The Death of Saul

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.

For this post, we will not see David, but it will focus of his father-in-law, his king, and his arch enemy describes a turning point in David’s life, and his future as the king.

Lets consider the outfall of Saul’s death.

1 Samuel 31:8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
1 Samuel 31:9 So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people.
1 Samuel 31:10 They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.
1 Samuel 31:11 But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
1 Samuel 31:12 all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there.
1 Samuel 31:13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.

The Philistines won the battle, and on the very next day, they came back to the battle ground, after all the Israelites had run away, to strip off the fallen. Spoils of war!

This is a common act of the victorious, for the winning soldiers would often come back to pick the dead clean. Now of course, this act of recovering goods from dead soldiers sometimes brought our the worst in the soldiers. There were some who could not resist humiliating King Saul, along with the entire nation of Israel, in the decapitation of the defeated king, and the exhibition of his headless corpse on the wall at Beth-shan. Why at Beth Shan? It was deep in the defeated regions of Israel, where the Philistines could shame the king and his people. Perfect psychological warfare, even after the killing was over!

For a body to be hung on the city walls was a great shame, an insult to those of his family. This act of defilement was more than a show of victory over the nation, it was an exhibition of gloating by the Philistines, and heaped disgrace on the royal family, and nation of Israel.

Early on in King Saul’s reign, the town of Jabesh Gilead was the sighting of Saul’s first challenge in defending his people. An Ammonite army descended on Jabesh, placed the town under siege, and then forced the citizen’s of Jabesh into an agreement prior to attacking. The Ammonites would kill them by sword, or have their right eyes gouged out. What a choice!

But for some reason, the Ammonites allowed them to reach out for help, giving them seven days to bring reinforcements. Were they hoping to find more success by defeating greater numbers of Israelites? Or simply heaping additional shame on this town when no-one came?

But the newly crowned King Saul did come, and he was large and in charge. He rallied an army, though through threatening, and marched onto Jabesh. With his army, he defeated the Ammonites fully, and it became a fantastic victory for this newly ascended king.

The people of Jabesh did not forget, and they made efforts to retrieve the kings body. For reasons unknown, the people of Jabesh burned the body of King Saul. This was not common practice in the days of Israel. Possibly they burned the bodies due to the extent of dismemberment, or the deterioration from the daily heat. Personally, I think the Jabesh people sought to give Saul peace from being dug up again and put on display, continuing the shameful treatment of their first king.

Either way, the people of Jabesh, those valiant men, provided King Saul relief from the shame of defeat, the shame of exposure and the shame of defilement. They honored their king, their rescuing hero in a way only they could.

This was a very sad day for the nation, for their first king had been conquered. Depending on your point of view, he had been conquered much earlier than his physical death, but nevertheless, he had been conquered, and the valiant men of Jabesh Gilead went into enemy territory to retrieve what was left of their king.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

The Death of Saul

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.

For our next couple of posts, we will not see David directly, but will consider his father-in-law, his king, and his arch enemy. The following recounting of Saul’s last days describes a turning point in David’s life, and his future as the king.

Lets consider Saul’s last day.

1 Samuel 31:1 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
1 Samuel 31:2 And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
1 Samuel 31:3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers.
1 Samuel 31:4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.
1 Samuel 31:5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him.
1 Samuel 31:6 Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together.
1 Samuel 31:7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.

We have the death of Saul in this passage, along with the complete collapse of the Israeli army.

First, let’s consider the general situation prior to thinking about Saul. His army, as noted previously was far outnumbered and his reaction when he realized the size of the Philistine encampment was that of utter fear.

In this fear, Saul ventured off to a medium, who only reinforced every fear he had and informed Saul of his death the next day. That day came quickly, and the Philistines were brutal, in that the Philistines entered into the base camp of Israeli army at Gilboa, decimating their forces and killing Saul’s three sons. Although Abinadab and Malchi-shua were possible hires to the throne, it would have been Jonathon that would most likely have reigned in Saul’s place in the event of Saul’s passing.

