David’s Wives Are Captured

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

1 Samuel 30:7-10

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
8 And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.”
9 So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.
10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.

Let’s consider the last time our record of David’s life spoke of him calling on the Lord. I am simply thinking of the record we have in 1 Samuel.

Let’s see now.

The last time we see David asking God for guidance was in 1 Samuel 23. He was centered on God during this period of his life, constantly seeking God’s guidance. Forgive me for presenting almost the entire chapter, but it is good to see David’s utter reliance on God at this early time in his flight from Saul, and his rescue of Keilah from the Philistines. Consider.

1 Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.”
2 Therefore David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”
3 But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”

But that isn’t enough. He needs God again.

4 Then David inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.”
5 And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

Now he needs help because of Saul, his very own father in law and the king of Israel. Oh Lord – is Saul coming? Do I need to prepare?

9 David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”
10 Then David said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account.
11 Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, please tell your servant.” And the LORD said, “He will come down.”

Ok, David has rescued Keilah, finds out that Saul is on the hunt and now needs to know where the Keilahites stand? Will they surrender David to Saul?

12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the LORD said, “They will surrender you.”
13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition.
14 And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.

What a flurry of prayer, seeking God in many matters, and so many answers, and note that some answers included more information than was originally requested for.

The Lord is good to His people.

Then nothing. After 1 Samuel 23, nothing until todays passage. I have not found any verses or passages that speak of David praying or inquiring of the Lord after this time.

Now of course I do not want to make a point out of a vacuum, but might it be that after “David strengthened himself in the Lord”, that strengthening was in actuality his returning to a position of weakness, of admitting his need for the Lord. Could it be that to be strengthened in the Lord was his returning to a dependance on the Lord, of seeking guidance from the Lord.

Ok – Big picture here, and some conjecture on my part, but might it be that in strengthening himself in the Lord, David found the ultimate strength through humility, weakness, confession and admission of sin?

We may think the expression “strengthening himself in the Lord” as describing a man who was already a strong, vibrant leader, and simply adding to his strength by reaching out to God.

We may think that. We may think that but we may simply be thinking wrongly. Can we not hear the apostle Paul screaming over the din, that to be strong is to be weak.

2 Corinthians 12:10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

To be strengthened in the Lord is to be weakened in self. As mentioned in an earlier post, David is now ready to be king, and in that readiness, he seeks God for guidance. Let’s reread the passage in today’s post, watching David find his strength.

1 Samuel 30:8 And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.”
1 Samuel 30:9 So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.

David set out in obedience, after he inquired!

As an aside, it seems this was the start of a more consistent seeking of the Lord’s guidance by David. Consider the following passages, that we will address in the coming posts as they occur.

2 Samuel 2:1 After this David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the LORD said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.”
2 Samuel 2:2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

2 Samuel 5:17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down to the stronghold.
2 Samuel 5:18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.
2 Samuel 5:19 And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the LORD said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.”

2 Samuel 5:22 And the Philistines came up yet again and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.
2 Samuel 5:23 And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees.
2 Samuel 5:24 ESV – And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the LORD has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”
2 Samuel 5:25 ESV – And David did as the LORD commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.

2 Samuel 21:1 ESV – Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.

David, the man after God’s own heart was back. And was he going to get things done! Things were going to change, and it was through his willingness to seek the Lord, to ask of the Lord, to admit he didn’t have all the answers, to confess he was in the way, and that God needed to direct him.

My friend, if you are in the middle of a drought, a period when the Lord seems far away, a period where you find relying on yourself to be sufficient, take heart in the experience of David.

David was a mercenary, a lying thief that killed men women and children to keep his secrets from others. I imagine him to be in heaviness of thought, justifying his actions and struggling at night with his conscience. He was in bad shape!

Yet he found strength by an admission of weakness and sin. He found the Lord to be a faithful and loving God, a God who accepts sinners, a God who is ready to lead when we get out of the way.

David found his God, and remembered that He is a really awesome God. A God who answers sinners in their contrition and confession.

May we find strength in Him.

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