1 - 6 Ziklag Raided and Overthrown
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; 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. 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. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep. 5 Now David’s two wives had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
Although it begins to light around David, he is not yet where he should be. After a trip of three days he and his men come to Ziklag, where he hopes to relax. When he arrives there, however, he finds an overthrown and burnt city. There is also no one to welcome them. All family members are taken captive.
It teaches us a practical lesson. If we say goodbye to our loved ones, even for a few hours, we cannot foresee what may happen to them or to us before we meet again. Therefore, it is good to entrust each other to the gracious preservation of God and to praise Him for His preservation when we may meet again each other safe and sound. Another lesson is that we lose a lot if we leave the Lord’s way. As soon as we start living for ourselves, we should not rely on the Lord to preserve our family members. If the head of the family turns his back to the Lord, this often has serious consequences for the family.
What he finds in Ziklag must be bitter to him. The Amalekites have done this. For whatever reason they may have spared the captives, we may see God’s hand in it. In the defeating and burning of Ziklag we see the disciplining hand of God over David. In the sparing of the captives we see the preserving hand of God. That no one has been killed is thanks to His care. In wrath He remembers mercy (Hab 3:2). God wants to use the Amalekites to correct, not to kill. That is why He prevents the enemies from hurting anyone of the prisoners.
The bitterness and bitter tears that come here are not to be found in the time when Saul chases him like a partridge on the mountains or even when he is offended by Nabal. These tears are the result of his search for shielding from the enemy of God’s people and not from God. He has never before experienced the disciplining hand of God in such a way. He has always been the object of God’s special care and protection. He withdrew from it, with this as a result. Let it be a warning to us!
In addition to the grief for what he has lost, there is also the uprising of his so far so loyal companions. They blame him for the heavy loss that also struck them. In their bitterness they even talk about stoning David! We see here that, if we go a way without God, we lose everything to ‘the Amalekites’ who are a picture of the flesh. We must also count on a deterioration in our relations with our brothers and sisters.
Besides the loss of everything, David also loses the trust of his men. He is also primarily responsible for this drama, although they followed him themselves. By this discipline David returns to God, his God. This is the difference with Saul, who cannot say that. God has departed from him because of his own disobedience and unrepentance.
David seeks and finds strength. He does not find this strength in his men, for they are against him, nor in his wives, for they are not there. He finds it in the only source where it can be found, namely in God Himself. What does David do? He “humbles” himself “under the mighty hand of God” (1Pet 5:6) and confesses his sin. He returns to the LORD and strengthens himself in Him (verse 6b). This is the blessed turning point in David’s life. Here the light only breaks through properly. Now he is going to ask the LORD again what he should do.
7 - 10 The Pursuit Started
7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?” And He said to him, “Pursue, for you will surely overtake them, and you will surely rescue [all].” 9 So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, [where] those left behind remained. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor remained [behind].
The connection with the LORD has been restored. The first sign that David is on the right path again is that he consults the LORD. He does not make decisions himself but wants to ask the LORD through the priest. He acknowledges Him in his ways, and He makes his paths straight (Pro 3:6). The answer the LORD gives is clear, certain, and encouraging.
He gives more than David asks. David asks if he should pursue the band and overtake them. The answer is that he will overtake them, and God also gives him the full assurance of the rescue of their families and their possessions. God rejoices in it when a deviated child of Him comes back to Him again.
With six hundred men David starts the pursuit. These are the men who wanted to stone him just before. David, however, has strengthened himself in the LORD, his God and placed Him again before the attention of his men. That also gives them new strength and new confidence. When it turns out that the strength of two hundred men has been used up, David does not insist, but leaves them at the brook Besor. He himself continues with the rest.
11 - 15 A Guide to the Band
11 Now they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate, and they provided him water to drink. 12 They gave him a piece of fig cake and two clusters of raisins, and he ate; then his spirit revived. For he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” And he said, “I am a young man of Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind when I fell sick three days ago. 14 We made a raid on the Negev of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” 15 Then David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this band.”
In this section we have a small history in great history. Herein a new quality of David becomes visible. Every thought of his life in the lie is covered here by his expressions of mercy and pity for an Egyptian young man. This compassion is the compassion of the Lord Jesus for him who has been discarded by the world and satan.
In their pursuit of the Amalekites, the men of David find an Egyptian young man left behind by his master, an Amalekite. They bring him to David. It is wonderful to see how David takes care of him. When his men have brought the young man to him, he first gives him food and drink. Thereby the young man regains his strength.
Then David asks him two questions. These two questions are useful questions to ask to someone. The first question is: ”To whom do you belong?” The second question is: ”Where are you from?” On the first question man must confess that he is a slave to sin. He is in the power of the flesh. On the second question, he must confess that he is of the world. The reality of the world is that once someone is no longer usable, there is no compassion. He is thrown away, discarded, because there is no benefit to be gained from such a person anymore.
That happened to the young man. He has become ill and such a person is not useful anymore. You depreciate him directly. He is discarded as worthless material. This is expressed in the young man’s confession in verse 13. He confesses both his origins and his works. Egypt is a picture of the world. Someone who lives in the world is a slave of sin. The works of the flesh are made visible in him (verse 14; Gal 5:20-21).
