1 Samuel 30: The King Who Gives

 

Introduction

 

What do we do when we feel like we just can’t take anymore?

 

I know many here today feel like life just seems to throw one more difficulty or distress after another. I know many here today feel like they just don’t have the strength to take anymore bad news or trying circumstances. I know many here are thinking, ‘Will I have the strength to get through the next day, or week, or month?’.

Well, in God’s providence, today we consider Chapter 30 and what David did when he felt the way many of us are feeling at present. Today we will see that we must go to God and find our strength in Him- the King who gives graciously and generously.

In our true story from God’s Word, we see that our God is the…

…Strong One who strengthens the weak

…Righteous One who blesses obedience

…Gracious One who gives abundantly

In Chapter 30 we witness God’s gracious working in David’s life. At his lowest point David had strengthened himself in the Lord his God, obeyed God’s leading, and experienced God abundant grace- helping him and his men recover all that had been lost to the Amalekite raiders and rescuing their loved ones. And as we witness God’s grace in David’s life we learn more about our God and how He works in the lives of all His People for His glory and our good.

Let us see that, firstly, as we see that Our God is the…

…Strong One who strengthens the weak.

When we think about it, a lot has happened to David since his secret anointing in Chapter 16. And while David has enjoyed God’s goodness in various ways, his journey to the throne has been far from smooth so far. David has encountered the jealousy of his king; been chased from his home and people; been betrayed repeatedly; and has borne the burden of looking after a rag-tag bunch of outcasts.

Eventually, after enduring so much, David eventually succumbed to fear and in Chapter 27 he sought security with the Philistines. For a time, David lost his way and found himself in a self-inflicted dilemma. But, as we saw last time, David has been freed from his self-inflicted dilemma- God had used the intervention of the Philistine commanders to ensure David was sent away from the battle that would be Saul’s last.

So, Chapter 30 begins with David and his men obviously in a hurry to get home- covering the sixty miles from Aphek to Ziklag in less than three days. We can imagine how excited they were to see their wives again, to hug their children, and enjoy a proper meal in the company of one another. After all that they had endured in recent weeks and months they couldn’t wait for some relief in the simple pleasures of life.

However, when David and his men arrived home the sight that greeted them was the stuff of nightmares. In verses 1 to 3 we learn that their home had been destroyed and their families had been taken away as slaves. These men, who had endured so much for so long, were now left with nothing- this must have been their lowest point.

Their immediate reaction, understandably, was grief; in verse 4:

So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 

As David had led his men in many things, he now led them in grief.

David and his men had lost everything. According to verse 6 the devastation at Ziklag was the last straw for his weary men:

David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. 

Enough was enough, David’s men now vented their anger at their leader. David, who had escaped Saul and conned the Philistines, was now in danger of being stoned by his own men!

David was at his lowest point. He had lost everything: his family had been taken and his men had turned against him. We watch the drama unfold and we are left wondering: What’s David going to do next?

David is as low as he could be. David is desperate and we know what desperation can do to even the best of men. Perhaps we fear he will do what he has done previously- turn inward and lean on his own understanding.

But, thankfully, in the latter part of verse 6 we read: But David found strength in the Lord his God. Previously David had trusted in his own resources- there was virtually no prayer or turning to God’s Word. Now David turned from his own strength and sought his strength in the Lord his God.

Here we see, as we often do in Scripture, how God will often bring His Beloved Children low so that they might know the heights of His love and the abundance of His grace. But what does it mean to ‘find strength in God’?

Well, this isn’t the first time that we’ve had this phrase. Remember, back in Chapter 23, Jonathan came to David in his distress and ‘…strengthened…’ him. Jonathan did this by helping David hear and believe the promise of God which were more persuasive than present circumstances. Now at Ziklag, David reminded himself of God’s promises and sought His help so that he might prevail with God’s strength.

Likewise, when we feel at our lowest, we must look to God. Our God is the Strong One who strengthens the weak. As Believers we find strength in God by seeking God in His Word and in worship- both private and public.

