1 Samuel chapter 30, we're going to take up verses 9 to 31 this evening. 1 Samuel 30 verses 9 to 31, but I'll start reading in verse 1 so we can review a bit of the previous section. Beginning in chapter 30 at verse 1, 1 Samuel, now it happened when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day that the Amalekites had invaded the south in Ziklag, attacked Ziklag, and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great. They did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire.
And their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept. until they had no more power to weep. And David's two wives, Ahinoam, the Jezreelites, and Abigail, the widow of Nabal, the Carmelite, had been taken captive. Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters.
But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, Please bring the ephod here to me. And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. So David inquired of the Lord, saying, shall I pursue this troop?
Shall I overtake them? And he answered him, pursue, for you shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all. So David went, he and the 600 men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those stayed who were left behind. But David pursued he and 400 men, for 200 stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the brook Besor.
Providence in the Egyptian Servant
Then they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. And they gave him bread, and he ate, and they let him drink water. And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him, for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights.
Then David said to him, to whom do you belong and where are you from? And he said, I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite. And my master left me behind because three days ago I fell sick. We made an invasion of the southern area of the Karathites in the territory which belongs to Judah and of the southern area of Caleb.
And we burned Ziklag with fire. And David said to him, can you take me down to this troop? So he said, swear to me by God that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this troop. And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.
Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except 400 young men who rode on camels and fled. 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. Now David came to the 200 men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they had also made to stay at the Brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him.
And when David came near the people, he greeted them. Then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man's wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart. But David said, 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. So it was from that day forward. He made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.
Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord, to those who were in Bethel, those who were in Ramoth of the south, those who were in Jatir. those who were in Aroer, those who were in Sifmoth, those who were in Eshtimoah, those who were in Rakal, those who were in the cities of the Jerameelites, those who were in the cities of the Kenites, those who were in Hormah, those who were in Koroshan, those who were in Athok, those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to rove. Amen.
Introduction: Tragedy to Triumph
Well, as we look at this particular chapter, we see that it goes from tragedy to triumph. At the end of the chapter, we see David being able to not only share this spoil with the 200 men that they left at the brook, but David was able to send gifts or presents from the spoil to the cities in Judah who had been friendly toward him. It starts off very bleak, and it ends very positively. Remember last week, we saw specifically in chapter 30 verses 1 to 8.
David had been in a dilemma with the Philistines when the Philistines asked David to march with them against Israel in battle. Of course, David could not do that as the one who was destined to the throne in Israel. And so ultimately what happens when they gather together at Aphek on the way to the battle, there is a military parade. When the lords of the Philistines see David, and they see his men, they say that they do not want him to participate with them in the battle against Israel.
So David and his men are off the hook, and they travel the 60 miles back to Ziklag. When they get to Ziklag, we see what happens in chapter 30. They return, their houses have been burned, their cities have been burned, their families have been taken, and all of the people weep. They wept until they couldn't weep anymore, according to verse 4.
Verse 5 indicates that it wasn't just the men who had their families taken, but also a Hinnoam and Abigail. David's wives were taken as well. In verse 6, David's own men pick up stones and want to stone him. They figure, blame him.
They figure, take him out. Must have been his problem. Wouldn't necessarily return their families, but it would have made them feel better to stone David with stones. And David's response is to find his remedy and his help in the living God.
In verse 6b, we see that David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. And the three ways that a man strengthens himself in the Lord his God, according to this particular chapter, is, in the first place, the experiential knowledge of God. He strengthened himself in Yahweh, his God. He was able to say, God is mine, as that man McLaren said.
He could no longer say my city, he could no longer say my possessions, he could no longer say my family, but he could still say My God. The second way that David strengthened himself in his God was through a rehearsal of the promises of God. If you remember back in chapter 23 at verse 16, Jonathan strengthened David's hand in the Lord God, specifically by rehearsing God's promises to David as a means of encouragement. David knew that as a tactic, we must believe that that is one of the means by which he strengthened himself in the Lord as God.
And then the third way was a use of the means of grace. Verse 7, David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, please bring the ephod here to me. David used the priesthood. David appealed to the living God.
David sought his help and his remedy in God. and that is precisely what he did when tragedy hit. When he got to what appeared to be the last straw, which wasn't going to be the last straw, nevertheless he finds his strength in the living God. And from the remainder of the chapter we see that God undertook on his behalf and God blessed it and turned that tragedy into triumph.
