STS Lesson 226: David’s Victory Over the Amalekites (Adults)
MEMORY VERSE: “And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives” (1 Samuel 30:18).
TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 30:1-31
David’s flight from Saul and his sojourn in the Philistines’ country had been the theme of some studies in the preceding chapters to the text. Recall that he and his men enlisted in the Philistine army to fight against his people but were rejected by the lords of the Philistines. Though he deceived Achish to believe he was as an angel of God, the princes of the Philistines could not be persuaded to trust his loyalty during war against Israel. He was thus sent back to his base in Ziklag, where he had been granted asylum.
However, before David and his men could return to base, the Amalekites, possibly on a revenge mission for the earlier unprovoked destruction of a part of their tribes (1 Samuel 27:8,9), had struck and carried away their defenceless women and children and set Ziklag ablaze. This was a deadly blow to David and his men, which brought emotional distress to them. Thus, they embarked on a mission to recover all that belonged to them.
1. DAVID DISTRESSED BY THE AMALEKITES
(1 Samuel 30:1-6; Joshua 7:1-12; 8:1-29; 2 Chronicles 7:11-16)
While David and his men went to the north to join the Philistine army, their city was left unguarded. The Amalekites took advantage of the defenceless city, attacked and razed it to the ground. David and his men returned on the third day only to discover that “…their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives” (1 Samuel 30:3). Tired and hungry, their dream of returning to the warm embrace of their families and the comfort of their houses was dashed. That the Lord restrained the Amalekites from killing all the women and children showed His great mercy. However, the attack explains the need for believers to be watchful because the enemy takes advantage of our unguarded moments (1 Peter 5:8).
David wept, not only because everything and everyone was lost, but also for knowing that he was responsible for the great misfortune. First, there was a natural feeling of disappointment after a long and weary march. Second, there was an intense pang in every heart caused by the raid and captivity of members of their families; “…the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters…” Third, the troops were so fearfully disappointed in David that they spoke of stoning him. The very men who had lately approached him with the beautiful salutation — “peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee” (1 Chronicles 12:18) threatened to stone him.
It was a hard and trying time for David who had been rejected by the lords of the Philistines, his wife, children, and property herded into captivity, his place of asylum razed down and his faithful army on the verge of mutiny. This disaster and the shock of the situation drove David back to trust God’s mercy and grace. He “encouraged himself in the LORD his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). He was strengthened because, first, he perceived the love of God even in the rejection of the Philistine leaders that enabled them to return home early before greater damage was done to their people. Second, he remembered God’s past deliverances and trusted Him to help him out of the current predicament.
In moments of rejection, crisis or difficulty, we must learn to put our trust in the Lord, His word, power and providence and rest assured that, “…all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). David’s experience also shows that believers can always find succour in God as a result of their relationship with and total confidence in Him.
2. DAVID’S RETURN TO GOD AND PLEA FOR GUIDANCE
(1 Samuel 30:7-10; Joshua 7:7-13; 8:10-29; Psalm 37:3-7; Jeremiah 29:11-14)
The looting of Ziklag was the final stroke that led David back to the Lord. He later reflected, “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word” (Psalm 119:59,67). He asked Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod. This was likely the ephod of the high priest which had the breastplate of judgment attached to it (Exodus 28:15,28). The breastplate had in it a pouch containing two stones, known as the Urim and Thummim that were used to seek guidance from God (Exodus 28:30). “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” (1 Samuel 30:8). Since David was granted asylum among the Philistines, this was the first recorded case of his seeking God. Now in great distress, he would not take further step without God’s approval and direction.
Prayer is a vital weapon for believers to surmount challenges. If we desire to make progress in our spiritual and secular engagements, we must resort to God in prayer and depend on His word. As children of God, the Lord will surely answer us when we sincerely ask Him for direction in the choice of a marriage partner, business deals, career, etc.
Worthy of mention is David’s strong faith in God and tender care for his feeble soldiers. Although he needed all his men to go along with him in pursuit of the Amalekites, he was forced to drop a third part of them by the way because they were so fatigued that they could not pass the brook Besor. This was a great trial of his faith, yet in total dependence on God’s word, he proceeded with only four hundred men. David’s tenderness to his men at such a critical moment shows that when people we trust to help eventually disappoint us, we should exercise faith in God’s ability and power to meet every need.
3. DAVID’S MARCH TOWARDS THE PROMISED RECOVERY
(1 Samuel 30:11-20; Isaiah 58:6-14; Joel 2:15-27)
As David and his men pursued the Amalekites, they came across a young lad who had collapsed in the wilderness because he was sick. “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” (1 Samuel 30:11). Upon interrogation, he provided them with needed intelligence. Their act of kindness paid off as the young lad conducted them to the camp of the Amalekites after they had assured him of his safety.
