but the people that were there, the women and the sons and daughters of David’s warriors had all been kidnapped, most likely to serve the Amalekites as slaves. This was devastating to all of the men of David’s fighting force, and also to David, whose own wives were also taken.
Rightly or wrongly, David’s warriors laid all the blame at David’s feet. Such was their distress at losing their families they spoke of stoning David. But David, displaying signs of a great and abiding faith, “strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” I Samuel 30:6
David consults what was likely the Urim and the Thummim from the priest’s ephod for help. The guidance that he gets from God is as follows: “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” Weary and emotionally drained, David pursues the Amalekites with six hundred men. When the men get to the body of water called Brook Besor, two hundred of the men are too weary to continue, so they stay behind to rest and guard the supplies.
As providence would have it, David’s four hundred in pursuit of the Amalekites find a weak Egyptian servant in a field and he is nursed back to health with food and water. Once the man regains his strength, he tells David that he will lead him and his men to the group that burned Ziklag and kidnapped their families. The servant does as he says and David and his men attack this group by surprise. Through God’s guidance, and David’s faith and bravery, the outcome is overwhelmingly positive:
“So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all. Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s spoil.” I Samuel 30:18-20
But there is still a hitch to address: When the men who accompanied David to recover what was theirs come into contact with the two hundred men that were too weary to continue beyond Brook Besor, they do not want to share the spoils with the men that they now looked down upon as weak. The judgmental men are referred to as “wicked and worthless” or “sons of belial” in verse 22. But David, once again with a decision of sound judgment and admirable leadership, commits to sharing with the men that had stayed behind, saying in verses 23 and 24: “My brethren, you shall not do so with what the Lord has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.”
David’s sense of what was right and his sense of fairness win the day as this common-sense decision sets a standard for Israel as a statute and an ordinance.
Lastly for this chapter, David ingratiates himself with the leaders of Israel by sending them a portion of the spoils that were retrieved from the Amalekites. This smart move was done in a timely manner, as David will have the need to be on good terms with these political factions very soon.
What can we learn from this chapter? Here are some thoughts:
- No matter is too great nor too small to consult God on: He is trustworthy to lead us through that which He decides is worthy
- Mercy and compassion within a team is a very valuable component: We ought to extend grace towards those weaker than us, even if it is against our impulses
- Never lose hope: When it seems obvious that all is lost, God can be relied upon to lead us to salvation, even if it seems hopeless from our perspective
Tonight I urge you to keep hope alive, rely on God, and have compassion for the weak. When we allow ourselves to be a conduit for God’s love and blessings, we are accomplishing His will and letting His light shine forth for other men, women, and children to see.
Monday Night Bible Study 