The Same Reward for Going to Battle and Guarding the Supplies

There’s an account in the Old Testament that provides a good illustration of the way God views and rewards faithfulness. The Amalekites captured David and his men’s wives and children (1 Samuel 30:1-5). As David and his men headed off after the Amalekites to rescue their wives and children, 200 of the 600 men were too exhausted to continue. This doesn’t mean they didn’t want to; instead, they were physically unable to do so (1 Samuel 30:9-10).

David continued with the 400 men. They found the Amalekites, rescued their wives and children, and on the way back, they encountered the 200 men who stayed behind. The 200 men must have been overjoyed at seeing their families again, but they were also probably embarrassed that they weren’t able to go further and that other men had to rescue their wives and children for them. This should have been a moment of great joy, but some men tried to ruin it by keeping the spoil from the 200 men (1 Samuel 30:22).

David responded, “My brethren, you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike (1 Samuel 30:23-24). David gave God the credit and defended the 200 men. He could have said they were too tired to go on, which would have excused them but also acknowledged their weakness. Instead, he said they “[stayed] by the supplies” to commend their actions.

David was a man after God’s own heart, and his actions illustrate the way God views stewardship and rewards faithfulness: Those who fought the enemy received the same share as those who protected the supplies. The men who went the extra miles and rescued the women and children looked like they did more than those who had stayed behind; therefore, they looked like they deserved more. Similarly, the first servant who produced five talents looked like he did more than the second servant who produced two talents; therefore, he looked like he deserved more. But the way David rewarded his men is similar to the way the master rewarded his servants. Just as David rewarded the 600 men equally because they were equally faithful (they did all they physically could), the master rewarded the two servants equally because they were equally faithful.