This possibility would have caused a testing of the friendship between David and Jonathon, for who should reign if Jonathon would ascend to the throne. Not only a testing their freindship, but a testing of the very covenant Jonathon made with David.

1 Samuel 20:16 And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD take vengeance on David’s enemies.”

Would he abide by his word of being faithful to David? Could Jonathon justify his ascension in light of this curse? Might he seek the throne as David’s “friend”, and thus avert the very curse he uttered?

My friends, I want to think the best of Jonathon, yet we all know that power can corrupt. Even if there was such a situation that Jonathon could reign without incurring this curse, the nation would not be blessed, for God had determined David to reign.

In a very harsh way, Jonathon’s death was necessary, and in his death, he found honor in staying beside his king, defending his nation and fighting for God till the very end.

This potential competitor for the throne fell to one of Saul’s other son’s, but we will consider the wisdom of God’s plan in allowing that in future installments. For now, a complicated situation has been removed from David’s future.

Let us not forget that this solution brought great pain to David. Some of the Lord’s best plans allow for great pain in our lives. Jonathon and David were the closest of allies and the best of friends, exhibiting a loyalty that continued beyond Jonathon’s life. Yet Jonathon passed on the battlefield.

Saul also passed on the battlefield. But let me ask my reader – Did he die due to the battle? He was certainly wounded by the archers of the Philistines, but the fatal blow did not come from the Philistines. Saul sought his own armor bearer to kill him, in order to avoid the humiliation of capture and mistreatment by the Philistines.

Now consider the armor bearer’s conundrum. He was to protect the king, as this honor was not passed to one lightly, for it was a great responsibility, and carried with it great status. Not only was Saul asking this armor bearer to sacrifice the very person he lived to protect, but also to bring shame upon his own name and family, in killing the very anointed king of Israel.

Saul was fully consumed with his own needs at this time, and I get it, that he is on the very precipice of his grave, looking down into the pit. What else was the king to do? He had lost all honor and status, his kingdom was being run over and he knew he was to die that day. His only choice was how he would fall in battle, and he would not wait for God’s will in even that!

As we know, the armor bearer refused, and Saul fell on his own sword, capping off the self destructive behavior of a man seeking his own will throughout his life.

How sad. A day of tremendous loss for the nation. They lost much of the western territory to the enemy. They lost their army on the hills of Mount Gilboa. They lost their king. They lost the best hope of a successor king in Jonathon’s death. They lost cities to the Philistines due to abandonment. They lost national reputation in the sight of their neighboring countries.

What a terrible defeat. Israel was in tatters. But the shame of the defeat was to be worse as we will find in the next portion of the Word.

For now, let us be thankful for the opportunity to give up our own self will for the Lord’s will, to accept pain and sorrow as it comes from the hand of the Lord, and know that in everything that occurs in our lives, the Lord is in control, the Lord is a merciful God, and that God is good.

Yes, cling to the fact that God is good, even when things might seem very bad. He is on the throne, and He will never be removed from it, for His reign is is forever and ever.

Hebrews 1:8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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 30:26-31

26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD.”
27 It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir,
28 in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa,
29 in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites,
30 in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach,
31 in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.

In our last post, we see David healing a very real split amongst his men. Those vocal “wicked and worthless” men of David were on the edge of dividing David’s men, diminishing greatly the unity and camaraderie developed through all the strain and struggle they had experienced together.

David wisely reacted to the threat within his army!

In our post here, we find David doing the exact same thing, that of healing relations, but in this passage he is seeking to heal relations with his nation. Surely they thought of him as a traitor, for had he not “abandoned” them as he lived and pillaged in Philistia? Surely this sentiment is at least part of David’s motivation for distributing spoils to the elders of Judah.

Now before I go on, there is an assumption that I think we need to make in this short passage.

This assumption is that the spoil sent to his friends, those of the elders of Judah was of the Amalekites and not of the recovered spoils of his men.

If the cities of Judah were to receive of the spoils of his men, this would have only aggravated relations between David and his men.  I can hear the rumors flying throughout the ranks that he was seeking to buy others favor at the expense of his own army! We know this is a common action of some in power, even in todays political world, but I believe David is in the healing business in this passage.

