1 Samuel 30

1 Samuel 30:1

DAVID FIGHTS AMALEKITES FOR DESTROYING ZIKLAGWhile David and his men were away for home, an enemy from the south, the Amalekites, invaded the Philistine country and destroyed Ziklag. You will note by your map that Ziklag is way down in the southeven south of Beer-shebain the Philistine country. Can you appreciate the position of David and his six hundred followers? They had returned to Ziklag, the city which had become their home, expecting to be reunited with their families. They returned to find it burned with fire and deserted. David and his men were distraught. They had lost their wives and children! As far as they knew, their loved ones had been slain.

1 Samuel 30:4

This came as a great blow and a sorrow to David. Among the missing loved ones was his wife Abigail. You remember that Abigail had been married to a very rich man whose name was Nabal (meaning “fool”). After he had died, David had taken her to wife. She was the good part of David’s life, and she was the only woman who was a blessing to him.

1 Samuel 30:6

David was greatly distressed, not only because he lost his loved ones, but because his men spoke of stoning him. Because David was the leader, they blamed him for leaving Ziklag and going with the Philistines. David had made a blunder, a great blunder. Most folk think of David as the shepherd boy who slew Goliath. Also they remember the black side of his life, the great sin he committed with Bathsheba. What they don’t realize is that David was very much a human being like the rest of us. He made many blunders just like we do. He made a mistake when he left Israel to live among the Philistines. Now his men are ready to stone him “because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters.” Notice they do not seem to be grieving for their wives.

Do you know why? They think their wives have been slain but that their children are still alive. As the common colloquialism says it, David was between a rock and a hard place. He was between the devil and the deep blue sea. He was in a bad spot. He has lost his loved ones.

His own followers, under this great emotional strain of having lost their loved ones, want to stone him. “But David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” This is one of the most wonderful statements ever made. Friend, there are times in our lives when the circumstances will not produce any joy or happiness. There are times when we find ourselves in dark places, like David. We look about, and the situation looks hopeless. What should we do? Be discouraged? Give up?

Say we are through? Friend, if we are children of God, we will encourage ourselves in the Lord. We will turn to Him at times like this. Sometimes the Lord puts us in such a spot so we will turn to Him. He wants to make Himself real to us. It was during times like these that David wrote some of his most helpful psalms.

When troubles come, you can thumb your way through the Psalms and find where David is encouraging himself in the Lord. Several times he says, “The LORD is good …Let the redeemed of the LORD say so.” David found this to be true.

1 Samuel 30:7

The ephod was a portion of the high priest’s garments which speaks of prayer. This garment went over the garment that the regular priest wore. The ephod set the high priest apart. It was the garment he wore when he went into the golden altar of prayer. It had two stones, one on each shoulder, on which were engraved the names of the twelve tribes of Israel: six on one shoulder and six on the other. In other words, the high priest came to the altar of prayer bearing Israel on his shoulders.

This is a picture of Christ, our Great High Priest, who carries us on His shoulders. Do you remember His story of that little sheep which got lost? What did the shepherd do? He put that lamb on his shoulders and brought him back. I do not know who you are or where you are, my friend, but I do know that the Lord is prepared to come and get you, put you on His shoulders, and bring you back to the fold. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb_7:25).

1 Samuel 30:8

With the ephod, the garment of prayer, David went to God for direction. He talked to his High Priest, the One who was his Shepherd. David appealed to his Lord, and the Lord encouraged him to go after the enemy.

1 Samuel 30:9

All provisions had been taken, and these men were absolutely faint. Two hundred of them could not make the trip because they had marched double time.

1 Samuel 30:11

On their way after the enemy, they found an Egyptian in the field. He was sick and told David he was the servant of one of the Amalekite leaders. When he got sick, they left him to die. David had overtaken this man, but he has yet to overtake the enemy. He wants to know where they are. The Egyptian servant says he will tell David what he wants to know if David promises not to return him to his master. David assures him that he will not be sent back to his master. The Egyptian tells David what had happened at the burning of Ziklag, then leads him to the Amalekites. David makes a surprise attack upon the Amalekites as they are in revelry, enjoying the victory and the spoils they have taken.

1 Samuel 30:16

Only four hundred of the young men had transportation and were able to get away from David and his men. When the battle was over, David returned to Ziklag, along with the wives and children and all the flocks and herds that had been captured. There was an argument among David’s men as to whether the men who has not participated in the battle were entitled to any of the spoils. David put down a principle here, revealing his fairness which made him the kind of man God could use. The two hundred men who were not able to make the trip and do battle were to share equally in the booty. That revealed justice on the part of David.