1 Samuel 29-30

Introduction:

In the last 2 chapters we learned that David and his 600 men, looking for a safe place away from Saul, had moved to Gath and befriended Achish the king.

But David had not turned against Israel.

He ended up in a place in Philistine territory not far from settlements in southern Israel.

So, while he was there, he would act like he was raiding on behalf of the Philistines, when in reality he was taking care of the southern settlements of Israel.

He wasn’t raiding the Philistines.

But he was doing a couple of things.

He was taking on some of the nations that Israel had failed to remove from the promised land.

In , it says:

1 Samuel 27:8 NKJV

And David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. For those nations were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as you go to Shur, even as far as the land of Egypt.

1 Samuel 27:

He was building the kingdom of Israel … something that he would continue to do as king.

building the kingdom of Israel

He was caring for parts of Israel and building relationships that Saul had neglected.

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In chapter 28, we first learned that the Philistines were gathering armies to go to war against Israel.

And Achish had informed David that he expected him and his men to go to battle with them.

AND Achish even made David one of his chief guards.

David’s reply was evasive: “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.” ()

1 Samuel 28:2 NIV84

David said, “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.” Achish replied, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

The king interpreted this to mean something like, “You have yet to see how well my men and I can fight for you.”

The king interpreted this to mean, “Until now, you have received only verbal reports of the prowess of me and my men, but this battle will give us opportunity to display our skills before your very eyes.” But is that what David meant? Certainly he wouldn’t fight against his own people, and he probably had an alternate plan in mind. But the king was so impressed that he commissioned David to be his bodyguard for life!

David’s reply was evasive: “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do” (28:2, niv). The king interpreted this to mean, “Until now, you have received only verbal reports of the prowess of me and my men, but this battle will give us opportunity to display our skills before your very eyes.” But is that what David meant? Certainly he wouldn’t fight against his own people, and he probably had an alternate plan in mind. But the king was so impressed that he commissioned David to be his bodyguard for life!

But that is not what David meant.

He wouldn’t fight against his own people, and he had an alternate plan in mind.

But the king was so impressed that he commissioned David to be his bodyguard for life!

David was thinking that this would give him the opportunity to attack the Philistines from the rear, sabotaging them in the battle.

David was thinking that this would give him the opportunity to attack the Philistines from the rear, sabotaging them in the battle.

And that was the last we heard of David in chapter 28.

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The Philistine armies were gathered at Shunem and the armies of Israel were gathered at Gilboa.

From the elevated height of Gilboa, Saul was able to see the vast armies of the Philistines, and chapter 28 says that, “His heart trembled greatly.”

Samuel was dead and the LORD was not answering Saul through the Urim, by the prophets, or in dreams.

And so, the rest of chapter 28 dealt with Saul consulting a medium.

Samuel was dead, but even when he was alive, his ministry was not really appreciated by Saul.

Saul had preferred to do his own thing and had turned his back on the LORD.

God allowed Samuel to speak with Saul and deliver an important message.

That message?

1 Samuel 28:16–19 NKJV

Then Samuel said: “So why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you and has become your enemy? And the Lord has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.”

1 Samuel 28:16-

And with that, it says there was no strength left in Saul.

For one thing, he had not eaten … he had been fasting.

Why would he have been fasting before going to battle?

Because he had not listened to the words of Samuel when he had told him:

1 Samuel 15:22 NKJV

So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.

Like Saul had done previously, he was trying to manipulate God with religion rather than repent and humble himself in obedience to God.

And what Samuel had said next to Saul was almost prophetic of the events of chapter 28.

He said:

1 Samuel 15:23 NKJV

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”

And so Saul, fearful and troubled, refused to repent.

Previously, when Saul had been confronted with his sin, he made a pretense of repentance, though he had not really changed his mind about his sin.

This time, he doesn’t even bother with the show.

Instead, he received food from the witch … isn’t it interesting that Saul would receive unleavened bread from a witch?

And then Saul returned to camp.

And this is where we pick up today with chapter 29.

v1-2

As they had in chapter 6, the troops of the Philistines assembled and paraded, they and their 5 lords.

i

David and his men brought up the rear, guarding the king.

Aphek means “fortress.”

Aphek means “fortress.”

There are a number of different sites named Aphek in various parts of Israel.

This one is identified with a spring in the Jezreel Valley.

(The Jezreel Valley is also known as the Valley of Armageddon.)

Most likely this Aphek is in the southern Sharon plain at the source of the Yarkon River.

