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Is Jesus enough for you when you find yourself in a disaster zone? Is he able to work good in your life when everything seems to be falling apart? David’s followers here seem to be losing their faith in the king very fast indeed. Ziklag, their home city, has been sacked and plundered (vv. 1, 16), and their wives and children carried off (vv. 2–3). David’s band of followers now want someone to blame, and David becomes the object of their anger (v. 6). Can God’s chosen king sort this out? Is he up to the task? The answer is: yes!
David can do it because the Lord gives him the strength he needs (v. 6) and guides him with his word (vv. 7–8; see chapter 28 for the contrast with Saul). We’ve already been told many times in 1 Samuel that the Lord will give David victory wherever he goes (20:15; 25:29; 26:25), and here we see yet another astounding victory from the Lord’s hand. With a depleted force (vv. 9–10), David beats what must have been an overwhelming enemy. We’re told that ‘none of them got away, except four hundred young men’ (v. 14). Amazingly, we also learn: ‘Nothing was missing … David brought everything back’ (v. 19). It’s clear here that we shouldn’t let the disasters in our life determine our view of our King’s power and might. He’s fully able to redeem every single thing from our life. We can trust him.
As David wins yet another great victory, the spoils of war are distributed. The emphasis here is on the king’s generosity and grace. Everyone is rewarded with the spoils – both those who stayed behind in the battle (vv. 23–24) and others living across the whole land (vv. 27–31). Though some want to limit the rewards to those who have fought (v. 22), David knows that, in reality, everything has come from the Lord (v. 23). Our King, the Lord Jesus, has won a greater battle on the cross. We have no rights to anything, but he loves to lavish good gifts on us. We have a very generous King (Matt. 20:1–16).
REFLECTION
1. What is Jesus able to do for you?
2. How do you see his generosity at work in your life?
Scripture
About this Plan
1 Samuel charts the rise and fall of several of Israel’s leaders. You’ll meet the notoriously arrogant king Saul and see the ascent of the man after God’s own heart – David. You’ll read of dangerous battles, murder plots, giants and even more surprises in this book. You’ll see that despite turbulence in leadership, seemingly strong enemies and spiritual decay God is very much at work orchestrating the fall of the proud and the rise of the humble. What an encouragement for us today when we are faced with challenges not too dissimilar to these!
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