This decision to send to the elders of Judah also effectively addresses the greed of those wicked and worthless men among his soldiers.

Can you imagine those wicked and worthless men returning from their victory, just “licking their chops”, thinking they could gain from not only their brothers at the Brook Besor, but all the spoils of the Amalekites. This was to be a great bounty for those wicked and worthless men. Wow, so much stuff!

David is in this action, providing the soldiers an opportunity to consider their future. This action laid the groundwork for the long term goals of the future king of Israel. They who had been faithful throughout all of David’s trials, temptations and threats, are on the cusp of becoming the future king of Israel’s core fighting men, as the ascension of David to the throne is on the horizon!

As David ascends, the soldiers will benefit in their association with the king. The spoils are a distraction, a short term gain with a long term loss for these soldiers!

David was the rightful king from the day of his anointing. Though estranged from his people, David had a small group of Israeli men who had developed into a rag tag fighting force that stuck with him. Through trial and trouble, these men had developed into David’s men, saw God work miracles and followed David’s leadership into numerous battles they humanly shouldn’t have won, little lone survived.

Jesus also is the rightful King, and though His fighting force is but a fraction of the population of his potential Kingdom, those of us who have followed Him while He has been defamed and ridiculed by the world, need to look long term also.

David was about to become king, at least of Judah, but he is on his way to find the recognition he richly deserved by the people he was intended to reign over. The soldiers needed to see this future and not be driven by the immediate acquistion of booty and spoils.

Jesus will be recognized by all as the King soon. As those who have followed Jesus before His revelation to the world, we also need to look long term.

My friend, if you are beginning to fall into the wicked and worthless mindset, seeking good for yourself, even at the expense of your brothers things, repent and think long term!

More importantly, think of Him who lived His life as an example for us, to think of others and not ourselves only. He is coming, and our hearts are to be for Him and not of others possessions.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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 30:21-25

30:21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them.
30:22 Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.”
30:23 But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us.
30:25 And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.

This passage delves into a popular passage that many missionaries use to speak of believers not moving on into foreign fields, staying behind on the home front and not continuing on in global evangelism. I have heard a few messages on this topic, but I don’t recall being taught of the extent of exhaustion these soldiers may have experienced.

Let’s try to understand the setting.

We have two groups being referred to in this passage. Our topic group are those “lazy good for nothings” that stayed behind at the brook, with the second group, those “wicked and worthless fellows” claiming they should not receive any of the spoils from the victory.

Those Lazy Good for Nothings

The text states that those soldiers of David that were exhausted stayed at the Brook Besor. After the battle to retrieve the wives, children and livestock, the army reunited with these exhausted remaining at the Brook Besor. Given that this battle took a full day per 1 Samuel 30:17, and that some additional travel to the battlefield was required, we can assume those at the Brook Besor may have had two days of recuperation available.

1 Samuel 30:17 And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day,

In my mind, I imagined these soldiers laying by the beach, with umbrella’s shading them from the harsh sun, being attended to by beach waiters bringing them drinks and snacks. Now this is surely ludicrous, for I am implying that they claimed exhaustion to avoid responsibility. I think I may be thinking like that other group, those wicked and worthless fellows.

Now before we come down hard on these “lazy good for nothings” as the wicked and worthless fellows in verse 22 seem to do, let us consider these soldier’s claim.

The army had been in Philistia, prepping for war with Israel, when they were told to stand down. David led them back to their base, back to Ziklag where they found it burnt and smoldering. Could some of these “lazy good for nothings” have been impacted by the raid on Ziklag? Might they have lost family and possessions? Even the wicked and worthless admit these “lazy good for nothings” had lost wives and children.

Let me ask of these “lazy good for nothings”, regarding their past fighting with David. Had this “excuse” been used before? Was there a portion of David’s men that typically tired earlier than the rest? If so, why were they still with David and his men?