That would place it between Joppa and what would later be Caesarea Maritima.

If you have maps in your Bible, usually Map 6 is the land in Christ’s time and on the coast, just above Joppa is Antipatris (mentioned in as a stop on the way to Caesarea).

This may have been the place, though it would have been known as Aphek back then.

So, this suggests that the Philistines first mustered their troops at Aphek as they did back in chapter 4 and then moved up 35 or 40 miles into the Valley of Jezreel to confront Saul.

v3-5

You get the sense that the term “Hebrews” here is being used in a negative context.

Back in Genesis, Abram is referred to as “Abram the Hebrew.”

Typically the designation “Hebrew” in early times was used only as a point of reference for foreigners.

It is used to identify Joseph in Egypt.

Besides the use here, it is used to identify Joseph in Egypt (e.g., 39:14–17), the Israelite slaves in reference to the Egyptian masters (), Jonah to the sailors (), the Israelites to the Philistines (), and other such situations. Some have thought that “Hebrew” is not in these cases an ethnic reference but a designation of a social class of people known as the “Habiru” in many ancient texts, where they are typically dispossessed peoples.

It is used to differentiate Hebrew slaves and Egyptian masters in .

Jonah identified himself to the sailors as a Hebrew.

Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary: Old Testament (electronic ed., ). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

And of course here we have it with the Israelites and the Philistines.

Egyptian and Akkadian texts used a similar term, Habiru to mean a people without a defined political state or lacking leadership.

However, the actual Hebrew word is Ivrie, which means “traverse or pass over.”

Abraham had come from beyond the Euphrates and had crossed over into the land of Canaan.

Later, Joshua and all Israel would cross over into the land.

It is possible that this term just developed to identify the people who had crossed over into Canaan from another place.

So then, it would make sense for the Philistines to adopt this term for the Israelites.

Of course, there are other theories as to the origin of the name.

Some suggest that Ibri denotes the descendants of the biblical patriarch Eber (Hebrew עבר), son of Shelah, a great grandson of Noah and an ancestor of Abraham

that Ibri denotes the descendants of the biblical patriarch Eber (Hebrew עבר), son of Shelah, a great grandson of Noah and an ancestor of Abraham

It’s not really important to our text, but it’s an interesting study.

I guess what I want to bring out is that it’s used here as a term of differentiation.

Whereas the question could have been asked, “What are THEY doing here” it is “What are these HEBREWS doing here?”

As a term of differentiation, it points out that this Philistine army has a Hebrew army within it.

This would obviously be of concern.

When the military commanders of the Philistines (here called Sare (Sar-RYE), meaning princes) saw their king with David and his 600, they protested.

This question must have shocked Achish because he had the utmost confidence in David. He hastened to assure his commanders that he had watched David for over a year, in fact, from the first day David left Saul (21:10–15), and he trusted him.

This question must have shocked Achish because he had the utmost confidence in David.

He quickly tried to assure his commanders.

He said that he had watched David for over a year from the first day David left Saul, and he trusted him.

The leaders, however, were pretty certain that having David and his men with them in this battle was a very bad idea.

Be Successful 2. Deceiving the Enemy (1 Sam. 27:3–29:11)

in a previous battle, some Hebrew soldiers in the Philistine army had deserted their posts and fought for Israel (14:21), and David and his men might do the same thing

In a previous battle in chapter 14, some Hebrew soldiers in the Philistine army had deserted their posts and fought for Israel.

They suspected that David and his men might do the same thing.

in a previous battle, some Hebrew soldiers in the Philistine army had deserted their posts and fought for Israel (14:21), and David and his men might do the same thing

Even though Saul and David were enemies, they might reconcile and fight together as they once had.

While these commanders couldn’t argue with their king, they could suggest a safety measure.

But they couldn’t argue with their king, so they suggested a safety measure.

The safest thing to do was to send David back to Ziklag, far from the battle, and let him carry on with the raiding he was doing before.

v6-11

The king gave the message to David, who made sure to appear deeply hurt by the suggestion he might do such a thing.

Had he not proved himself to Achish?

The king gave the message to David, who continued his deception by appearing to be deeply hurt by the order. Had he not proved himself to his king? He wanted to go out and “fight against the enemies of [his] lord, the king,” another ambiguous statement that the king would interpret in his favor. But who was David’s “lord and king”—King Saul (24:8; 26:17), Achish, or Jehovah? And who were David’s enemies—the Jews or the Philistines? But Achish assumed that he was David’s king, so he ordered him to quietly leave Gath and go back to Ziklag and not to upset the commanders in any way. They had a demanding battle ahead of them and Achish wanted them to be at their best. David obeyed and returned to Ziklag.