One commentator notes:

To strengthen ourselves in God means we remind ourselves of what Scripture says about God and his promises, and we bring those truths to bear on the situation. Every trial causes opposing voices to ring in the ears of the child of God. One is the voice of our circumstances, telling us that our situation is hopeless. The other is the voice of faith, telling us that our God is sufficient for the trial.

David was a changed man when he turned to God in faith. Having renewed his faith in the Lord and received the strength that comes from God, David immediately consulted God’s Word for guidance.

And so secondly, we learn that our God is the…

…Righteous One who blesses obedience.

In verses 7 and 8 we read of how David ‘…strengthened himself in the LORD his God….’. By way of God’s appointed means- by High Priest and ephod- David sought God’s voice.

David asked God to lead him in the way that he should. He received God’s answer in terms of a command (‘Pursue…’), supported by an emphatic promise (‘You will certainly overtake them and succeed…’).

In verses 9 and 10 we watch as David enthusiastically obeys God’s directing having listened to God’s command. David listened to God’s Word and then did God’s will. David strengthened himself in the Lord His God and was prompt to obey the voice of God once he heard it

And as we watch events unfold, we see that there are at least two reasons why obeying God’s Word works out well in the lives of Believers. Firstly, God’s commands are inherently good because they come from the One who is truly righteous. God always does what is best, and to follow His Way will always be to our ultimate benefit.

And secondly, obeying God’s commands turns out well because God sovereignly blesses the obedience of His People. God, in His righteousness, adds His special blessing to those who trust Him and obey His Word- God always does right by His People.

This is true for Believers today, just as it was true for David: God provides all that his faithful people need for the journey of faith. In David’s case, God’s providential blessing came in the form of an Egyptian servant who had been abandoned by his Amalekite master.

In verses 11 and 12 we see David’s men found him and refreshed him with food and drink. When they questioned him, they learned about the Amalekite activities in the area. David asked whether the man would lead him to the Amalekites and (in verse 15) he agreed, provided that David did not harm or betray him.

Take note of the providence of God here. As David seeks to obey God’s leading, he encounters this Egyptian who provides the necessary information for David’s pursuit.

So, in verse 16, this Egyptian led them to the location of the Amalekites. It was quite the sight that confronted David and his 400 men when they located the Amalekites!

There seems to have been several thousand Amalekites, but they were ‘…scattered over the countryside…’. In other words, this vast enemy was out of control and under no discipline- enjoying the spoils of their plundering and wildly celebrating their pillaging.

These raiders, then, were ripe for a surprise attack. In verse 17 David duly obliged! David’s smaller force was able to catch them off guard and strike them down- all except the four hundred who escaped on camels were destroyed.

In verses 18 and 19 we see that David’s rescue mission was a complete and comprehensive success. Under God’s direction, David rescued every one of the people who had sided with him, and for whom he was responsible.

In addition to what was recovered, there was the additional spoil that the Amalekites had taken from other places. In verse 20 the anger of David’s men became adoring appreciation. When they said, ‘This is David’s plunder…’, what they were actually saying was: ‘This is what David has done. Isn’t David fantastic?’.

This is quite the turnaround for David. He goes from scapegoat who should be stoned to saviour who will be celebrated. This is quite the turnaround for David’s people. The captives are set free, those who weep now celebrate, and the empty now have plenty.

 

 

Here we see that God is the Righteous One who blesses obedience. David was at his lowest point, and he found his strength in God. He sought God’s guidance and was obedient to the Lord’s directing. In His obedience God providentially guided David to the Egyptian and powerfully worked through David for the blessing of his people.

Likewise, when God directs us we must follow His guidance. And when we truly seek the Lord He will be found. And when we are leaning on Him- obeying His Word and trusting in His Will- then He will help us walk in His Way. Then we will know true blessing- beyond all that this world would offer.

David would never have found his enemies if God had not provided the Egyptian. Likewise, by trusting in God’s Word, we will learn the truth of Philippians 4 verse 19: My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

And so, we turn, finally, to see that our God is the…

…Gracious One who gives abundantly.

David and his men, with the rescued families and considerable plunder, came to the Besor Valley and the 200 who were waiting anxiously for news of their families. In verse 21 we witness a joyful reunion.