Sermon Overview and Structure
So we're going to look at three things tonight in 30 verses 9 to 31. First, the providence of God in verses 8 to 15. Secondly, the power of God in verses 16 to 20. And then thirdly, the provision of God in verses 21 to 31.
We could structure it according to the Amalekites. We could say the pursuit of the Amalekites, verses 8 to 15, the victory over the Amalekites, verses 16 to 20, and the plunder of the Amalekites in verses 21 to 31. But because this is theological history, I believe that our narrator wants us to understand something of God in this passage. So we'll look at it, the providence, the power, and the provision of God in bringing aid to David at a very low and difficult time in his life.
The Providence of God
Notice in the first place, with reference to the providence of God, David and his men pursue. David seeks out Abiathar. He inquires of the Lord. He asks specifically in verse 8, shall I pursue this troop?
Shall I overtake them? And the divine response in 8b is, he answered him, pursue, for you shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all. Before we actually begin this pursuit, isn't that a blessed thing? When God gives us a promise, and testifies that it will come to pass, we then step out in faith.
We're not to question God. We're not to wonder if he's really telling us the truth. When God the Lord makes us a promise, that is something that we can indeed step out on in faith. Remember when the spies went out to survey the promised land in Numbers 13 and 14.
What happens when the spies return? Ten spies whined, grumbled, and complained, but two spies, Joshua and Caleb, said, let's go take the land at once. Why? Because God had already promised that he was going to give the land to the nation of Israel.
Joshua and Caleb's faith is admirable, They walked by faith in the promise of the living God. Those ten spies had the same promise, but they didn't walk by faith in that promise. Those ten spies had the same word, and yet they whined and grumbled and complained. So often that is the case with God's people today.
We're all given the same promises. We're all given the same word. We all have the same 66 books. God testifies concerning certain realities in our lives, and there are some people who take him at his word and they walk by faith.
Others choose not to believe that word, and they struggle, they whine, they complain, and they grumble. We need to learn from David, we need to learn from those two spies that went out on that reconnaissance mission. When God the Lord makes a promise, that promise is good, that promise is sure, that promise does not fail, it does not falter, it does not fall. So notice this pursuit in verses 9 and 10.
They go as far as the brook Besor. This was probably about 12 to 15 miles south of Ziklag. Remember, David doesn't know specifically that it was the Amalekites that burned Ziklag. He may have had his hunches, he may have had his suspicions, but they probably didn't write on the smoldering ash, the Amalekites were here.
They probably didn't leave a calling card they probably didn't give any indication whatsoever that they were the ones responsible for having destroyed Amalek. Today, obviously, if something like that happens, it's on the news, it's in the headlines, it's on Facebook, it's all over Twitter, social media knows everything. Just as soon as something occurs, hey, did you hear the Amalekites destroyed Ziklag? We would know it quicker than you could blink.
But David at this point doesn't know. He suspects the invasion came from the south, so they depart Ziklag down into this particular area at the Brook Besor. Notice as they get there, 600 accompany David and 200 remain there at the Brook. Note the text.
David pursued, he and 400 men. For 200 stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor. I mean, these men were hammered. These men were tired.
These men were worn out. And these men were certainly disheartened at the reality that their city and their houses were now burned, and that their families had been abducted by an invading enemy. So on the one hand, we ought to say, you know what, dudes, you ought to go with David and his men. But on the other hand, we ought to realize that I would probably be in a similar situation, being so weary that we couldn't even cross the Brook Besor.
Now notice the specific act of providence in verses 11 to 15. Then they found an Egyptian in the field. I mean, isn't that lucky? Isn't that a wonderful occurrence?
I mean, didn't that just happen to be the case for that? I mean, as we've studied 1 Samuel, haven't we seen conspicuously God's providence throughout? Never once has the author said, now what I'm about to write to you is an account of God's providence. Never once has the author given us a marginal note to indicate to us, hey, I want you to observe God's providence.
But every step of the way, the author has announced with great clarity that this is indeed God's providence. David and his men suffered great loss. They don't know where the enemy is that had engaged in this particular act. Verse 11, then they found an Egyptian in the field, and they brought him to David.
So he is found. And then he is cared for. Notice that David doesn't say, we're going to hold this bright light over you, and we're going to wave these raisin cakes before you. We're going to bring this water in front of you.
