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First, you might read and feed on 1 Samuel chapter 30.
I understand the context of this is that Saul had been hunting David in order to kill David. Saul had been comparing how much favor he and David were getting from the people; and Saul perceived that David was getting more praise, and that make Saul jealous enough to he was trying to kill David. And so, David went to Philistia to seek refuge, and they actually tried to join the Philistine army and help them to fight Saul. But the Philistines were an historical enemy of Israel; so a number of Philistine military leaders made a major stink about that, saying David might change sides during the battle. So, David and his men went back to Ziklag where they had been staying with their wives and children.
But, lo and behold, while they had been parading with the Philistines, the Amalekites raided Ziklag, took their wives and children, and burned down the city. And David and his men cried and cried "until they had no more power to weep" (in 1 Samuel 30:4). And it says the men got to talking about stoning David, "because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters." (1 Samuel 30:6)
Now, by the way, I notice how they had "no more power to weep"; yet they somehow were hoping to have the energy to stone David! This is how worldly and actually anti-family people can be. They can get upset about something, seem not to have enough energy or money to do things they want, yet they get resources to make things even worse!! Individuals can have financial trouble, but produce money to pay for a divorce; a government can be trillions in debt, but able to spend millions on trials and investigations. But without family caring and sharing love . . . what can you do.
"Let all that you do be done with love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)
"without Me you can do nothing" (in John 15:5)
We need, then, to always depend on Jesus and how He has us doing things in His love.
So > if you read this chapter > did alarm bells go off about David taking his men for refuge with the enemy? May be God was going to arrange a thing or two to deal with that. In God's word, we have examples of when someone has trusted in less than God and then was when the person got major problems, right? So, I can see how someone could feel David needed to be punished in case he really had gone against depending God, by leaving Israel. But, though, to me it seems those men were not concerned about if David had displeased the LORD, but only they were concerned "every man for his sons and his daughters." And I notice how God's word does not mention their wives. Could this mean they only or mainly cared about their kids? It does seem there are men who can mainly love and care about their children.
And ones can get divorces, these days, and be mainly concerned about having relationships with their children. Plus, it seems ones can mainly be fighting, in government, not ruling and sharing in a family way.
We can see what then and now has not worked.
So . . . what worked for David?
"David strengthened himself in the LORD his God." (in 1 Samuel 30:6)
I see this means David did not just try to do damage control, struggling with mean-spirited men. But David snuggled. And he got encouraged with the LORD. This is a good basic > in any situation, first be encouraged with God, then discover how He has us doing things.
And yes, then was when David called for the priest to help David to have a personal session with the LORD, to find out what to do. You could say, well, it was obvious they should go get their families back. But what about how they could have gotten themselves in that mess by cohorting with the enemy and not keeping an eye on their wives and children? So, in case they were in disfavor with God, about this, any effort they might take at fixing things themselves could result in making things ever worse.
So, it was wise to make sure with God. And God told David to go get their families back. And they got every person and beat the living daylights out of the Amalekites.
But then they had a different problem, and again people themselves could be their own main problem, I would note >
They had collected all the goods which the Amalekites had taken during their raiding and plundering of different places, and not only of Ziklag. And before David led his men to defeat the Amalekites, they had left two hundred of their soldiers at the river, to guard their supplies, because those guys were too worn out to cross the Brook Besor > verse 10 > never mind go into battle. So, when David and his fighters got back to the guys behind with the supplies, certain dirtbag guys started a thing, saying only the fighters should get any reward from the stuff taken from the Amalekites, and they said the two hundred guys who didn't fight should get only their wives and children back.
By the way . . . God's word says those nasty guys saying that were "wicked and worthless" (1 Samuel 30:22).
But David stood up to them, and David said they all would share alike. So, I see this was a family way to do things, no one more or better than anyone else. David wanted to rule as king, but do things in God's family caring and sharing way.
I understand the context of this is that Saul had been hunting David in order to kill David. Saul had been comparing how much favor he and David were getting from the people; and Saul perceived that David was getting more praise, and that make Saul jealous enough to he was trying to kill David. And so, David went to Philistia to seek refuge, and they actually tried to join the Philistine army and help them to fight Saul. But the Philistines were an historical enemy of Israel; so a number of Philistine military leaders made a major stink about that, saying David might change sides during the battle. So, David and his men went back to Ziklag where they had been staying with their wives and children.
But, lo and behold, while they had been parading with the Philistines, the Amalekites raided Ziklag, took their wives and children, and burned down the city. And David and his men cried and cried "until they had no more power to weep" (in 1 Samuel 30:4). And it says the men got to talking about stoning David, "because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters." (1 Samuel 30:6)
Now, by the way, I notice how they had "no more power to weep"; yet they somehow were hoping to have the energy to stone David! This is how worldly and actually anti-family people can be. They can get upset about something, seem not to have enough energy or money to do things they want, yet they get resources to make things even worse!! Individuals can have financial trouble, but produce money to pay for a divorce; a government can be trillions in debt, but able to spend millions on trials and investigations. But without family caring and sharing love . . . what can you do.
"Let all that you do be done with love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)
"without Me you can do nothing" (in John 15:5)
We need, then, to always depend on Jesus and how He has us doing things in His love.
So > if you read this chapter > did alarm bells go off about David taking his men for refuge with the enemy? May be God was going to arrange a thing or two to deal with that. In God's word, we have examples of when someone has trusted in less than God and then was when the person got major problems, right? So, I can see how someone could feel David needed to be punished in case he really had gone against depending God, by leaving Israel. But, though, to me it seems those men were not concerned about if David had displeased the LORD, but only they were concerned "every man for his sons and his daughters." And I notice how God's word does not mention their wives. Could this mean they only or mainly cared about their kids? It does seem there are men who can mainly love and care about their children.
And ones can get divorces, these days, and be mainly concerned about having relationships with their children. Plus, it seems ones can mainly be fighting, in government, not ruling and sharing in a family way.
We can see what then and now has not worked.
So . . . what worked for David?
"David strengthened himself in the LORD his God." (in 1 Samuel 30:6)
I see this means David did not just try to do damage control, struggling with mean-spirited men. But David snuggled. And he got encouraged with the LORD. This is a good basic > in any situation, first be encouraged with God, then discover how He has us doing things.
And yes, then was when David called for the priest to help David to have a personal session with the LORD, to find out what to do. You could say, well, it was obvious they should go get their families back. But what about how they could have gotten themselves in that mess by cohorting with the enemy and not keeping an eye on their wives and children? So, in case they were in disfavor with God, about this, any effort they might take at fixing things themselves could result in making things ever worse.
So, it was wise to make sure with God. And God told David to go get their families back. And they got every person and beat the living daylights out of the Amalekites.
But then they had a different problem, and again people themselves could be their own main problem, I would note >
They had collected all the goods which the Amalekites had taken during their raiding and plundering of different places, and not only of Ziklag. And before David led his men to defeat the Amalekites, they had left two hundred of their soldiers at the river, to guard their supplies, because those guys were too worn out to cross the Brook Besor > verse 10 > never mind go into battle. So, when David and his fighters got back to the guys behind with the supplies, certain dirtbag guys started a thing, saying only the fighters should get any reward from the stuff taken from the Amalekites, and they said the two hundred guys who didn't fight should get only their wives and children back.
By the way . . . God's word says those nasty guys saying that were "wicked and worthless" (1 Samuel 30:22).
But David stood up to them, and David said they all would share alike. So, I see this was a family way to do things, no one more or better than anyone else. David wanted to rule as king, but do things in God's family caring and sharing way.
