1 Samuel 30

1 Samuel 30

Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission 1 Samuel Chart from Charles Swindoll TIMELINE OF THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL, KINGS & CHRONICLES 1107 1011 971 931 853 722 586 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 1 Kings 2 Kings 31 1-4 5-10 11-20 21-24 1-11 12-22 1-17 18-25 1 Chronicles 10 1 Chr 11-19 1 Chr 20-29 2 Chronicles 1-9 2 Chronicles 10-20 2 Chronicles 21-36 Legend: B.C. dates at top of timeline are approximate. Note that 931BC marks the division of the Kingdom into Southern Tribes (Judah and Benjamin) and Ten Northern Tribes. To avoid confusion be aware that after the division of the Kingdom in 931BC, the Southern Kingdom is most often designated in Scripture as "Judah" and the Northern Kingdom as "Israel." Finally, note that 1 Chronicles 1-9 is not identified on the timeline because these chapters are records of genealogy. The Ryrie Study Bible Below is map from the Holman Bible Atlas (digital book; Hardcover) Click to enlarge - from the Holman Bible Atlas (digital book; Hardcover) copyright © 1998 B&H Publishing Group, used by permission, all rights reserved. This is one of the best resources for Bible maps. Please do not reproduce this map on any other webpage. Thank you. 1 Samuel 30:1 Then it happened when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire; came to Ziklag: 1Sa 29:11 2Sa 1:2 the Amalekites: 1Sa 15:7 27:8-10 Ge 24:62 Jos 11:6 1 Samuel 30 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Ziklag Burning THE CHICKENS HAVE COME HOME TO ROOST! The chickens come home to roost means that one's previous actions will eventually have consequences. That is to say the bad things that one has done in the past will come back to "bite" the individual, just as a chicken returns to its nest to lay an egg! Then it happened when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day - This timing appears to be the third day after David had separated from the Philistine army at Aphek. that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire - What is sad is that David was actually reaping the consequences of Saul's failure to eradicate the Amalekites! Of course David's raids against them had stirred the hornet's nest and brought out a revenge raid. And finally David was also reaping the consequences of compromising and going in league with Israel's mortal enemy, the Philistines! Ray Pritchard - David has been flirting with disaster for a long, long time. What started out as a simple case of discouragement has now led to something inconceivable. When he first came to the Philistines, he only meant to relieve the pressure. He never meant for anything like this to happen. And all this time, God has been trying to get his attention but David won’t listen. Finally, disaster strikes and David is totally unprepared....Ziklag is burning and it’s all David’s fault. What started with discouragement led to desperation which led to defection which led to disobedience which culminated in disaster. Now God is beginning to get David’s attention. Sometimes the Lord has to do that in order to get through to us. Disaster comes and we stand in the blackened, smoking ruins of a part of our life. And at last we come to our senses. After 16 months of compromise and disobedience, David finally begins to look up. The tragedy is that it took so long and hurt so many people.(Ziklag is Burning) James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose - DAVID RECOVERING ALL 1 Samuel 30 “Is God less God, that thou art left undone? Rise, worship, bless HIM, in this sackcloth spun, As in the purple!”—E. B. BROWNING. It is not so easy for us to praise God when our circumstances are to us as a covering of sackcloth and ashes as when they are as the royal robe of unbroken favour and success. Yet the discipline of the one may be as fruitful of blessing as the other if we are found abiding in the will of God. But the wilful prodigal will certainly suffer loss. David’s alliance with the Philistines brought him into sore trouble, as all such unholy connections are sure to do. See here— I. A Crushing Disappointment. “David and his men came to the city, and behold it was burned with fire” (vv. 3, 5). While seeking to help the ungodly he suffers the loss of all that he had. It is the old story in another form of the prodigal son in the far country beginning to be in want. “They lifted up their voice and wept,” and David was “greatly distressed” (v. 6). In attempting to watch the vineyard of others David failed to keep his own. The enemy’s fire is often needed to waken us up to a true sense of our position in the sight of God. II. A Work of Faith. “But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God” (vv. 6–8). Wives, sons, daughters, cattle, houses, all gone; and the people “spake of stoning him.” David now comes to himself, and turns to the Lord as unto a friend in the time of need, for who in such circumstances could encourage himself in a stranger. The spirit of faith again sits on the throne of David’s heart, as when he faced Goliath, and he is at once another man. Having remembered the Lord his God in affliction, he rises up, like a giant refreshed with new wine, to the dignity of his high calling. Yes. “What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee” (Psa. 56:3, 4). “He inquired at the Lord” (v. 8). We cannot encourage ourselves much in Him unless we are prepared to submit our way to Him (1 Sam. 28:6). III. An Assuring Promise. “Pursue, for thou shalt without fail recover all” (v. 8). This precious word of the Lord sets every fear at rest. Although as yet there is no change in the calamitous circumstances, his heart finds peace. All will be well, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. It is no vain thing, in the day of distress, to encourage yourself in God. