1-2 Samuel Week Twenty-Six: 1 Samuel 29 – 30

Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek, while the Israelites were camping by the spring which is in Jezreel. 2 And the lords of the Philistines were proceeding on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were proceeding on in the rear with Achish. 3 Then the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him from the day he deserted to me to this day?” 4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Make the man go back, that he may return to his place where you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, or in the battle he may become an adversary to us. For with what could this man make himself acceptable to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of these men? 5 Is this not David, of whom they sing in the dances, saying,

‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”

6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army are pleasing in my sight; for I have not found evil in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, you are not pleasing in the sight of the lords. 7 Now therefore return and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.” 8 David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day when I came before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” 9 But Achish replied to David, “I know that you are pleasing in my sight, like an angel of God; nevertheless the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 Now then arise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you, and as soon as you have arisen early in the morning and have light, depart.” 11 So David arose early, he and his men, to depart in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

30

Then it happened when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire; 2 and they took captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great, without killing anyone, and carried them off and went their way. 3 When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep. 5 Now David’s two wives had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?” And He said to him, “Pursue, for you will surely overtake them, and you will surely rescue all.” 9 So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those left behind remained. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor remained behind.

11 Now they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate, and they provided him water to drink. 12 They gave him a piece of fig cake and two clusters of raisins, and he ate; then his spirit revived. For he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. 13 David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” And he said, “I am a young man of Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind when I fell sick three days ago. 14 We made a raid on the Negev of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” 15 Then David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this band.”

16 When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all the great spoil that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. 17 David slaughtered them from the twilight until the evening of the next day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. 18 So David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives. 19 But nothing of theirs was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that they had taken for themselves; David brought it all back. 20 So David had captured all the sheep and the cattle which the people drove ahead of the other livestock, and they said, “This is David’s spoil.”

21 When David came to the two hundred men who were too exhausted to follow David, who had also been left at the brook Besor, and they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him, then David approached the people and greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless men among those who went with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away and depart.” 23 Then David said, “You must not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us, who has kept us and delivered into our hand the band that came against us. 24 And who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage; they shall share alike.” 25 So it has been from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

26 Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Behold, a gift for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord: 27 to those who were in Bethel, and to those who were in Ramoth of the Negev, and to those who were in Jattir, 28 and to those who were in Aroer, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa, 29 and to those who were in Racal, and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites, 30 and to those who were in Hormah, and to those who were in Bor-ashan, and to those who were in Athach, 31 and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to go.” —1 Samuel 29 – 30

Sermon Outline

1. Recognize God’s  

2. Seek God’s

3. Acknowledge God’s

References

Galatians 2:20

John 3:16

Ephesians 3:15

Psalm 23:4-6

Weekly Study Guide

It is very encouraging to note that recently the evangelical world seems to be slowly coming around to the realization of how central Israel is to the storyline of the Bible. Headway is truly being made in counteracting the damage that Supersessionism (the teaching that the church supersedes Israel in the plan of God) has done to our understanding of scripture. Put simply, we are recognizing how Jewish our Christian faith really is. The undeniable key to this foundational truth is found in exploring the profound nature of the Abrahamic Covenant. To give a sense of how significant the Abrahamic Covenant is, authors Blaising and Bock state: “To understand the Bible, one must read it in view of the Abrahamic covenant, for that covenant with Abraham is the foundational framework for interpreting the Scripture and the history of redemption which it reveals.”

We have spent a great deal of time unpacking the truths that flow from this seminal promise by God. It is the overarching promise of blessing and salvation that God gives to the world, and all of God’s subsequent dealings with mankind tie directly back to this covenant. In future weeks, we will explore how the Abrahamic Covenant connects to the remaining covenants in scripture—and in this connection, the plan of God truly comes into focus.

We have touched on several of the many passages in scripture where the Abrahamic Covenant is revealed. But let’s lay them all out together. We often view God’s pronouncement to Abraham in Haran, from Genesis 12:1-3, as the first statement of the Abrahamic Covenant. But, as we previously highlighted, Stephen reveals that God actually spoke to Abraham earlier. In Acts 7:2-4 Stephen recounts:

Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, “Leave your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.” Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living.