But the biggest indicator that something non-typical was occurring in this story is the strangeness of soldiers not seeking revenge for this kidnapping and destruction of their homes. When was the last time a man, a soldier at that, would not seek to rescue his family. These “lazy good for nothings” had lost family and possessions, and because they wanted a nap, they stayed behind? That does not ring right.

Those wicked and worthless fellows

I also came away from many messages, thinking those who rescued the wives were the heroes, spotless in their allegiance to God and David.  They gave what was required to take down the Amalekites, and proved victorious.

And for many in that group, they fought bravely, successfully and experienced the salvation of God.  But those few vocal soldiers coming back from the battle, they tried to take advantage of a situation.  They spoke out against those exhausted soldiers – I refuse to call them “lazy good for nothings” after considering the situation – those wicked and worthless fellows tried to split the group and get more of the spoils. 

Wicked and worthless?  These are winning soldiers, who have suffered the long march, fought for David, and returned with the victory.  Is it fair to call them wicked and worthless?  For those few that were vocal, I think it is very fair to consider them wicked and worthless.

Consider

First off, they sought to create an “us vs them”.  How many armies can be successful divided against itself?  This effort was divisive and against the will of God.

Secondly, they sought their brothers livestock.  This would definitely leave a lasting social and economic impact between this fledgling group of Israeli’s who were to become the greatest army in the region under God.  There would be a group within the army that would be left destitute of all livestock.  Thankfully the wicked and worthless were going to provide the women and children back to their husbands/fathers.  Mighty kind of them!

Thirdly, this request/demand exposes a dark side in some of David’s men, a dark side that seems to be ruled by greed, and not God.  Now I am not so naive to think these men were praying three times a day as David may have, but the greed of these vocal soldiers comes into clear view in this passage.

Those vocal soldiers are aptly described as wicked and worthless, and David sees through this logic, for it did have a sense of logic upon it, and instructed his army in a manner that would continue to solidify their team/group dynamic.

In all of this story, When I heard the preaching based on this story as an appeal to go forth into the very ends of the earth, it rocked my world. It appealed to my wicked and worthless side, for the implication was that to be a missionary, a foreign missionary at that, was to be able to acquire others possessions since they didn’t work the harvest fields. I realize somewhat better now that the only reason to enter into service for the Master is strictly and only out of a love for Him.

Self interest and a desire to acquire booty, though it be “spiritual”, is not a holy motivation, could not maintain a faithful service and would only cause heartache and pain in the end. My wife and I sought to enter the mission field at one point, and was refused the honor to serve. When I read this passage, I think the roadblocks we faced may have been placed in front of us due to my impure motivation to serve Him.

In this vein of thought, I often hear Jeremiah’s advise to Baruch in the 45th chapter of Jeremiah, where he admonishes

Jeremiah 45:5 ….do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not….

Jeremiah and Baruch were undergoing massive upheaval in their lives and this admonition to Baruch involved many issues not directly related to my life, but the admonition is sound.

Seeking the spoils, whether those spoils be possessions that rightly belong to your brother in arms, as these wicked and worthless fellows were seeking, or the desire for self elevation as Baruch may have been desiring, is never the proper way to behave in the Body of Christ.

May we find peace in our desires to serve the Risen Lord, whether in prosperity or poverty, whether in fame or obscurity.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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 30:16-20

1 Samuel 30:16 And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.
1 Samuel 30:17 And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled.
1 Samuel 30:18 David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives.
1 Samuel 30:19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all.
1 Samuel 30:20 David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

In our last post on David, we found him taking the time to show mercy to a rejected Egyptian. Turns out this Egyptian, this stranger was a slave of the very army that had ravaged Ziklag and taken all of David’s men’s wives, children and livestock. David also lost his two wives!

David showed mercy to this unknown person, exemplifying the character of God residing in him, and of his return to the God of Israel.

In this passage, this Egyptian slave turned out to be the real deal, the one who led David and his men right to the camp of the Amalekites. How coincidental!

Now as a quick reminder, the Amalekites were a real thorn in the side of Israel, for they were the nation group that God had instructed Saul to completely annihilate, and yet Saul hadn’t. Saul eventually succumbed to great suffering due to his treatment of the Amalekites, for he did not obey God in the destruction of this nation when he was commanded to.

