Pam Padgett ... teacher
When David and his men went to rescue their families from the
Amalekites as God told them to do, four hundred of the men went with David to fight the
Amalekites, while another two hundred men stayed at the brook Besor
because they were too faint to go further ...
1 Samuel 30:8 And David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all. 9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
David and the four hundred
men rescued all the families taken captive by the Amalekites, recovering
all that had been taken. David also took all the flocks and herds as spoil ...
1 Samuel 30:18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had
carried away: and David rescued his two wives. 19 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. 20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which
they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.
When David and his men returned the two hundred men who had stayed at the brook Besor with the stuff, according to their ability, came to meet them. Of the four hundred men who had been able to fight together with David, some were wicked and did not want to share the spoil
with the two hundred who had stayed at the brook ...
1 Samuel 30:21 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.
But David did not allow this, pointing out that it was God who had
given them the spoil, kept them safe in the battle, and gave them
victory over the Amalekites. It wasn't what the four hundred men had
done, but what God had done, that brought about the victory and spoil. Those who stayed by the stuff would have part of the spoil just as those who went to battle
...
1 Samuel 30:23 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, 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 also sent some of the spoil to elders of Judah, his friends ...
1 Samuel 30:26 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; 27 To them
which were in Bethel, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to
them which were in Jattir, 28 And to them which were in Aroer, and to
them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa, 29 And
to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of
the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,
30 And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in
Chorashan, and to them which were in Athach, 31 And to them which were
in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were
wont to haunt.
All that we have, including our strength, gifts and abilities, are from God,
not of ourselves. We simply function according to the abilities we have been given. Not lifting ourselves up as though these things are of ourselves, but being thankful to God, humbling ourselves before Him and willing to share what God has given and done. Seeking to do the will of God and to please Him in all things.