Stephen makes a point of saying that God appeared to Abraham while he was living in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. Then again, Stephen mentions that Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans (in Ur) and actually settled in Haran. He didn’t just stop by to make funeral arrangements for his father. No, he was being disobedient and lived there for a while.

Then we come to the not-so-subtle reminder God gives Abraham up in Haran. God basically tells him, “You know I already told you this down in Ur, but it’s time for you to obey.” Several translations of Stephen’s sermon say that “God removed him from there into this land…” God had had enough of Abraham’s disobedience. So, this is where we come to this famous passage in Genesis 12:1-3:

Now the LORD had said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

These first two passages (in Acts 7 and Genesis 12) give us the first peek into what the Abrahamic Covenant contains. Once Abraham finally reaches Canaan, God goes on to tell him in Genesis 12:7 that this land to which He brought Abraham would be given to his descendants. This is the first time Abraham learned that God was doing anything beyond simply bringing him to this land. It was going to be an inheritance for his family: “The LORD appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.”

God does not yet tell Abraham that He is giving the land to him, only to his descendants. That will come later. Yet continue to notice that there are no stipulations or conditions. It is simply God’s unconditional declaration of His intent to bless.

We continue on in Genesis 13:14-17 where we see that Abraham finally obeys God’s original command of him to separate from his family. After Lot leaves, then God reveals more details of this promise. Again, Abraham’s obedience is not a condition for participation in the covenant, it is simply the way he displays his faith in God and His word—to which God responds with additional revelation.

The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.”

What additional clarity did Abraham receive here? God reveals that He will give this land to Abraham himself, as well as his descendants. Abraham learns that this gift of the land from God—a land as far as the eye could see—was an eternal, everlasting gift. He also learns that his descendants will be incredibly numerous. At this point, God had not yet revealed to Abraham that He would provide a son to this elderly couple. That revelation doesn’t come for two more chapters. So, this promise of innumerable descendants must have come as quite a shock.

The next two passages where the Abrahamic Covenant is progressively revealed are far too lengthy to quote here. But briefly, in Genesis 15:1-21 and 17:1-21 God gives Abraham much more detail about this promise. We spent a good deal of time last week spelling out how the passage in Genesis 15 describes the formal covenant signing ceremony where God signs and seals this contract with Abraham in a way that renders the covenant unconditional. God also now reveals the exact borders of the land Israel will eventually inhabit. A key passage is found in verses 5-6 where God reaffirms Abraham’s vast descendants and how Abraham responds in faith:

And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

In Genesis 17, God focuses on the token of the Abrahamic Covenant: circumcision on the eighth day. Just as the rainbow was the token of the Noahic Covenant, and the Sabbath will be the token of the Mosaic Covenant, circumcision is the token of the Abrahamic Covenant—rendering it a blood covenant. A key passage in chapter 17 is found in verses 4-8 where God says:

As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Here in chapter 17, we see that perhaps thirteen or fourteen years later, after Abraham had waivered in his faith through the episode with Ishmael and Hagar, it was finally time to announce the coming of the promised son, Isaac. God reveals a new name by which Abraham could call God, El Shaddai (God Almighty). And God gives Abram and Sarai new names, Abraham and Sarah. Not only would Abraham be the father of a nation, but a multitude of nations and kings would come forth from him as well. Here God emphasizes time after time that it is an eternal covenant, an everlasting covenant. We must not ignore this very clear message from God.

We see that although the promise to Abraham and his descendants is unconditional, individuals can reveal if they are truly God-worshippers through their obedience to God. When they participate in circumcision, they reveal that they are a part of the covenant community. When they do not, they place themselves outside that promised blessing. Moses himself dealt with the ramifications of this element of the Abrahamic Covenant when God almost killed him for not circumcising his son (Ex 4:24-26).