Now, David was on the edge of the Amalekite camp, knowing God’s desire for this nation, and of his own motivation to rescue his people. The passage speaks of David striking those in the camp down.

He literally slaughtered them!

David knew what he was doing, for he had practice in the wholesale slaughter of a people in an area. Prior to David’s return to the Lord, he had a practice of decimating small populations. Under King Achish, David would enter a land area, and kill all he encountered to get the spoil of the area and to keep his actions secret!

1 Samuel 27:9 ESV – And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive, but would take away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and come back to Achish.

Imagine the fervor David had in striking the Amalekites, for they were sworn enemies of Israel, and had kidnapped his loved ones. What he learned in the south of Philistia, he practiced with passion in this instance! He took them on for a full day, fighting through the night, and the following day, after having marched from Philistia to Ziklag and then chasing the Amalekites. Where did this endurance come from?

Four hundred Amalekites fled, but the mission was successful, for the wives and children were rescued with all the livestock. An amazing feat for a man who just a chapter previous was on the edge of mutiny by his men!

It is truly an amazing story and a great tale to reflect on. David took a skill set he developed as he was away from God, the ability to effectively slaughter a people group, and when he returned to God, was able to use this skill set under the hand of God.

For years, David had been trained under the harsh mercy of God, even in his rebellion, and became an tried and true leader, one who was able to do the bidding of the Master. He was now on the precipice of leading the nation of Israel into world domination under the Headship of God!

As we follow God, we may consider some of the skill sets we have acquired to be of no use to the God we serve. Let this thought be banished from our thinking, for our God is not One who only has His servants in sanctuaries, but also in service throughout the nations, as doctors, wives, accountants, bakers and factory workers. He is able to take what we may consider worldly skills and use those skills for those both inside and outside the church.

He is so much bigger than we let on!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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 30:11-15

11 They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink,
12 and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.
13 And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago.
14 We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.”
15 And David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band.”

David, on a rescue mission to retrieve (hopefully) the wives and children of his soldiers, and his own loved ones, stops to feed a stranger.

Now get the picture in your head of David and his four hundred men marching on a mission of reclaiming their loved ones. Focused, broken hearted and yet hopeful, David and his army were on mission from God. A mission on which God specifically promised they would overtake those who took their loved ones.

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.”

So what is the effect of this promise? Were they full of anxious activity, moving about without concern of others, finding every advantage in gaining on the enemy? Were they considering the promise of God as being contingent on marching “double time”, getting to the enemies camp without delay?

It seems not.

Of course I imagine if there were no “distractions”, I am sure David and his men would continue on the hunt for those they were after, but at one point, they found a stranger, an Egyptian. They stopped their pursuit for the sake of a single poor man, dying in the way.

They could have dropped off a portion of sustenance to the man and continued on their march, but David and his men stopped and showed kindness to this stranger.

• They gave him bread.
• They gave him water
• They gave him figs
• They gave him raisins

It seems that this act of kindness and generosity was not dependent on retrieving information from the starved man, since he had not informed the group of his identity, or of his past until after the food had been provided.

Yes, it seems David had come back to the Lord and was walking in the steps of kindness and generosity, simply out of obedience to his God.

And out of this obedience, God provided information that strengthened David and his army. God provided to David a treasure trove of information that would eventually enable him to find the Amalekites straightway, even to their very camp, having been given information from this stranger.

Two great lessons can be found in this passage.

a Loss of Anxiety

God’s promise, if received and accepted by the believer, does not produce anxiety but a confidence in seeing it come about. Yes, we are involved in cooperating with the Lord in working out the plan He has, but He is the One who provides, guides and gives us the freedom to show mercy to others in the midst of a mission.

the time for mercy

Let us not forget that in the midst of the big picture, in the midst of large projects or missions, we as believers are never to consider showing mercy as an act of rebellion to God.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

To take time to show mercy in the midst of an important project, possibly a time sensitive project, or even a mission provided by God Himself, will not find God’s displeasure.