And if you talk, then you get to have these things. No, the care preceded the talk. Some suggest that what David does here is simply feeds this man in order to get the information. But the text is conspicuously the opposite.
David, in a messianic way, is showing kindness and compassion to the downtrodden and poor, just like Jesus passing through Jericho when all the multitudes would tell those two men to be quiet He doesn't have time for you. He doesn't want to hear you. When those two men say, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us, Jesus stops, and He goes to them, or He has them come to Him, and He says, what would you have me to do? He shows compassion and mercy and kindness, and others have observed that David is truly messianic here in chapter 30.
So we see they bring him to David, and they gave him bread, and he ate, and they let him drink water. They gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him. For he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights, Then David said to him, to whom do you belong, and where are you from?
He shows the kindness. He shows the care. He shows the concern. Now that this Egyptian has his strength back, David questions him.
David's not a fool. He's certainly a man of care, and of compassion, and of kindness. But he wants to find out who did in Ziklag. And this is what he does.
He asks the man specifically, to whom do you belong, and where are you from? And the servant says, I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because three days ago I fell sick. Now this was cruel, wasn't it? I mean, that was just a barbarous thing for this Amalekite master to do.
Unbeknownst to this Amalekite master, when he in this barbarity left this Egyptian to die, it would prove his own undoing. Look at God's providence in that regard. This man, with a carelessness and a wickedness against his own servant, abandons him to die, and that is the occasion that God the Lord is going to use to highlight or to alert rather David and his men so that they can go and clean house on the Amalekites. John Gill says concerning this particular action which was very barbarous and cruel to leave him at all when they had camels with them and no doubt carriages for their arms provision and spoil and men.
I mean they weren't lacking at this point were they? In fact when we get to verse 16 they're having a great party. I mean, they're whooping it up. They're drinking, they're singing, they're dancing.
That is what verse 16 says. This was a celebratory party because the Amalekites had cleaned house in the south of Judah and in Philistia. They had no, you know, lack in terms of providing a few niceties to this particular servant. Gil goes on to say, and more so to leave him without anybody with him to take care of him and without any food.
Was he capable of eating any? But so it was ordered by the providence of God that should be left to the instrument of the just ruin of his master and of the whole troop. The cruelty of his master was the occasion of his own undoing. It truly is an amazing picture of God's providence.
And we need to appreciate in this particular instance, this was crucial information. David had to have this. If David didn't meet this Egyptian, if this Egyptian had not told him his tale concerning the Amalekite, David and his men would not know who to go after to recover their families. Remember, this isn't just, I want to go and find my lost marbles.
These are wives These are children. These are people that David and his family love, or David and his men love. So this was absolutely essential information that God in his good providence provided to David through this Egyptian. Very often, God's ways are not our ways.
We can all testify. But we must also testify that his ways are always calculated to do good for those who love him and to those who are the called according to his purpose. They happen to meet an Egyptian. They happen to run into the one man who can alert them to where these invaders are. so they can go and make good on this particular situation.
So David asks specifically in verse 15, can you take me down to this troop? The Egyptian says, swear to me by God, now in the mouth of an Egyptian that might have been swear to me by gods, that you will neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master and I will take you down to this troop.
The Power of God
So that brings us, secondly, to the power of God. Again, it's the victory over the Amalekites. But everywhere in chapter 30, God gets the credit for the victory. Everywhere in chapter 30, from the announcement in verse 8, after David calls for Abiathar and wants to seek God through the ephod, God tells him, pursue and you will recover.
In verse 23, David indicates that deliverance this day came from the Lord. Verse 26 indicates that these gifts given to the friends in the cities of Judah have come as a result of the direct intervention of God Most High. So the victory over the Amalekites in verses 16 to 20 is the power of God displayed. Now
The Amalekites' Fatal Complacency
notice in verse 16, as I've already indicated, they're partying. What this is, they are partying. They are enjoying the fruits of their labors. They have burned cities.
They have stolen people. They have in their possession wives and children that they're no doubt going to sell into slavery. I mean, these are bad characters. These are bad men.
And now they are rejoicing and dancing because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. Notice what is conspicuously absent as well. They didn't post a guard. They had nobody on watch.
I mean, that's a tactical error of major proportion. We can probably understand why they knew or they believed or they perhaps had intel that the Philistines would be busy fighting Israel over at Gilboa. And they might have had intel that suggested that David and his men would be with the Philistines fighting Israel at Gilboa. So what would that effectively do with southern Judah and with Philistia?