“What have I done,” he asked?

David wanted to go out and “fight against the enemies of [his] lord, the king.”

Of course, this was another ambiguous statement that the king interpreted in his favor.

But who was David’s “lord and king” … Saul, Achish, or God?

And who were David’s enemies … the Jews or the Philistines?

He had

Well, we know David’s Lord and King was God.

But Achish was certain that he was David’s Lord, and the commanders of his army were sure they didn’t want David with them in battle.

And who were David’s enemies … the Jews or the Philistines?

So, Achish ordered David to quietly leave Gath and go back to Ziklag and not to upset the commanders in any way.

David obeyed and returned to Ziklag.

David had resorted to deception, just as he had with the priest in chapter 23.

When it looked as if David was on a spiritual high, in faith depending on the LORD, he had fled to the Philistines.

And as was the case in his deception with the priest, his bad decisions were putting him in a difficult place of having to depend on more and more deception rather than on the LORD.

Though the Lord was gracious to deliver David and his men from participating in this battle, He isn’t obligated to step in and extricate His people from situations caused by their own sinful decisions.

We reap what we sow, and in later years, David suffered from being deceived by members of his staff and even of his own family.

Chapter 30

v1-6

The distance from the Philistines camp to Ziklag is about 50 miles and it took 3 days.

Perhaps David took his time making his way back in case an opportunity presented itself for him to return to battle.

But David and his men would have been armed and weighed down with provisions, so perhaps 3 days is a reasonable time.

When they arrived back at Ziklag, they discovered that the enemies of Israel and the LORD, the Amalekites had attacked.

Israel’s first encounter with the “Amalekites” came at Rephidim near Sinai.

There, Moses stood on top of a hill and held up the “rod of God” until Israel won the battle, then built an altar and named it “the Lord is my banner” (, ).

Israel’s first encounter with the “warriors of Amalek” came at Rephidim near Sinai. Moses stood on top of a hill and held up the “rod of God” until Israel won the battle, then built an altar and named it “the Lord is my banner” (, ). The Amalekites attacked stragglers during Israel’s desert wanderings (, ). After reaching the boundary of the Promised Land but rejecting Caleb and Joshua’s report of it, the unbelieving and disheartened Israelites attacked the Amalekites and were defeated ().

After that, the Amalekites attacked stragglers during Israel’s desert wanderings (, ).

When they finally reached the boundary of the Promised Land and decided to turn back, the Israelites attacked the Amalekites and were defeated ().

During the period of the judges Amalekites were a part of the coalition of tribes against Israel.

During the period of the judges Amalekites

And, as we’ve seen, Saul was still dealing with the Amalekites.

Back in , Saul had not completed his instructions to completely destroy the Amalekites.

Back in , Saul had not completed his instructions to completely destroy the Amalekites.

Back in , Saul had not completed his instructions to completely destroy the Amalekites.

This had resulted in the Amelekites still being able to attack God’s people.

Remember that David’s family and the families of his fighting men were in Ziklag when the Amalekites attacked.

They were not killed, but were carried away as captives.

The Amalekite leaders knew that David and his men were away and that all attention was focused on the confrontation between Israel and the Philistines.

Perhaps the Lord permitted this raid on Ziklag to encourage David to get out of enemy territory and go back to Judah where he belonged. The Amalekite leaders knew that David was at Gath and that all attention was focused on the confrontation between Israel and the Philistines. This was a perfect time to retaliate against David for his raids and to pick up some booty as well. Since most of the men were with David, the residents of Ziklag could put up no resistance and the invaders simply kidnapped the people and took whatever wealth they could find. They burned the city, an act of vengeance on their part but perhaps a message from the Lord that it was time for David to think about returning to Judah.

So, this was the perfect time for them to retaliate against David for his raids and to pick up some slaves and wealth as well.

With David and the army away, the residents of Ziklag could put up no resistance.

The Amalekites simply walked in, kidnapped the people and took whatever wealth they could find.

AND they burned the city.

It was an act of vengeance on their part BUT perhaps a message from the Lord that it was time for David to think about returning to Judah.

I find it interesting that chapter 27 records that when raiding the Amalekites, “David would save neither man nor woman alive.”

