1 Samuel 30 – Study
For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.
Passage: 1 Sam 30:1-10
1 David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, 2 and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.
3 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wives had been captured – Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.
7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, ‘Bring me the ephod.’ Abiathar brought it to him, 8 and David enquired of the Lord, ‘Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?’
‘Pursue them,’ he answered. ‘You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.’
9 David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. 10 Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.
A. Find Out:
- Who had razed Ziklag while David was away? v.1
- Who had been taken? v.2
- How did David and the others feel about it? v.4
- What were some of the men talking of doing? v.6
- What did David do about it? v.7,8
- How did David respond? v.9,10
B. Think:
- Where did David find his strength and guidance?
- What does the Lord’s reply indicate about His desires for David?
- How does Isaiah 40:28-31 fit in with here?
C. Comment:
After David leaves the Philistines on their way to battle, he returns home to Ziklag, only to find it plundered by marauding Amalekites with a number of his family taken. His anguish is obvious but that is added to by his men, who are also so distressed that they want to stone him. When you lead and things go well people are only too happy to be with you, but when things go badly, it is you they so often go for, not the circumstances, that is just sin in people.
David’s response is excellent. He turns to the Lord and, possibly crying his heart out to the Lord, he receives strength to go on from the Lord. But then comes the question, Should he go on? Again he consults the Lord and is given a very positive reply which he responds to immediately.
Note from this episode there are two ways of going to the Lord. First, there is just crying to the Lord out of weakness and failure, and then the gentle reassuring presence of the Lord brings strength and comfort. Second, there is coming in strength to receive guidance from the Lord, and the key is they to be willing to take whatever direction the Lord gives you. David’s example is excellent. May we remember it and follow it every day of our lives.
D. Application:
- When weak, cry to the Lord and receive His strength.
- When unsure, seek the Lord for His will and you will receive it.
Passage: 1 Sam 30:10-31
10 Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.
11 They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat – 12 part of a cake of pressed figs and two cakes of raisins. He ate and was revived, for he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights.
13 David asked him, ‘Who do you belong to? Where do you come from?’
He said, ‘I am an Egyptian, the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me when I became ill three days ago. 14 We raided the Negev of the Kerethites, some territory belonging to Judah and the Negev of Caleb. And we burned Ziklag.’
15 David asked him, ‘Can you lead me down to this raiding party?’
He answered, ‘Swear to me before God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will take you down to them.’
16 He led David down, and there they were, scattered over the countryside, eating, drinking and revelling because of the great amount of plunder they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from Judah. 17 David fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day, and none of them got away, except four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. 18 David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. 20 He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, ‘This is David’s plunder.’
21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were. 22 But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, ‘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.’
23 David replied, ‘No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. 24 Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All shall share alike.’ 25 David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.
26 When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, ‘Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.’
27 David sent it to those who were in Bethel, Ramoth Negev and Jattir; 28 to those in Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa 29 and Rakal; to those in the towns of the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites; 30 to those in Hormah, Bor Ashan, Athak 31 and Hebron; and to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed.
A. Find Out:
- When did 200 men stay back at “base camp”? v.10
- How did David find where the Amalekites were? v.11-16
- What was the outcome? v.17-20
- Who caused upset when they returned and why? v.21-22
- What did David decree and why? v.23-26
- What did David do with some of the plunder? v.27-31
B. Think:
- How would you describe David’s action in going to rescue his people?
- How would you describe his decree about the plunder?
- How would you describe his actions towards the elders of Judah?
C. Comment:
There are three phases in this passage: rescue, return and reward.
First of all David went to the rescue of his people who had been taken away. He finds and cares for an Egyptian slave who shows him where the Amalekites were. There follows a long and protracted fight against the Amalekites when all of their goods and people are rescued.
Second comes the return when they come back to those they had left behind. It is at this point that two things are revealed: the bad character of some of David’s men, and the sense of justice and integrity within David.
Third there is reward for the elders of Judah among whom David has gone in past months and years while on the run, and who have no doubt helped him from time to time.
David’s character is highlighted in this passage. First there is courage and perseverance to go after his own people. Then there is wisdom, justice and integrity as he cares for those left with the baggage, and finally there is wisdom, care and concern as he gives to the elders in Judah.
There are times in our lives when we need to courageously persevere, when we need to exercise justice and integrity, wisdom and care. Again, what an example this man gives us!
D. Application:
- Are honesty, integrity and justice part of our lives?
- Do we show care concern and wisdom towards others?