It would open it up for the taking. The Amalekites would go in, engage in their particular endeavors. So by the time they get to verse 16, it had been done, it had been in the bag. They thought, you know, this was a This was a good gig.
We don't need to post any guards. Everybody ought to drink. Everybody ought to dance. Everybody ought to celebrate.
Well, that was a tactical blunder because note in verse 17, the attack. Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped except 400 young men who rode on camels and fled. Now, David obviously is named, but David and his 400 men.
David, obviously, is named, but as I said, the rest of the chapter and the rest of the Bible indicates that salvation and deliverance come from God. It was God who brought this to pass. It was God's providence in putting that Egyptian there. It was God's providence in giving David that compassion to feed him and care for him so that he gives them the intel that they need.
It was God's providence that the Amalekites had this idea that they were untouchable and they would not post a guard during their party. It was God who was in absolute control every step of the way. While David attacks, the victory is from God most high. It indicates at the end of verse 17, not a man of them escaped except 400 young men who rode on camels and fled.
You know what this should tell us? That David and his 400 men were formidable. They were Hardcore warriors. I mean, if the escapees total the number that David had, what does that indicate in terms of the Amalekite forces that they no doubt slayed there at that particular party?
They're drinking and dancing and waking up with knives in their throats. They're drinking and they're dancing and they're waking up, not at all. They're drinking and they're dancing and God's servant, David, the king of Israel, goes as a battle-proven warrior to destroy these Amalekites. When the men who actually escape number what you have chances are or statistics are that you have a very strong force of men that were able to obliterate a great deal of Amalekites and spill a lot of their blood on that particular battlefield.
Now before you say, well that seems a bit harsh speaking about their blood, spill. These men just stole their families. These men just burned down their houses. These men just burned Ziklag to the ground and were drinking and dancing in celebration as a result.
It is right for David and his 400 men to repay on these enemies of God most high what they justly deserve. Now notice, in verse 18, so David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away and David rescued his two wives. Notice the two verbs used in verse 18. He recovered and he rescued.
Go back to verse 8. Two verbs, not exactly the same, but similar. Pursue for you shall surely overtake and without fail recover. So just as God promises in verse 8, So it comes to pass in verse 18.
And in case we miss verse 18, verse 19 underscores the totality of God's promise by telling us, nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them, David recovered all.
God's Promise Fulfilled Completely
Isn't that beautiful? He strengthened himself and Yahweh is God and he recovered all. You see the blessed link in this particular chapter? Brethren, when trial hits, do not run to the world for your remedy.
When trials come, do not run away into wherever for remedy. Strengthen yourself in God. I'm not suggesting that every time we strengthen ourselves in God, He will always repay us twofold for whatever we lost. That health, wealth, and prosperity formula, that's not what I'm suggesting.
But what I am saying with absolute conviction is that when the people of God strengthen themselves in their God, He is always faithful to them, to bring them through trial, to bring them through Tragedy. To see them to the very end. We must believe that as God's people. We are reformed.
We believe in the sovereignty of God. Also called Calvinism. Often times Calvinism have a doctrinal appreciation for sovereignty. But as soon as tragedy hits, we forget all that and we whine like little girls.
We need to man up like David and strengthen ourselves in the Lord our God, refresh ourselves in the promises of God. We need to use the means that God has ordained and we need to be faithful. in that place that God will see us through to the very end. Again, we may not move from the tragedy to the triumph that David experiences in this particular chapter, but we will always move from tragedy to triumph, if not in this world, in the world to come. We are heading to heaven above.
We are going to glory. We are going to Emmanuel's land. That is promised to all the people who believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. We ought not to be a people that are faithless in light of this God.
We ought to be a people that are faithful, and persevering, and enduring, and standing fast, and fighting on, and getting up to soldier along another day. David, or the men of David, wanted to stone David. They wept, they blame shifted, David strengthened himself in his God. We learn from that, that strengthening ourselves in our God isn't crying, and it isn't blame shifting.
Now I'm not saying we can't cry, I am saying we shouldn't blame shift. But weeping, in and of itself, is not strengthening oneself in his God. It is when David turned himself to his God, to his promises, and to his means, that's when this strength occurred. And God answers through the ephod, God answers through Abiathar, and come to verses 18 and 19, David recovered all.
