In 1Samuel chapter 30, we read about David having a very bad day. Perhaps that’s an understatement, since his wives and children, and the families of all his men, have been kidnapped by a band of Amalekite raiders who destroyed their camp by burning it to the ground. David was supposed to be helping the Philistines, under whose protection he’s now living, in battle against his own people of Israel, but he’s been sent home with a flea in his ear. Although the Philistine king wanted David’s help, his people weren’t so sure. Would he really remain faithful to them in a battle against his own kinsmen, or would he turn tail and betray them? Was he a double agent, or a spy in their midst? After all, he was once a faithful officer of the Israelite king Saul. He was famous for killing Goliath, one of their own Philistine champions. He was the subject of a well-known Israelite song about how Saul had killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands. (1Samuel 29 5.) So although the king had enlisted David’s help and considers him to be loyal, he’s forced to ask him to leave the battle, much to David’s chagrin.
I can picture David and his men returning to their camp at Ziklag tired and dejected. I dare say all they wanted was to rest and enjoy a home-cooked meal with their families. David’s life up until this point has been a confusing melange of victories and defeats. There was that strange encounter with the prophet Samuel, who anointed David as the future king of Israel, despite Saul’s firm grip on the throne and the fact he had sons to carry on his dynasty. David – the youngest and least important of his father’s sons – to be king? None of it made sense. Yet, God began preparing a path before him as David found himself enlisted in Saul’s service, ordered to play the harp to calm the disturbed king who had been consumed by an evil spirit since turning his back on obedience to the Lord.
Then there was the killing of Goliath, which propelled young David firmly into the limelight. He was Israel’s hero, but from that moment on, he became the enemy of the jealous king who probably sensed the shifting of the loyalty of his subjects from him to David. The Lord’s hand of guidance and blessing upon this young man was obvious, as was his obedience and dedication to Israel’s God whom he loved with all his heart.
Years passed with plot after plot instigated by Saul to bring about David’s downfall. If it hadn’t been for the loyalty of Jonathan, the legal heir to the throne, David might well have been killed. He found himself on the run, leading a band of displaced revels, finding shelter in Philistia of all places! There were opportunities for David to kill Saul and seize his promised throne by force, but David knew it wasn’t his place to kill the Lord’s anointed. If God had promised him the throne, he would give it to him, despite all the odds that seemed to be stacked up against him.
If I were David, I would have been extremely discouraged by this point in my life, despite the promises of God. I probably would have been questioning. Did Samuel really hear the Lord correctly? Is this all worth it? How much more can I take? I would have been having a pity party. And returning home to find my camp destroyed and my family gone probably would have been the last straw. Did David rage against God, as so many of us would have? He certainly grieved, because we are told he and his men wept until they had no strength left to weep. (1Samuel 30: 4.) He then had to face the bitterness of his compatriots, who talked of stoning him. They needed someone to blame, and as their leader, David was the obvious choice. Does he have anyone left to stand by him at this point? If I were David, I would have felt desperate and alone.
Thankfully, David was not like me. Despite his losses and the bitterness of his men, verse 6 tells us that David found strength in the Lord his God. He knew where to turn, because years of betrayal and running had taught him that only one person would never let him down, and that was his Lord. Did David have an honest to goodness talk with God about all this? I’m sure he did. I’m sure he knew exactly where to pour out his pain, disappointment, and confusion, but he did so with faith that he was speaking to the one person who could show him what he had to do next.
I imagine David’s men were putting him under great pressure. There was probably a lot of shouting, an eagerness to go into battle and try to reclaim those they had lost, or at the very least seek some kind of revenge. That’s usually our first reaction too when we’ve been hurt,. Our minds begin to race, and there is the tendency to plot how we can make those who have hurt us pay for what they’ve done. I can picture David’s men with their weapons in their hands eager to go out to war, picking up stones to hurl at their seemingly indifferent leader. Yet David did not cave under pressure, despite his own hurts and losses.
In verses 7 and 8, David calls for the priest, and asks him to enquire of the Lord on his behalf. He needs to know what he should do, and only God has the answers. The obvious solution was to go after the raiding Amalekites and see what they could get back, but obvious to us isn’t always obvious to God. David has learned that the hard way, and now he’s ready to listen, despite the pressure from within and without. Would David have listened if God had said no – that he was to let it go and not go after the raiders? We’ll never know for sure, but knowing David’s character from scripture, I’d like to think he would. This man after God’s own heart knew that unless the Lord was with him in a battle, there would be no sense in taking the first swing.
There is so much I can learn from David’s story. During the times when I see red and want to lash out in anger to defend myself or my loved ones, do I take the time to enquire of God – to line my thoughts and reactions up with what my Saviour wants for me? I am so prone to follow my gut instincts rather than listening to the voice of God. When things are calm, it’s easier to hear his voice and follow his instructions, but I need to learn to stop and listen to him in times of stress and anguish too. The way forward may seem obvious, as it surely did to David. Of course he should try and get his family back! But our God who knows the end from the beginning sometimes has a different definition of obvious from ours. Sometimes, he tells us to wait rather than rush ahead and make things worse. Anger and fear are both dangerous emotions which can drown out the voice of God. We can sometimes even fool ourselves into thinking we’re doing his will, when we’re really doing the exact opposite.
David was successful in his mission to rescue his family and those of his men because he heard and discerned the voice of God. He did it the right way, with God’s blessing. This is why God wanted him as Israel’s king – because more often than not, David was willing to choose God’s will over his own. Of course, he made some catastrophic mistakes later in his life, and he paid for them dearly, but in the case of the Amalekite raid, David handled things just as the Lord wanted him to. I’ve always found this story extremely convicting, and it causes me to examine myself closely. It sometimes comes to mind when I am faced with seemingly obvious choices influenced by pressure within and without. I pray I will stop and listen to the voice of God before making my move, but too often, I don’t and fall flat on my face in the process. Yet I am learning and growing, and I have a wonderfully patient Saviour. So let’s try and remember this lesson from David when we want to respond to someone with an angry retort, to take revenge, or to rescue someone we love. Let’s stop, take a few breaths, and have a word with Jesus, seeking his clear guidance for the way ahead, knowing his plans are always perfect, and his ways are always just.