David would save neither man nor woman alive

Do not read below:

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

1 Samuel 27:11 NKJV

David would save neither man nor woman alive, to bring news to Gath, saying, “Lest they should inform on us, saying, ‘Thus David did.’ ” And thus was his behavior all the time he dwelt in the country of the Philistines.

But here the Amalekites took the women and children alive.

It was most certainly the mercy of the LORD that spared their loved ones.

Of course, at this point, they did not know for sure that their families were okay … they may have been kept alive, but they were not going to be treated well.

In fact, the verb Nahag used here for “carried them away” is literally “drove them off” as one might drive away animals.

he verb “carried them away” (30:2) is literally “drove them off” and paints the picture of animals being driven off by the herdsmen. The men wore themselves out in weeping and David was “greatly distressed,” a verb that means he was pressed into a tight corner, the way a potter would press clay into a mold.

The men exhausted themselves with weeping and David was “greatly distressed.”

Greatly Distressed is Tserar a verb that means he was constricted and pressed, like a potter would press clay into a mold.

The men wore themselves out in weeping and David was “greatly distressed,” a verb that means he was pressed into a tight corner, the way a potter would press clay into a mold.

David had suffered in exactly the same way as everyone else.

He had lost his two wives.

But he was also held responsible … in fact, the people even spoke of stoning him.

David was as alone now as he had been when he first fled from Gibeah.

But, as David had finally turned from depending on his own strength THEN, so does David do NOW.

Verse 6 says, “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

The psalms of David assert over and over again, his dependence on the LORD.

could have been written in a circumstance much like this:

Psalm 25:16–17 NKJV

Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses!

David poured out his feelings freely in prayer: ‘I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart, and bring me out of my distresses’ () could have been composed in a situation such as this.

Psalm 25:20 NKJV

Keep my soul, and deliver me; Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.

v7-15

Perhaps the Lord permitted this raid on Ziklag to encourage David to get out of enemy territory and go back to Judah where he belonged.

Different people react in different ways to the same circumstances.

And sometimes there’s no predicting how a person will react.

We might even say of ourselves that we would respond a certain way in a certain situation … but of course we don’t know that.

What we CAN do is what David did.

We can fill our heart with God’s Word.

Psalm 119:11 NKJV

Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

In our text, some of the people wanted to stone David, which was certainly a foolish response.

Some of the people wanted to stone David, which was certainly a foolish response.

They needed their leader now more than ever, and how would his death solve their problem?

They had every right to be distressed, but they are letting their feelings get in the way of good thinking.

But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

David knew that the encouragement he needed could only come from the Lord.

David knew that the encouragement he needed could only come from the Lord.

He ordered Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and together they sought the will of the Lord.

Remember how Saul had consulted the Lord but had received no answer?

For David, the Lord graciously replied to his request.

David was hardly in a place of complete obedience, but God answered him just the same ().

At some point David recorded how good it is to turn to the LORD:

Psalm 103:2–10 NKJV

Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

Psalm 103:2-10

Back to our text, the Lord’s answer was positive.

Assured by the Lord that his pursuit of the enemy would meet with success, David and his men took off on their beasts and traveled sixteen miles to the brook Besor where 200 men had to stop because they were exhausted. (The Hebrew word translated “faint” means “dead tired.”) That might have discouraged David, but he and his 400 men continued to travel. But where should they go? The Lord hadn’t told them where the Amalekites were camped, but David trusted the Lord to guide him. It was then that they found an Egyptian slave whom his Amalekite master had abandoned because he was ill. The man could have perished in the wilderness, but the Lord had kept him alive for the sake of His servant David. The slave’s master must have been an important man because his servant knew the plans of the Amalekite raiding party and could lead David to their camp. The master hoped that the man would die, but the Lord kept him alive so David could rescue the families that had been kidnapped.

So, assured by the Lord that his pursuit of the enemy would be successful, David and his men headed out and traveled 16 miles to the brook Besor.

The brook Besor was in a deep ravine … about 300 feet wide with very steep sides.

It is located in the western Negev and served as the southern border of Canaan.

To cross this would have been an exhausting endeavor … and the men were already exhausted.

And it became obvious that there were 200 who were too exhausted to continue and be of help.

So, they remained camped at the brook to guard the supplies and David continued on with 400.

That might have discouraged David, but he had received a positive answer from the LORD and was trusting in that answer.

The thing is … they didn’t know where to go.

The Lord hadn’t told them where the Amalekites were camped.

So, David had to trust the Lord to guide him.

And he did.

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In verse 11, it says they found an Egyptian slave whom his Amalekite master had abandoned because he was ill.