The Lord our God is faithful. The Lord our God is good. The Lord our God comes through for his people, and David is a living testimony of that. Now notice in verse 20, I think this text or this particular verse is a little bit difficult, but I think the idea is, is that not only did David recover all, all that they had lost in terms of their family and in terms of their possessions, but he took what they had recovered.
He took what they had taken. He took what they had in their possession. I think that's the emphasis there in verse 20. So David recovers all.
Then David took all the flocks and herds they had driven before those other livestock and said, this is David's spoil.
The Provision of God
Now let's come thirdly to the provision of God in verses 21 to 31.
Distribution to the Two Hundred
In the first place, the distribution to the 200 men. Remember those 200 fellows that were too weary to cross the brook Besor? Well, they go back to the Brook Besor according to verse 21. Now, David came to the 200 men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor.
Notice the text here. They made them to stay there. And then dropping down in verse 24, It says specifically, so shall his part be who stays by the supply. So they were too weary to cross the brook Besor, but they still served a particular function.
You see, for David and those 400 men to be combat ready and savvy, to be able to go out and destroy Amalekites, they couldn't be laden down with all the stuff they did have. They had to go, they had to be quick, they had to go under the cover of night, and they had to do business with the Molokites. So the 200 men guarded the stuff. The 200 men guarded the property.
The 200 men actually did serve a purpose. So verse 21, they return. In the middle of the verse, so they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near the people, he greeted them.
Then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man's wife and children that they may lead them away and depart. These are sons of Belial. It's not the entirety of the 400 men. It tells us, then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said.
So among that 400, you had this group, these sons of Belial, these worthless men, these scoundrels. They said, we don't want to share the loot with the 200 that stayed behind. You kind of get their process, don't you? Not me, man.
I think we should just share. Just enter in with a sinner here for a moment. You can kind of get their process. As far as they're concerned, we did the heavy lifting.
We cut Amalekite throats. We killed Amalekite soldiers. We had to risk our lives going into close hand battle. So these men, these 400 said, we don't want to give them except for every man's wife and children.
We don't want to be saddled with their wives and children. Let them have their own wives and children and let them flee and depart. Let them go, David. Let them go away from us.
We don't want to share with them these particular things." Now, again, there's something of the messianic character of David in this response. When I say messianic character, I mean his typical significance. He's functioning like the Messiah. He's functioning like His greater Son.
He's functioning with that kindness, compassion, but as well with a great deal of wisdom, and a great deal of ingenuity, and a great deal of ability and competency. Remember what's happening here, brethren. We've already got the announcement in chapter 28 through the facility of the witch at Endor. Saul knows he's going to die.
All that has to happen for Saul is in the next chapter, him dying. Saul is effectively out of the picture. Who's the next king? It's David.
You see, when we read 1 Samuel, we need to understand that David is being prepared. David is being groomed. David is being made the man that he's going to be when he functions as the king in Israel. And so we want to see how David responds to this particular statement from these sons of Belial.
And his answer is actually five-fold. And I won't go through this in great detail. But notice, in the first place, in verses 23 to 25, the warmth expressed by David. He doesn't say, you worthless men, you need to be quiet, you need to shut your mouths.
No, look at how he addresses that. He addresses the wicked and worthless men of the 400 in verse 23 by saying, my brethren, That's gracious. That's compassionate. That's the way that you do business.
It's the way Stephen responded when he was called upon before the Sanhedrin. He says, my brethren and fathers. He doesn't say, you worthless wicked men. I'm going to just call down the judgment of God upon you.
There is a kindness and a tactfulness that we are to engage in when we deal even with those who object to us. We need to conduct ourselves always in the orbit of Christian ethics. We're not supposed to scream and yell and fight and rage and yell and have tantrums. David responds in a very effective way with, my brethren, he wants to win them.
These 400 men are still bloodied with Amalekites. These are profitable men. These are men that you want in your employ and in your armory and in your battlefield when you do ascend the throne. You don't want to alienate them.
You don't want to send them away. You want to convince them by sound argument that they ought to fight with you and fight for you and agree with your decision in this regard.
David's Theology of Grace
Notice, secondly, his theological argument. And this is the bulk. that we'll spend our time on. Notice in verse 23, David said, 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. He argues theologically.
He argues concerning what God has done. God has given, therefore we give. God has delivered, therefore we show kindness. Davis makes this comment with reference to the spoil as given by God.
