1 Samuel 30

When I began writing about the life of David, I wanted to try and understand some of the more subtle aspects of his character. His background was pretty unremarkable. He was the youngest son of a shepherd. In Israelite society, the youngest son of many often received very little and toiled in obscurity. David’s faith was rewarded throughout his life as he eventually became the greatest king Israel ever had. David’s life is a message to all of us. His story is in the Bible to show us what can happen if we place our faith in God and put His plans first in our lives. David was far from perfect, but his life is still a great example. That is especially true here in 1 Samuel 30.

If I am attacked, my first thought is to strike back. Often this leads to irrational behavior. I was actually in a situation such as this last night when I thought I saw someone who had seriously wronged me. Despite the fact that I was in a very public setting (a rock concert), my first instinct was to charge after this person and exact my revenge. Fortunately, a cooler head prevailed. First of all, I wasn’t even sure this random person was the person in question. Second, it wasn’t the right place to do what I had in mind. Third, if I struck my own blind revenge I don’t think there would be very much to gain, but there would be much to lose.

David faces a similar situation in 1 Samuel 30. The town where he had been staying was attacked by an enemy and both of his wives, plus the wives and children of many of his men, were taken away. Davis was furious. He surely wanted to chase immediately after his enemies and take back what was rightfully his. Instead, he sought God first.

3 When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David's two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." Abiathar brought it to him, 8 and David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?"
"Pursue them," he answered. "You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue." – 1 Samuel 30:3-8

The ultimate answer here was still the same. David wanted to go after the Amelikites, and God told him he would have success in going after them. The message, however, comes in David seeking God’s will first. Despite the personal anguish David was certainly feeling, he took the time to properly approach God and seek what he was supposed to do. This shows an incredible amount of humility. David was able to overcome his personal feelings and admit that he was ultimately powerless to do what he wanted. This is what we must do when we face adversity. It, like many things, is a lesson I continue to struggle with daily.

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