Well, verse 11 actually just says they found a man in the field.

It’s from verses 13-14 that it reveals he’s Mitsri “an Egyptian” and a servant of an Amalekite who abandoned him because he was too sick to travel …

… and perhaps he had gained even more slaves, so losing 1 wasn’t a big deal.

His master had expected him to die where he left him.

But the Lord had kept him alive for the sake of David, the men and their families.

The man could have perished in the wilderness, but the Lord had kept him alive for the sake of His servant David. The slave’s master must have been an important man because his servant knew the plans of the Amalekite raiding party and could lead David to their camp. The master hoped that the man would die, but the Lord kept him alive so David could rescue the families that had been kidnapped.

We might also gather that this slave’s master was an important man … his servant knew the plans of the Amalekite raiding party and could lead David to their camp.

The master expected the man to die.

In fact, he must have been very close to death to have been left … but the Lord kept him alive so David could rescue the families that had been kidnapped.

v16-20

The Amalekites were celebrating a bit too early.

They certainly were not expecting David and his men to show up.

In their exuberant false confidence, the Amalekites were celebrating their great victory when David and his men attacked and caught the camp by surprise. They killed all the Amalekites, except 400 young men who escaped, rescued all the people who had been kidnapped, and recovered all the belongings that had been taken from Ziklag. It was a total victory for David, but it was also a profitable victory, because David took the wealth and booty of the Amalekites and claimed it for himself.

So, when David and his men attacked, they caught the camp by surprise.

And the battle didn’t take long at all.

It reads like it took 24 hours, but remember that for Israel the next day begins at nightfall.

So the battle only took from twilight, or when the sun has dipped below the horizon yet there is still light, to when night fell … however long that is … maybe an hour or so.

In the battle, they killed all the Amalekites.

That is, except 400 young men who escaped on camels.

This doesn’t mean that those who escaped were actually Egyptians … Amalekites depended on camels for transportation in the Negev desert.

(In fact, camels are used throughout Israel … not so much today, but much of the land has always been good land for the use of camels.)

So, this was not the demise of the Amalekites … this was just one group of Amalekites and 400 of them escaped.

So, this was not the demise of the Amalekites … this was just one group of Amalekites and 400 of them escaped.

And let’s remember that unlike in the case of Saul, David had not been commanded by the LORD to destroy them all.

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David and his mean rescued all the people who had been kidnapped, and recovered all the belongings that had been taken from Ziklag.

It was a total victory for David, but it was also a profitable victory, because David took the wealth and herds of the Amalekites and claimed it for himself.

There is something here that we might want to consider for ourselves.

From this we can better understand how the LORD helps His people when problems and crises come into their lives.

First, the Lord encouraged David so that he didn’t despair but trusted God to help him.

When a crisis comes, we can have the courage to face it, and we really shouldn’t play the blame game or pretend that nothing is wrong.

Instead we can pray, read our Bibles, speak with other Christians and receive the LORD’s encouragement.

The Lord also gave David wisdom to know what to do and the strength to do it.

He and his men exhausted, but the Lord enabled David and 400 of his men to continue in their pursuit of the Amalekites.

We also can find our strength in the Lord … so much so that we can even boast in our infirmities.

In , God told Paul:

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

The Lord also provided David with the facts he needed so he could find where the enemy was camping in that vast wilderness.

When we step out by faith and trust the Lord, He will guide us when we need it.

“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” ().

Psalm 37:5 NKJV

Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

Psalm 37:5 NKJV

Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

v21-31

v21-31

When David said to his troops, “This is David’s spoil” (v. 20), he wasn’t claiming the wealth of the Amalekites for himself but rather it was under his authority to see to its distribution.

Each of his fighting men received their part of it.

And so did the 200 soldiers who were too weary to continue the pursuit.

Some of David’s men were bothered by this and they are called “wicked and worthless.”

We don’t know how many these were … it could have been many or it could have been just a few.

Either way, David had to assert his authority here and he does so according to normal warfare practices of the day.

You see, in that time, soldiers were not paid a wage, but they received a division of the spoil.

The soldiers who remained back had served an invaluable service guarding the rear and keeping supplies safe.

The soldiers who had continued into battle had also served a valuable service.

So the risk in splitting the spoils is that the soldiers may never want to stay back and guard the supplies if it meant receiving none of the spoils.

David was not creating a new thing here … he was doing what was normal practice in dividing evenly the spoils and nobody could argue against that.