He says, David's theology determines his viewpoint and stands behind his directive of verse 24. David is going to assert authority. In verse 24, David's going to say, we're going to give those 200 men their share. I mean, David is going to assert that authority.
But again, the theological argument, he acknowledges the grace and deliverance of God. So Davis again. David's theology determines his viewpoint and stands behind his directive of verse 24. It is a theology of grace that keeps its eyes riveted on Yahweh's giftiness.
It is his theology of grace that dictates the way he deals with others. He says the troublemakers function on a philosophy of works that is always impressed with its own contributions. We will not give them any of the plunder we have liberated. The latter makes sense and sounds logical, provided one never lifts his eyes to look to the hills to ask where his help has come from.
But David knew better. This is not plunder we have recovered, he insisted, but what Yahweh has given us. The difference between grace and works is a difference between worship and idolatry. The man, inebriated with the thought that all he has is Yahweh's gift, finds himself repeatedly on his knees, adoring, thanking, praising.
But if we do not grasp grace, we plummet into idolatry, for that is the inevitable corollary of self-sufficiency. I think that's perceptive. Robert Bannoy says concerning this statement, what the Lord has given us, he says, it should be clear to any observer of human behavior that prosperity and success are powerful stimulants for pride and self-sufficiency. That makes sense, doesn't it?
He goes on to say, it is equally clear that a spirit of humility flourishes in the prosperous and successful person only when that individual success is consciously placed in the context of grace. It is God who gave us this. Of course these men at Besor are going to get a share. Vannoy says it is living by grace that encourages graciousness.
That's what David is doing here. He is living by grace and that encourages graciousness. So he acknowledges the spoil was given by God. He acknowledges that deliverance was provided by God.
Notice in the third place, David sets forth a challenge. Verse 24, for who will heed you in this matter? Who's going to agree with you? Who is going to step on your side?
We serve a God that is full of love and grace and bounty. He has given us these things. Certainly we give them to these men as well.
David's Authority and Equal Shares
Then David asserts his authority in verse 24b. 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." One wonders if perhaps the Apostle Paul would have that in his mind. Maybe not, I don't know, but in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, when he's dealing with the whole issue of spiritual gifts, the Apostle says that it takes all of the parts of the body to make the body function.
You can't say, oh, I'm an eye. I have great prestige. Oh, I'm just a little toe. I have no usefulness in the body.
No, without a little toe or without an eye, you don't have a full body. You have to have all the small pieces to make up a body. You have to have all the parts to make the whole. And if the men who stay at the Brook Besor, under David's leadership, get the same benefit as the 400 men who waited in the battle with the Amalekites, then perhaps we ought to appreciate afresh what Paul says in 1 Corinthians.
There is no insignificant part in the church. There is no small part in the church or an unimportant part in the church. You say, well, all I ever can do is pray. Bless God Almighty that He has His prayers.
I'm reminded of Spurgeon. Someone once asked, what is the secret of your success? I think it was Spurgeon. My people pray for me.
That's it. You know, when I'm out there preaching, we have a handful of people in the basement that are praying. That's the secret for success, prayerful people. You know, how often times do we underestimate prayer?
Well, all we can do now is pray. That is one of the most wretched things that we can possibly say as believers. Well, all I can do now is pray. I mean, what is that?
All I can do now is pray? We have the ear of the High King of Heaven and we're going to actually say, all I can do is pray? We get the blessed obligation or privilege to go before the High King of Heaven. Whatever it is, whatever small part, it makes up the whole.
And under David's leadership, he said these 200 men at Besor were able to share alike. And then it was a policy enacted by David in verse 25. So it was from that day forward, he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day. There is precedence in numbers 31, 25 to 27.
You can look at that later on your own. You see, that's how David responded to these 200 or to these worthless men among the 400 concerning the 200 men that had remained at Besor. This is messianic. This is wisdom.
This is a man that we want on the throne in Israel. Remember, in 1 Samuel, we're seeing the decline of Saul and the rise of David. One of the purposes that 1 Samuel was written was to encourage the people of God, who at that time was functioning as a theocratic monarchy, that they were to submit to and honor their king on earth. And this displays for us the wisdom and the ingenuity, the graciousness and the kindness of the king elect in Israel.
Gifts to the Cities of Judah
Now notice the distribution to the friends in Judah. verses 26 to 31. The intention of David is stated in verse 26. The cities are listed in verses 27 to 31. But Gill makes this very perceptive comment on verse 26.
