Today wraps up 1 Samuel. Can you believe the journey? The drama heats up before an anti-climactic finish with the death of King Saul. We will camp out on the events of David in chapters 29-30, but I encourage you to read all 28-31 for the complete story.
Before we look at David, let’s jump over to King Saul and the hot mess his life is in right now. He is still king, but Samuel has died. Therefore, all hope of hearing from the Lord is removed from Saul’s life. And he starts to unravel. Real fast. Could that be the lesson for today? Yes. Do not rush past the events in 1 Samuel 28 as weird as they might play out. There are seasons of my life that I see myself in King Saul grasping for answers I want to hear that pulls me further and further away from the Lord. Further away from the truth.
Q: Where am I looking for false hope like King Saul? What are the decisions I have made that pull me away from the Lord? Ask Him to draw you back.
On the other hand, David lives in the land of the Philistines for the last year or so. He is on good terms with Achish and the leaders of the Philistine army. The reputation of David has held up with the Philistines. David is mighty, loyal, and victorious. He is a man to fear. When the Philistines decide to go to battle against Israel again, David gets ready to fight… on the Philistines’ side. The loyalty of David knows no bounds. Although Achish testifies to the Philistines of David’s character to the point of saying David is “an angel of God” (v.6-9), the Philistines do not want David and his men on the battlefield because they are afraid David’s loyalty will turn on them. However, David sleighed the Philistine giant Goliath and has struck down ten thousand. David is qualified. David is prepared. David is the sure choice, but the Lord has other plans.
Q: Have you had a moment in your life where you felt 100% ready, qualified, sure of the next step and it doesn’t happen? Why do you think the Lord redirected your path?
The plot twist comes in 29:10. David and his men retreat the opposite direction from Jezreel. Where David thought he was supposed to be, the Lord redirects his path. In 1 Samuel 30, we see the Lord has purpose for redirecting David and his 600 men. They come to Ziklag to find it completely burned down and destroyed by the Amalekites. There is nothing left. People, livestock, grain, jewelry, all of it captured or burned. In 30:6, David is distressed. How does David respond to the ruins? David strengthens himself in the Lord. David calls for the “ephod” which is the garment priests wear when practicing temple rituals. Imagine a slightly heavy, sleeveless garment shaped like an apron that comes over your clothes. The point is David puts on the ephod and calls out to the Lord for discernment. What do I do? The Lord answers David in verse 8. David could have reacted several different ways. My mind thinks about how I respond in difficult, despairing situations. What I consider difficult in my life is not close to this moment in Ziklag, but it is an important practice for me to reflect on whether my initial reaction in hard moments is to turn to the Lord.
Look at what happens next. The Lord tells David to go. David and 400 of his men suit up. Due to events I accredit to the Lord’s sovereignty, they find the Amalekites and take over. Right here, I have to remind myself that the distressed David in 30:6 does not know he will be the David in 30:19 that brings back everything to where “nothing was missing” in Ziklag that the Amalekites captured. David chose to remain faithful to the Lord and this is what happens. The Lord makes a way. I am called to trust and follow the Lord. He has everything else. When David and his men return in victory, there is a little tiff between the 400 who went and the 200 who stayed behind. David reminds the 400 men who went to battle that the victory came by the Lord, not by their hands. The Lord preserved them. He is the one that redeemed all things lost. David wants the men to focus on the power and glory of the Holy One of Israel. Instead, they first look to themselves and believe the spoil in their hands is the result of their sacrifice. The things they made happen. Why would I share something I worked really hard for? These same thoughts creep into my life and sting when the Lord prompts me to be generous. Give a little more money, open your home, be available for interruptions, or welcome the unexpected.
In 1 Samuel, we followed David’s journey from the fields shepherding his flock to collecting spoil from victories on the battlefields. There has been a consistent theme in the midst of job and address changes of where David roots his loyalty. It is not in his flock, mighty men, allies, wealth, or reputation. David’s loyalty is securely fastened to the Lord. David finds the best place to remain is tethered to the Lord. Yahweh. The Holy One of Israel. The story is about to shift in 2 Samuel. I hope you keep reading along with me.
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