David’s compassion for the Egyptian lad is commendable. Though he had several excuses to overlook the dying lad, he generously relieved him. As believers, we should not shut up our bowels of compassion from people in distress; and our love for others must transcend all tribal or religious sentiments. The result of our deeds of kindness to people, including so-called enemies, could be the key to our success or fulfilment of God’s plan for our lives.
Against the backdrop of how the young lad was treated, David would not have been different from the heartless Amalekite master if he had the same attitude and overlooked him. The best way to prove we are Christians is to treat others as Christ would. “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink” (Romans 12:20; Matthew 5:44). Our compassion for sinners who are drowning in sin should compel us to reach them with the gospel message. Apart from this, our love and willingness to share with them can attract them to the Saviour and make them instruments of spiritual revival and recovery.
The Amalekites who “…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” were caught off guard by David and his men. “And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away.” David and his men ended up with more than they had lost because they were able to capture the spoil that was taken by the Amalekites from the Philistine cities.
Today, believers can recover both their physical and spiritual inheritance because victory is the portion of God’s people who seek, trust and obey Him. His promise is, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten… And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you… And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed” (Joel 2:25-27).
Jesus Christ, the Son of David, has conquered the devil and given every New Testament believer victory and power to continually enforce the enemy’s defeat (Luke 10:19; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:11-18; James 4:7; Revelation 12:11).
4. DAVID’S LIBERALITY AND PRINCIPLE OF FAIRNESS
(1 Samuel 30:21-31; Ephesians 4:7,8; Psalm 68:18; Acts 20:33-35; 2 Kings 7:1-18; Matthew 28:18-20)
After the victory over the Amalekites, “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”. Then, those who returned from battle with him objected to sharing the spoil with those that did not go, “save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart” (1 Samuel 30:21,22). The reaction of these “wicked men and men of Belial” showed that they failed to realise that their brethren tarried behind, not for want of goodwill to the cause but lack of strength to keep up with their pace. Besides, they rendered a good service by staying with the pieces of stuff that those who were able to continue the pursuit left behind.
In response to their protest, David established an important principle which became a statute and ordinance for Israel. “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”. Today, it takes several people to provide support services needed for soldiers in battle. And those who support frontline soldiers are as important in any victory as those who directly engage the enemy in battle (Numbers 31:27). In the church, we should not neglect the people who provide support services from behind-the-scene for frontline ministers of the gospel. People who do not go to mission fields but contribute to the success of soul-winning in home and foreign lands will also be rewarded by the Lord, if they remain faithful till the end.
The ministry of “helps” is scriptural and cannot be neglected (1 Corinthians 12:28; Acts 6:1-6; Romans 16:3,9; 3 John 1,5-8). Believers who are committed and faithful in rendering support services for the progress of the gospel will not lose their rewards (Hebrews 6:10). Courtesy demands that we reciprocate or acknowledge the kind gestures of other people.
Since his return to Ziklag, David consistently showed by his attitude and conduct that he was truly restored from backsliding. The evidence that he was now a changed man could be seen in: strengthening himself in the Lord in time of distress; not responding rashly to the men who contemplated stoning him; seeking counsel from the Lord before pursuing after the Amalekites; obeying God’s instruction to pursue the raiders though his army was just on the verge of mutiny; trusting the Lord that he would recover all; believing he would have the victory even when a third of his army fainted and could not go on; stopping to show kindness to a dying stranger despite his loss, distress and urgent pursuit after the raiders; dealing gently with the men of Belial among his followers; sharing the booties of war with others and guaranteeing equal share for those who carried out the war and those who stayed behind with the supplies; giving glory to God and recognising the spoil was God-given; and reaching out to the elders of Judah and trying to mend his past mistakes. God expects sinners and backsliders to manifest such fruits of repentance to enjoy total restoration and victory.
When Jesus triumphed on the cross, He won the greatest battle and now shares the spoil with everyone. “When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men” (Ephesians 4:8). As David sent messengers with gifts to diverse people in many cities, the Lord Jesus Christ is also sending us forth as His reliable ambassadors to take the gift of life and spread it throughout the whole world (Mark 16:15). Finally, when God grants us victory in life battle, we must return to praise, worship Him and be a channel of blessing to others.
Questions for Review:
- What is the importance of watchfulness in the believer’s life?
- How should believers respond to challenges?
- Why should Christians seek divine guidance before taking important steps in life?
- What lessons can contemporary believers draw from the compassion of David on the Egyptian?
- What principle do believers learn from David’s distribution of the booties of war and Christ’s victory?
- Highlight the importance of the ministry of “helps” in the church today.
- What is the evidence of a genuine restoration from backsliding?