Notice, excuse me, now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah to his friends saying, Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord. Some say that David was simply trying to grace the wheels. David was simply paying bribes. David was simply throwing out dough to the cities in Judah so that they would want him to be their king.
That's not it. That's not what David is doing. However, what David is doing helps in that particular cause. It's probably a combination of things that is moving David in verse 26, and I think John Gill nailed it.
He said concerning this distribution of gifts to his friends in Judah, he says, such as had been kind to him when he sojourned among them. so that this was a piece of gratitude. It was Thanksgiving. David had been done a solid by his friends in the cities of Judah. So when David comes into great spoil from Yahweh, when he gives to his men and there's leftovers, David sends it to these cities in Judah as a thank you.
Thank you, brethren, for showing kindness and compassion to me when I was having to flee from Saul, when I was being hunted like a dog, when I was being persecuted for my position. But then Gil does go on to say, as well as of policy in him to make his way to the throne the easier. So it wasn't just that he was gracing the palm or gracing the wheels, but nevertheless, David is harmless as a dove, but he is wise as a serpent. It certainly isn't going to hurt him in his accession to the throne. to have these men in these cities of Judah happy towards him?
I mean, that's going to help everything. David knows he's been anointed in chapter 16. David knows that he's heading for the throne. David suspects that Saul probably doesn't have a whole long time. left on this earth, and so David's time on the throne is coming.
So back to Gil, as well as of policy in him to make his way to the throne the easier. He perceiving the time drawing on for the expiration of the kingdom in the family of Saul. That's for sure. We know that as soon as we finish this chapter, Saul and his family expire.
And then Gil also indicates, and besides, some in those parts he sent of the spoil to might have been sufferers by the Amalekites so that it was but a point of justice to restore to them what had been taken from them. So gratitude, policy, and justice. David is a wise man. David is a sound man.
David is a good man in this particular instance. The only city I want us to highlight on is in verse 31. Hebron. Hebron is a key city.
When we get to 2 Samuel chapter 2, it is in Hebron that he is made the king over Judah. Not yet Israel as a whole, but over Judah. So Hebron is a key place in 2 Samuel 2, verses 1 to 4.
Application and Closing Observations
So that's the exposition. Just a couple of observations before we close. In the first place. the providence of God. I hope we've banged that nail several times so that we get it.
But remember, I just want to rehearse a few things that we have seen in 1 Samuel. We are coming to a close, God willing, in two weeks. There'll be no Bible study next Wednesday night. The following Wednesday night, hopefully, we'll finish chapter 31.
But just consider the amount of providence we have seen. And this is just in the Saul, starting with Saul. We're not even going back to the very beginning. The providence of God was seen in identifying King Saul through lost donkeys.
Who would have ever thought lost donkeys would provide the occasion for the king? or for the election of a king in Israel. As well, how does David meet Saul? It's because of David's musical ability and Saul's madness. Again, as you move through this book, I mean, if you were not a theist, if you were not a Christian, if you were not a believer in God, you would have to believe in luck.
I mean, there's just a lot of things that fall right into place. Well, we know that because God governs all his creatures and all their actions. God is working all things out according to his own immutable plan. It is according to God's decree that all this takes place.
As well, how does David come to the Valley of Elah in order to slay the Philistine giant? He comes as a result of having delivered cheese and finding out how his brothers are doing. I mean, he woke up that morning carrying his wheels of Gouda to the battlefield to ascertain how his brothers were doing so he could report back to Jesse. And the next thing you know, he's cutting Goliath's head off with Goliath's own sword.
And then people are singing and dancing about his victories. I mean, again, that providence is amazing. The deliverance of David through Saul's family members. Remember back in 1 Samuel 19 and 20?
It is Michael, who's later on not a big fan of David. Nevertheless, make sure he escapes. Chapter 20, Jonathan. assists David in escaping from Saul? As well, how does David end up with Abiathar the priest?
Now, all these providences aren't necessarily what we might call sunny providences. Some of them are dark. and difficult and gloomy to be sure, but God still works his purposes out through those as well, and I think we learned that in 1 Samuel. It was through Saul's murderous rage against the priests at Nab. Well, one of them was spared, and that one ended up with David.
That one had the ephod by which David had access to the very presence of God Most High. As well, we have God delivering David by Philistines in both chapters 23 and 29. I mean, imagine that. David is delivered by the Philistines.
