1 Samuel 30
Overview
1 Samuel 30 is a pivotal chapter that highlights David's leadership qualities and his ability to overcome adversity. The chapter recounts a crisis at Ziklag and David's response, which further cements his status as a capable and compassionate leader. Key aspects include:
Ziklag Raided by the Amalekites: Upon David and his men’s return to Ziklag, they find it destroyed by fire and their families taken captive by the Amalekites. The Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag while David and his men were away.
David and His Men's Distress: David and his men are deeply distressed, finding their wives and children taken captive. The men, in their grief and frustration, talk of stoning David.
David Seeks God’s Guidance: In his distress, David turns to God for guidance. He asks the priest Abiathar to bring the ephod, and he inquires of the LORD whether to pursue the raiding party. The LORD instructs him to pursue and promises him success.
David’s Pursuit and Recovery Mission: David and four hundred of his men set off in pursuit of the Amalekites. Two hundred men are too exhausted to cross the Besor Valley and are left behind.
The Egyptian Slave's Role: They find an Egyptian slave, abandoned by the Amalekites, who guides them to the Amalekite camp after David promises him safety.
David’s Victory and Rescue of Captives: David attacks the Amalekites and defeats them, recovering all the captives, including his two wives, and all the plunder the Amalekites had taken.
David’s Fair Distribution of Spoils: On their return, some of David’s men do not want to share the spoils with those who stayed behind. David, however, insists on equitable distribution, establishing it as a lasting ordinance in Israel.
1 Samuel 30 demonstrates David's resilience in the face of overwhelming odds and his reliance on God for guidance. His ability to rally his men, his strategic approach to the rescue mission, and his fair treatment of all his men illustrate his qualities as a leader. This chapter not only showcases David's military prowess and compassionate leadership but also sets the stage for his rise to greater power and influence in the chapters that follow.
Ziklag Raided by the Amalekites: Upon David and his men’s return to Ziklag, they find it destroyed by fire and their families taken captive by the Amalekites. The Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag while David and his men were away.
David and His Men's Distress: David and his men are deeply distressed, finding their wives and children taken captive. The men, in their grief and frustration, talk of stoning David.
David Seeks God’s Guidance: In his distress, David turns to God for guidance. He asks the priest Abiathar to bring the ephod, and he inquires of the LORD whether to pursue the raiding party. The LORD instructs him to pursue and promises him success.
David’s Pursuit and Recovery Mission: David and four hundred of his men set off in pursuit of the Amalekites. Two hundred men are too exhausted to cross the Besor Valley and are left behind.
The Egyptian Slave's Role: They find an Egyptian slave, abandoned by the Amalekites, who guides them to the Amalekite camp after David promises him safety.
David’s Victory and Rescue of Captives: David attacks the Amalekites and defeats them, recovering all the captives, including his two wives, and all the plunder the Amalekites had taken.
David’s Fair Distribution of Spoils: On their return, some of David’s men do not want to share the spoils with those who stayed behind. David, however, insists on equitable distribution, establishing it as a lasting ordinance in Israel.
1 Samuel 30 demonstrates David's resilience in the face of overwhelming odds and his reliance on God for guidance. His ability to rally his men, his strategic approach to the rescue mission, and his fair treatment of all his men illustrate his qualities as a leader. This chapter not only showcases David's military prowess and compassionate leadership but also sets the stage for his rise to greater power and influence in the chapters that follow.
1 Samuel 30
1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.
4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
🔑→ Devotion
7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.
10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;
12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.
13 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.
14 We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.
16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.
18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.
🔑→ Devotion
20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.
21 And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.
22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.
23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.
24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.
25 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD;
27 To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,
28 And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,
29 And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,
30 And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chorashan, and to them which were in Athach,
31 And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.
End of 1 Samuel 30
1 Year Plan: May 5 - 1 Sa 29, 1 Sa 30, John 21
2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.
4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
🔑→ Devotion
7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.
10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;
12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.
13 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.
14 We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.
16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.
18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.
🔑→ Devotion
20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.
21 And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.
22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.
23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.
24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.
25 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD;
27 To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,
28 And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,
29 And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,
30 And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chorashan, and to them which were in Athach,
31 And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.
End of 1 Samuel 30
1 Year Plan: May 5 - 1 Sa 29, 1 Sa 30, John 21
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