The Strand Study Bible

I SAMUEL 30:18

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I SAMUEL 30:26

day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled. PF 18 1 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives. PF 19 1 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all. PF 20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil. 21 And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them. 22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart. 23 Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.

24 For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, 2 so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike. 25 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day. David sends gifts from the spoil to the elders of Judea 26 And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD; Jordan River

1. See -

I Sam 30:8 2. Num 31:25-27 & Josh 22:8

MED SEA

Ramoth

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• Hebron

DEAD SEA

• Jattir

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Ziklag

Eshtemoa

• Aroer

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Hormah

David sends gifts from Ziklag Map #149 30:19 THE ADAGE IS TRUE: Learn to see the good in God ( but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God – vs 6 and Rom 2:4) and you’ll live to see the God who’s good ( David recovered all ). NOTE – There are five words that we need to start viewing differently in light of the fact that there’s a God: 1. Distress (vs 6) – The enemy had taken everything from David and his men, including their happiness . However, just because the enemy has taken your happiness doesn’t mean he’s taken your joy (Acts 16:22-26 and Neh 8:10). Learn to see the good behind the fiery predicaments you cannot control in life, and you’ll live to see the God who’s good. 2. Debt (vs 7-8) – The enemy had taken it all . At this point David and his men were penniless. Just because the enemy has taken your wealth doesn’t mean he’s taken your worth ( Mt 13:45 -46). Learn to see the good in your inability to sustain yourself , and you’ll live to see the God who’s good. When all you have left in life is God, what you have left in life is good (Lk 23:42-43). 3. Disappointment (vs 9-10) – Everything was seemingly taken from David and his men, including their ability to win . Whenever the odds in life begin to stack up against you and the disappointments in life begin to rise, all you can do is what you can do, which is honor the Lord, close your eyes, and leave the results to Him ( But David pursued, he and four hundred men ). Just because your ability to win has been taken away doesn’t mean you’ve lost (Rom 8:37-39). Learn to see the good in your inability to win at life, and you’ll live to see the God who’s good. 4. Disease (vs 11-13) – The enemy had left one of its own to die. Yet left alone to die from sickness or disease can be a good thing, for this young man’s sickness not only saved the lives of God’s people, but it saved his life as well (vs 14-15). Just because the enemy has taken you down doesn’t mean he’s taken you out (II Sam 15-19). Learn to see the good in being down , and you’ll live to see the God who’s good. 5. Death (vs 6) – The enemy had taken it all, and now David’s own men sought to take his life. At this point all David had was a promise. Back in I Samuel 16 David was anointed by Samuel to become the next king of Israel, all according to God’s Word. Thus, God’s Word is all David had left to his life. David knew God had made him a promise, thus David encouraged himself in the Lord his God ; he encouraged himself via the promises of God. The fear of death should never deter a believer from seeing the goodness of God. Because of God’s promises, He either delivers you in this life or He delivers from this life. Either way, you’re promised deliverance. Just because you’re left to die doesn’t mean you’re dead. Just because your life’s been taken doesn’t mean you don’t go on living. Learn to see the good in death and you’ll live to see the God who’s good.