1 Samuel 30:1-8
1 Then it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had carried out an attack 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, from the small to the great, without killing anyone, and drove 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, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.
4 Then David and the people who were with him raised 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 Also, David was in great distress because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David felt strengthened 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 And David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this band of raiders? Will I overtake them?” And He said to him, “Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them, and you will certainly rescue everyone.”
Ziklag Raided
Amalekites’ attack
Normally, when we go on a trip, we believe that our homes will be protected by the Lord while we are away. David must have thought the same when he went out to battle. However, upon returning to Ziklag on the third day, he encountered a disaster. The Amalekites had attacked, burned down the town, and taken away all the women and children who were there. (1) David and his men, seeing their town plundered, cried out and wept. At that moment, they must have felt as though their families had been killed. They continued to weep until they no longer had the strength to weep. (2) David’s wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, had also been taken away. (3) Overwhelmed by grief, the people seemed to blame David for everything. They talked about stoning him to death. For David, danger came in an unexpected way. However, he found strength in the Lord, as the Bible describes it saying, “But David felt strengthened in the Lord his God.” David’s departure from the Promised Land to the land of the Philistines was due to a decline in faith. And now, he is reaping the consequences of his unfaithfulness. Faced with a desperate situation, David came to his senses and restored his trust in the Lord. Faith in the Lord is the source of strength.
The ephod
(1) David commanded Abiathar the preist to bring the ephod, which contained the Urim and Thummim, used to inquire of the Lord. Ideally, David should have sought the Lord’s guidance before making the decision to descend into Philistine territory. His failure to do so led to this crisis. (2) The answer from the Lord was to pursue the enemy army. God also promised, “You will certainly overtake them, and you will certainly rescue everyone.” It was only at this point that David and his people became convinced that their family members were not dead. How would you act when people are despairing and voicing their complaints? Just like David, let’s learn to cling to the grace of the Lord and draw strength from there.
Today's prayer
Almighty God, I trust in Your grace. Please continue to protect me and my family today. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.