In chapter 25, who is the deliverer there for David? Who keeps David from shedding blood in a way that is not sanctioned by Yahweh? It is Abigail. as Davis calls her, a savior in skirts. But even more so, it was the servant of Abigail that said, your husband is a knucklehead, and he has caused us a great deal of grief.
That's what put Abigail on the track to do the right thing and to restrain David's hand. God the Lord uses these means. And as well, the recovery of family through an abandoned Egyptian. I mean, aren't God's ways amazing?
It's real exciting, too, isn't it? Isn't it wonderful? I mean, sometimes people treat the Bible as if it's a systematic theology. It's not.
I mean, there's systematic theological treatments. There's Romans, to be sure. But much of the Old Testament, especially these historical books, are narrative, daily life in the lives of God's people. How does God work?
It's amazing, it's exciting, it's absolutely breathtaking when you take a panoramic view and see each and every step of the way God the Lord has everything under control. And of course we move from 1 Samuel, we look at our lives in that same panorama and we say every step of the way God has had everything under control. when I have fretted, when I have feared, when I have, you know, lost it, when I have, you know, responded poorly. God's nevertheless been there to overrule my madness and folly, and nevertheless He brings good out of it. How many times can you and I testify of a Romans 828 situation?
How many times could we say, you know what? Paul was right. Paul said God does cause all things to work for good. We often think it means just the good things.
But I've seen God work in good things. Actually, we probably don't even value it when he works through good things. because we already think they're good things. When it's the bad things, or the difficult things, or the trying things, God comes through and blesses. We can praise God for what we have in Him.
Secondly, we need to appreciate the deliverance came by God. I don't want to rehearse this too much. Verses 8, 23, 26. Thirdly, the grace of God and the graciousness of David.
I thought that Vannoy quote was great. It is living by grace that encourages graciousness. If we are a people that truly appreciate God's free Grace, I mean, it's in the name of our church. How ought we to be toward one another?
How ought we to be toward those men who stayed at the brook Besor? Should we say, you know what? You didn't go to battle with us, so off with you. Go.
We don't want you here. No, we should give them some of the spoil. We should divvy up the loot. We should give them those things for their benefit and for their happiness.
And then the final thing, I didn't point it out, I just read it. But you may notice something at the end of verse 26. Now, when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord. Now, as far as we are concerned, the Amalekites were an ancient people, a marauding people, a roving people, a raiding people.
They bothered Philistines. They bothered Israelites. They were the enemies of God most high. What does that indicate?
Remember when Paul is on the road to Damascus and he meets Jesus? And Jesus says, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. What does Jesus indicate? Jesus identifies with his church.
Jesus identifies with his people. Jesus is right there when Stephen is getting stoned to death. Jesus is in the midst of his lampstands. So Jesus says, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
Look at how God identifies with Israel in the Old Testament. I think, again, Davis just nailed this. I was just wanting to worship the Lord after reading this. He says, but because they are Israel's enemies, They are Yahweh's enemies, and because they have mangled his flock, they must deal with its shepherd.
We do not merely have an ancient altercation here between Israel and Amalek. Rather, this conflict is symptomatic of the greater war. There are Yahweh's people and Yahweh's enemies. There are two kingdoms, the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world.
There are two humanities, the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. And here in 1 Samuel 30, God's enemies have been trounced. This victory then is not an episode but a promise, a scale model scenario of how it will be when Yahweh makes the Davidic Messiah's enemies his footstool, Psalm 110.1. He says, God's victory here is encouraging, for it is both preview and pledge of final victory.
Amen. That is a wonderful place in which to stop as we consider the reality that God will indeed deal with his enemies. Well, let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Father, we thank you for your providence as it is recorded for us in Holy Scripture. And we thank you for your good providence in our lives, God. Help us to have eyes of faith. Help us to realize that you cause even the bad things to work for good, to those who love you, to those who are the called according to your purpose.
Help us to rehearse the promises of God in Bible reading and in prayer and church life. Help us to feed our souls on those things that you have purposed for our good. We thank you as well that what this has in store for us or what this tells us concerning the future when the Lord Jesus Christ will indeed subdue all of his enemies and will bring us into that everlasting kingdom. God, this is such a blessed encouragement and I pray that we would be helped and blessed by it, that you would cause us to walk by faith, knowing that this one who has laid his life down and taken it up again and raised again, we will have everlasting life with him.
Go with us now, we pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.