So then, the reason those who opposed the even split of the spoils are disdained here is that they were the ones who were being disingenuous.

And so, David paid no heed to the naysayers and he made sure it was understood that all the spoils would be divided among all the men, including those who didn’t actually fight the enemy.

This generosity of David bothered some of the “evil men and troublemakers” in David’s band (v. 21), but David paid them no heed.

He politely laid it down as a rule in his army that all the spoils would be divided among all the men, including those who didn’t actually fight the enemy. After all, it was the Lord who gave them the victory, so nobody had the right to claim the spoils for himself as if the Lord owed it to him. God was gracious and generous to deliver the enemy into their hands, and they should be gracious and generous to share the wealth with others.

After all, it was the Lord who gave them the victory, so nobody had the right to claim the spoils for himself as if the Lord owed it to him.

God was gracious and generous to deliver victory into their hands, and they should be gracious and generous to share the wealth with others.

Their attitude was similar to that of the later Pharisees, who were angered by Jesus’ teaching that others could inherit a heavenly kingdom they thought was reserved for them alone.

They despised Jesus for offering the kingdom to poor, oppressed, weak sinners whom He made equal to them.

I’m reminded of Jesus’ parable of the Workers in the Vineyard from .

There, a successive group of workers … some hired early in the day, others later in the day, and others at twilight … are given the same amount of pay.

Those who had worked the longest complained that they should receive more.

But the landowner paid everyone the same, no matter how long they had labored.

It illustrates for us a great truth.

That is God does not place importance on amount of time or prominence or importance, but on faithfulness to the task which He has given you, regardless of how small or inferior it may seem.

And whether one has been a Christian for years and served in the greatest outreaches you can imagine or one has just received Jesus, the reward of salvation is the same.

The thief on the cross, whose life of service was limited to a moment of repentance and confession of faith in Christ, received the same reward of eternal life as the apostle Paul.

Of course, Scripture also teaches that there are different rewards in heaven for different services, but the ultimate reward of eternal life will be achieved by all equally.

In verse 26, we find that even though the town had been burned by the enemy, David returned to Ziklag.

These are the places where he and his men had hidden during his wanderings.

There he would await news of the battle between Israel and the Philistines.

David also sent presents from the spoils to the elders of the towns in southern Judah, the places where he and his men had hidden during his wanderings (23:23). The people of these towns had helped David escape Saul, and David felt they deserved some kind of payment for their kindness. After all, if Saul had heard what they did, their very lives might have been in jeopardy. But David was doing more than thank these leaders. He was also paving the way for the time when he would return to their land as Israel’s king

The people of these towns had helped David escape Saul, and David felt they deserved some kind of payment for their kindness.

After all, if Saul had heard what they did, their very lives might have been in jeopardy.

But David was doing more than thank these leaders.

He was also paving the way for the time when he would return to their land as Israel’s king.

He wouldn’t have to wait long.

Even though the town had been burned by the enemy, David returned to Ziklag to await news of the battle between Israel and the Philistines. He was sure he wouldn’t have to wait there very long, and he was right, for the news came on the third day (). After he heard the report of the death of Saul and his sons, he sought the Lord’s guidance and the Lord sent him to Hebron (2:1–4). David reigned over Judah for seven and a half years, and Hebron was his capital city (v. 11).

2 Samuel 1:1–2 NKJV

Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag, on the third day, behold, it happened that a man came from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. So it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself.

After he heard the report of the death of Saul and his sons, he sought the Lord’s guidance and the Lord sent him to Hebron (2:1–4).

After he heard the report of the death of Saul and his sons, he sought the Lord’s guidance and the Lord sent him to Hebron (2:1–4). David reigned over Judah for seven and a half years, and Hebron was his capital city (v. 11).

Then David reigned over Judah for seven and a half years with Hebron was his capital city.

But prior to that, here in our chapter, understanding that support among his brethren in Judah would be very important, …

… we find that David also sent some of the spoils to the elders of the towns in southern Judah.

we find that David also sent some of the spoils to the elders of the towns in southern Judah.

These are the places where he and his men had hidden during his wanderings.

The people of these towns had helped David escape Saul, and David felt they deserved some kind of payment for their kindness.

After all, if Saul had heard what they did, their very lives might have been in jeopardy.

Of course, David was doing more than thank these leaders.

He was also paving the way for the time when he would return to their land as Israel’s king.

And so with the closing of chapter 30, the Lord had kept His promises, and David’s wilderness wanderings were now ended.