He seems to find joy in the midst of us providing mercy to others.

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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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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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 30:1-6
1 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire
2 and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way.
3 And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.
4 Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.
5 David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

Let’s remember the situation, the recent history coming up to this raid on Ziklag, David’s city in southern Philistia.

David left Israel, running from King Saul who was hunting him down. He approached Achish, a king of the Philistines and somehow found favor in the kings sight. Eventually Achish gave the town of Ziklag to David and his men to settle in, and as they settled, David and his men began the raids of the southern towns.

Now as we know from recent reading, David did not play gentle with these towns he raided. Killed everyone in sight, so that no one would know of his activities. For Achish, David spoke of raiding the towns of Israel, which surely pleased Achish. Anything to weaken those Israeli’s!

Yet David was raiding, thieving and killing everyone in the southern towns he invaded, towns that were south of Philistia, but not Israeli.

The activities were brutal, relentless, and covered over with the silence of the victims.

Through the Amalekites, the nation that was to be destroyed by the Israeli’s back in Saul’s reign, David suffered the loss of his city, his family and his outpost.

But note the severe mercy of the Lord in verse 2.

(the Amalekites) had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire
2 and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way.

Though David also raided towns to the south, when the Amalekites attacked his city, they provided mercy to that city by NOT killing one soul. David killed every soul. For David to enter your town meant certain death. He could not allow his lies to be exposed. He was as an angel of death if he visited your city!

The Amalekites, though the sworn enemy of God, acted more righteously than the future king of Israel. David killed women and children. The Amalekites simply took them all away.

The world is upside down!

Not only had David lost his family, but due to David’s decision to take his army to the Philistine’s area, all of Ziklag was defenseless, and his entire army lost all their loved ones.

The town was lost, families were ripped apart, the army had just travelled 3 long days to get home, only to be shocked with the destruction of their homes, their city and their families. At this time, no one knew of the condition of their families, it is not as though the Amalekites left a note behind telling them all is well with the women and little ones! For all the men of David knew, the families were suffering a fate worse than death, even to the point of death! Not knowing surely was the worst situation to be in.

David was on the very edge! He was facing a mutiny, a rising up of those who had resorted to him, who had suffered much by following him, and had been faithful to him though associated with the enemy of the state.

But now it was time for a stoning! The time of weeping was over, the time for anger was rising up!

Imagine the state of David. He knows he has been out of favor with God, that he has many enemies, and that he is walking a tightrope in relation to the king of the Philistines. Saul is never going to give up, and he has just lost his family, and all of his soldiers families.

Now he was going to die! By the hand of his own! All the promises were to be snuffed out, by the lifting of a stone over his life. And why go on? He has done enough damage, so much has gone wrong.

But he strengthened himself in the Lord!

At his lowest point in life, after all the running and hiding, after joining the enemy of Israel, and then being rejected by them, after seeing his town burnt to the ground. after having his family taken from him, after his own sought to end his life, he had One resource, One person he could turn to.

But he strengthened himself in the Lord!

I had previously noticed this verse a few times, as I read the Old Testament in the past, but never considered the absolute utter lowness of David’s condition at the time of this strengthening. He had lost it all, and was again at the edge of the grave, looking down and waiting for the hammer to fall.

But he strengthened himself in the Lord!

He was strong in himself before, but the humbling actions of the Lord in a believer’s life can be a severe mercy. David was full of himself, the crafty man who could deceive kings, who could lead men, who could destroy whole towns. But the end had come. In the middle of a burned out town, without any of his loved ones and amongst a furious crowd, he was now at his lowpoint.

But he strengthened himself in the Lord!

Why would the Lord consider such a wretch?

He had become of no use, a man who had turned his back on the law of God, who led others to do likewise, and had placed his family in danger.

Why would the Lord consider such a wretch?

Because David was finally at a point where God would become his all in all, where David’s self strength had been worn out, drained, and seen for what it is.

David was ready to become King!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion. If you know someone this blog may bless (or challenge), send them a link, so they may join us in our discussion.

Come join us at Considering the Bible