But very quickly the scene turned from one of joy to one of tension. In verse 22 we are reminded that there were troublemakers among the men who had gone with David; and they declare:

“Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”

In verses 23 and 24 we take note of how David responded. Firstly, he called the troublemakers ‘…my brothers…’. David was a peacemaker among his people. His people, even these troublesome ones, were his ‘brothers’.

Then David emphasised the unity of God’s covenant people. Not all had run the same risks or performed the same tasks, but all had contributed in their own way and therefore ought to share.

Finally, and most significantly, David’s attitude toward the victory and the spoils was marked by his gratitude for God’s grace. David insisted that the spoils of war were ‘…what the LORD has given us…’. Their victory and their plunder were all gifts from God. Their recovered spoils, along with the Amalekite property, did not come to David’s band by his or anyone else’s clever scheming. It was all of God and His grace.

And so, David is very firm, but also very gracious in dealing with these troublemakers. Indeed, we could say that David corrects their greed with his theology of grace.

As God’s People we must operate on the principle of grace. Like David, we must understand that grace is not about what we think we deserve for our efforts and achievements. No, Grace is God’s unmerited favour. Grace is not about what we do or what we deserve.

In fact, grace is about us receiving what we don’t deserve. To be a Believer is to know God as the God of all grace- and to know that the fullest expression of grace is seen in Jesus Christ. To be a Believer is to hold firm to the truth of Ephesians 2 verse 8: By grace you have been saved . . . this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.

Grace is a gift. Gifts are received with gratitude.

Notice that David, in gratitude to God’s grace, not only demands that all share in the plunder, but he lays it down as a statute to follow- in verse 25. This incident, and David’s response to it, pointed to the kind of king he was to be and the kind of kingdom his power was to establish. David is going to be a king who gives.

And then notice in conclusion that David shares the benefits of victory with his friends and potential friends. In verses 26 to 31 we see David acting out the principles he had so clearly communicated. Everyone is going to benefit from the generous rule of this king.

David’s generosity in this situation likely has political motivations- he rewards some, compensates others, and wisely aims to gain favour with those who would soon recognise him as king. But it would be a mistake to see David’s actions only in terms of political manoeuvring.

Instead, David was proving himself to be the very opposite of the king who ‘…takes…’, described by Samuel so long ago. Here was a king who gives- and who gives in response to the grace he himself received.

And so, in David’s generous and gracious dealings with his people we learn an important truth: when God blesses us we must remember God’s grace. David understood that in the victory over the Amalekites he had experienced God’s blessing and God’s grace- in response David must share this blessing and minister God’s grace.

Having lost everything through wilful unbelief, David now has all that and more restored to him as he walks with God in faith. Turning to God in obedient faith, David not only gained many blessings for himself but was also made by God into a blessing for many other people.

 

Likewise, in the Gospel, Believers receive the riches of God’s grace and God’s abundant generosity. And when God blesses us we must remember God’s grace by sharing the Good News and seeking to live lives worthy of the Gospel.

In Christ we know the abundant blessings of God’s Fatherly affection, the assurance of His presence by His Spirit, and the hope of an eternal inheritance with Christ. In Christ, we receive the spoils of victory: at the Cross we receive full forgiveness of sin, true peace with God, and a welcome into His Family. In Christ we experience God’s blessing and God’s grace

And so, we must remember God’s grace by living a life worthy of the Gospel. By God’s grace we seek to follow our King Jesus- living His Way, loving as He loves, sharing the Good News of His finished work, and seeking Him above all else. To follow this King is to be truly blessed, and to be a source of blessing to many others.

 

Conclusion

In Chapter 30 we are reminded that as God’s People we belong to a God who is strong and righteous and gracious. In King Jesus we have One who strengthens the weak, blesses the obedient, and gives abundantly out of the riches of His grace. And so, as those belonging to God, we follow King Jesus as we find our strength in Him, follow His directing, and remember His grace.

Today you may be thinking, ‘Will I have the strength to get through the next day, or week, or month?’. In Christ, we have a King who gives. He gives His strength to the weak. He gives grace for our every need. He gives guidance so that we might walk the right paths. He gives an abundance of Gospel riches to all who trust in Him.