Today, many young people in the world are slaves of sin. Alcohol, drugs, and sex are the works in which that slavery becomes visible. Fortunately, it still happens that young people start to realize what a ruthless power they have ended up in and that they cannot expect any outcome for their real problems from that power. Fortunately, also when they come into contact with the Lord Jesus Who does not give them back into the power of their former rulers. If they honestly say who they are and what they have done, He wants to use them.
It is as with the prodigal son (Lk 15:11-20). He had enough friends as long as they benefited from him. However, when he began to suffer want, there was no one he could fall back on. Then he came to himself. He saw his sin and went home to confess it. The father took him in his arms. Thus we may bring the gospel to people.
David then asks him if he wants to help trace the Amalekites. David says as it were: Do you want to go with me, to make your former friends your enemies and me your friend? In this he agrees, but not without having received the firm promise that David will not hand him over to his former master. He has had enough of it. Never will anyone who joins the Lord Jesus be delivered back into the world by Him.
16 - 20 The Spoil of David
16 When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 David slaughtered them from the twilight until the evening of the next day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. 18 So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives. 19 But nothing of theirs was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that they had taken for themselves; David brought [it] all back. 20 So David had captured all the sheep and the cattle [which the people] drove ahead of the [other] livestock, and they said, “This is David’s spoil.”
On the instruction of the young man David comes to the Amalekites. They are not aware of any danger. They celebrate exuberantly because of the big spoil they have captured. They think they are in peace and security, without even thinking for a moment of danger (1Thes 5:3). David attacks the enemy and causes a great slaughter. Only a few escape.
He recovers everything that the Amalekites have stolen. David’s spoil is much larger than what the enemy took with him at Ziklag. It is all that the enemy has captured from other robberies. The spoil is the spoil of David and his men, but it is called “David’s spoil”. The spoil is attributed to him. He is the victor. So it is with the Lord Jesus.
21 - 25 David Divides the Spoil
21 When David came to the two hundred men who were too exhausted to follow David, who had also been left at the brook Besor, and they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him, then David approached the people and greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless men among those who went with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead [them] away and depart.” 23 Then David said, “You must not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us, who has kept us and delivered into our hand the band that came against us. 24 And who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike.” 25 So it has been from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.
David first asks about the prosperity of those who stayed behind because they had been too tired to come along. The expression “had also been left” indicates that David insisted that they would not move on. This is yet another characteristic of the Lord Jesus. It is the characteristic of the shepherd who does not demand the utmost from his sheep. This is why the Holy Spirit describes the events of this chapter in such detail. This is the acting of the Lord Jesus, Who will reign in righteousness and not according to the law of the world or of carnal believers.
When the spoil must be distributed, there is a quarrel among David’s followers. Here the selfishness of his followers is expressed. There are those who believe they have more rights than others. Don’t we recognize that? Probably so. David solves this beautifully. He brings everything back to the foundation of grace. He speaks to the “wicked and worthless men” who have made this selfish proposal as “my brothers”. In this way he prevents a contradiction with them and prevents the suspicion of giving preferential treatment.
He does not make hard accusations about this carnal behavior. His “gentle answer turns away wrath” (Pro 15:1a). About the spoils he says that it is “what the LORD has given us”. David does not attribute victory to himself but to the LORD. He says as it were: “What do you have that you have not received? (1Cor 4:7a). The victory is bestowed upon them by the LORD. Who dares to boast and say that he has more rights than anyone else?
The spoil is shared equally by all those who have been involved in the battle in any way. The people who stayed behind have looked after the baggage, haven’t they? Isn’t that a great job? Have the warriors forgotten how they lost Ziklag and everything they owned just before?
Thus the Lord will reward all that has been done for Him. We tend to look only at what is conspicuous, what people talk about. The Lord also sees the sick man, who cannot go out himself, but prays for His work. He sees the mother who is busy caring for the children. Would that be less important than the man who is allowed to preach the Word of God before full halls, or the woman who has time to do children’s work and reach children with the gospel?
26 - 31 The Friends of David
26 Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent [some] of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Behold, a gift for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD: 27 to those who were in Bethel, and to those who were in Ramoth of the Negev, and to those who were in Jattir, 28 and to those who were in Aroer, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa, 29 and to those who were in Racal, and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites, 30 and to those who were in Hormah, and to those who were in Bor-ashan, and to those who were in Athach, 31 and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to go.”
When David is back in Ziklag, he also sends gifts from the spoils to Judah’s elders. He thus gives them the proof of his restoration. These elders are the true friends of David as opposed to Achish. We can see what he gives them as a gift of reconciliation. He shows that he is back with them and is there for them again, for their blessing. It may also be a kind of reward for their loyalty to him, even when he went the wrong way. He has, as it were, returned to be the head of his people.
David and his men have been wandering in all the places mentioned. There David received their friendship during his wanderings and was invigorated by it. He is rewarding this now. This too is something the Lord Jesus does (Mt 10:40-42). He now rewards all those who let Him enter his or her life. He is still the Rejected One. But He appreciates it if there are people who help Him. That means who support His work and all who work for Him.