When we come to the final passage that touches on the Abrahamic Covenant, Genesis chapter 22, Abraham is well along in his journey of maturing faith. It seems he has learned many hard lessons about trusting God, and so even when given the ultimate test of his faith, Abraham passed with flying colors. Throughout his entire life, Abraham (exalted father) had been plagued by the fact that God had not blessed him with a son. Eventually, God promised that this son would come, and when he did, we cannot imagine the kind of rejoicing that would have happened. And through this blessed “son of the promise”, God chose to test Abraham’s allegiance and obedience. When Isaac had grown to be a young man, God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on an altar to the Lord. Needless to say, this would have come as more than a shock to Abraham and Sarah. But there is no evidence of wavering or doubt on the part of Abraham. As soon as he woke the next day, he immediately left to obey God. In fact, the book of Hebrews reveals that Abraham knew God would resurrect Isaac after the sacrifice. That is how much Abraham believed God. He knew God kept His promises.

This story is full of rich and powerful details that deserve more time than we can give today. But what we see is that as Abraham was about to kill his son, the Angel of the Lord stayed his hand, knowing that Abraham trusted Him. In response, God said:

By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.

As a sort of bookend, this final passage restates and reaffirms much of what we learn in previous passages regarding God’s promises to Abraham. There are a multitude of other passages in scripture that help elucidate this wonderful promise. But these are the primary passages where we see the covenant revealed. Next time, we will summarize the many provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant and see how this promise is reaffirmed to very specific offspring of Abraham.

Discussion Questions

1. Describe a time when God got you out of a tight spot.

2. In chapter 29, God provides a way for David to extricate himself from the ridiculous predicament he has gotten himself into. At this point, what do you think was going on in the heart of David? Did he feel trapped by the decisions he had made? Was he just being stubborn in allowing things to get this far? Do you think David would actually have fought against Israel? Or was he bluffing? How is the end of 1 Samuel 30:6 a contrast with how David acted in the last several chapters? Why do you think there was such a change in David?

3. It’s easy to imagine that as David left the Philistines while heading back to Ziklag, he probably thought things couldn’t get any worse. Yet when he arrived, he was in for a big surprise. All the while, God was working behind the scenes. How do the details in these chapters illustrate the theme of divine intervention in David’s life? How does God provide, and how does He work behind the events that are happening on the surface to accomplish His purposes? While David is destroying the Amalekites, Saul is dying in battle. How do you see the hand of God in this as well? How might it affect the people’s view of David, knowing he did not participate in the downfall of Saul?

4. We often hear the phrase “Everything happens for a reason.” What do people outside the church think that means? What do Christians take that to mean? What is the difference? How do people typically react when they hear the idea that God is in complete control? What does that mean to you?

5. Even though David found himself at one of the lowest points in his life, he would soon be reminded that God was working on his behalf, and that things would dramatically turn around for him. How do you view God’s providence in the various situations in your own life? Is that something you actively look for? Why or why not? What might be the benefits of doing so? What are some steps you can take to make this a part of your daily routine?

Going Deeper

1. How does the episode in chapter 29 fit into the flow of David’s life thus far? How might this be seen as a “darkest before the dawn” kind of situation? What has David learned thus far in his life about the faithfulness of God, His providence, and His protection? What episodes in his life did he need to be reminded of at this point? What seasons in your life does this remind you of? And how did God rescue you?

2. What do we learn about David and his leadership at the end of chapter 30? Why did he insist that everyone be given a share in the spoils? Why do you think David “spread the wealth” with the other cities he frequented? How would this serve him in the days and months to come?

Transformational Activity

Worship

1 Samuel 30:4 says: “Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep.” When they discovered what it was they lost, they surely would have been in utter despair. But imagine the contrast when they recovered all that they lost. There must have been unbelievable rejoicing and worship that followed. Take some time this week to praise your loving Father for ALL that He allows in your life—both the good and the bad. Praise Him for being in control, working behind the scenes for your good and His glory. Perhaps take some time together as a group or a family to worship God together simply for who He is.