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart. IV. A Providential Hap. “They found an Egyptian in the field” (vv. 11, 16). David had the promise of God that all would be recovered. But how was it to be done? Where were now those invading Amalekites? Who will guide them to their rendezvous? This poor unfortunate youth, who had to drop out of the ranks of the Amalekites because of sickness, and was left by his heartless master to perish by the roadside, is the divinely-appointed means to the fulfilment of the God-given promise. The means are in His hand as well as the end; and the things that God chooses are “weak and despised” in the eyes of the ungodly, like this dying Egyptian, but mighty to the pulling down of the strongholds of Satan (1 Cor. 1:27, 28). This little episode, by the way, has a halo of glory about it. Our heavenly David is not ashamed to pick up the world’s sick and half-dead castaways, to nourish them into life and health, to engage them as His servants, and to use them for the furtherance of His cause and kingdom, having slain the enmity by the power of His kindness (vv. 11, 12). Such were some of us. V. A Complete Victory. “David recovered all” (vv. 16–20). Who else could? He had yielded himself to God for this purpose, and having His promise he went in His Name, and proved the faithfulness of His Word. What a prefiguring of Him who was David’s Lord, and who encouraged Himself in His God, and came forth to recover all that was lost through the sinful failure of the first Adam. His journey was short and the struggle was severe, but the victory was glorious, for Jehovah had laid help upon one that was mighty—mighty in sympathy and compassion, mighty in patience and in wisdom, mighty in meekness and in power, mighty in dying and in rising again, mighty to forgive and to save, mighty to burst the gates of death and to open the gates of glory, mighty to RECOVER ALL and to keep and guard all that is recovered. VI. A Gracious Offer. “Behold a present for you” (v. 26). The word “present” is rendered blessing in the margin. He who “recovered all” now offers a blessing to all his friends. Those who were not able to go down to the battle, but who faithfully tarried by the stuff, shall in no way lose their reward (v. 24). He who hath redeemed (bought back) the lost inheritance has the alone right to give such gifts to others (Eph. 1:7). He shall divide the spoil of His unsearchable riches with the strong in faith (Isa. 53:12). Yes, there is a blessing for you in this glorious victory if you claim Him as your Friend and Deliverer, and are faithfully, though feebly, striving to serve Him (Heb. 2:14, 16). 1 Samuel 30:2 and they took captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great, without killing anyone, and carried them off and went their way. without killing anyone: 1Sa 30:19 27:11 Job 38:11 Ps 76:10 Isa 27:8,9 1 Samuel 30 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries FAMILIES TAKEN CAPTIVE And they took captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great, without killing anyone, and carried them off and went their way - The fact that the Amalekites captured the families without killing them is surprising in view of the fact that this is surely a "get even" raid and yet they did not annihilate the women and children as David had done to them! This is surely another manifestation of the hand of the LORD showing mercy and allowing their families to live! David is soon to be king, but utter destruction of his family would have likely led to a different beginning of his reign. Also the text says without killing anyone, another sign that God's hand was behind the scenes in Ziklag because it would be surprising that a raiding party would not inflict at least a few casualties on those who might have put up a futile defense. But apparently no one soul was lost! 1 Samuel 30:3 When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. burned: Ps 34:19 Heb 12:6 1Pe 1:6,7 Rev 3:9 1 Samuel 30 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries DAVID VIEWS DAMAGE BUT NO CARNAGE Carnage is the violent killing of large numbers of people, especially in war. To the praise of the glory of God's grace, there was no carnage, human or animal! That is nothing short of amazing grace! When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive - The writer repeats the fact that while the city was destroyed, the families were not. Undoubtedly David and his men made a close inspection of the ruins of the fire to see if there were any bones, teeth or other human remains and they found none. Note that the skeleton does not 'turn to ash' upon burning. Even within modern crematoria, which burn efficiently and at high temperatures, the skeleton will survive. 1 Samuel 30:4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep. lifted: 1Sa 4:13 11:4 Ge 37:33-35 Nu 14:1,39 Jdg 2:4 21:2 Ezr 10:1 1 Samuel 30 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries GROWN MIGHTY MEN DO CRY! Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep - These were seasoned warriors but their hearts were broken by the fact that those closest to them had been taken from them. They could only imagine what the captors might do to the helpless captives! These were thoughts to make a grown man weep and wail like a baby! The phrase until there was no strength in them to weep would suggest that their crying out did not last for a few minutes but went on probably for hours, to the point that they were to weak to weep anymore. They were physically and emotionally at the end of themselves.