David-Hunting The Murderers

Mary Vee
I Samuel 30

David's Thoughts

We escaped the Philistine army, truly by the grace of God. Achish requested we serve with his unit in the Philistine army in the battle against the Israelites. 


We were in a terrible situation. 


Achish believed we wanted to serve the Philistines and seemed truly sad that he had to send us back to his city, Ziklag where we'd made our home.


He didn't know we only hid there, we had no intentions of serving the Philistines. Kill them, yes, help them, no.


We walked for three days back to our city. At the hill overlooking the town we stopped, frozen in our steps. The entire city had been burned.


The men and I ran furiously to the city gate. Did the invaders kill our wives and children? If they did, revenge would be the only solution. We searched through the rubble and found no bodies. That news seemed good, but we didn't know where our families were. Did they escape? Did some invading army capture them?


We lifted our voices and wept as never before. All we loved had been taken. Our homes destroyed. My men turned against me. Their sorrow robbed them of all their senses.They grabbed stones and flung them at me, I'm sure they would have killed me if I hadn't acted right away. 


Oh God my strength, my hope, give me words to say, Your will to be done at this time. Let me, oh blessed Lord, serve you by helping these men in a time of great sadness.


I called for Abiathar the priest. "Please bring the ephod here to me." He returned a few moments later with it. 


With the ephod there, I asked the Lord, "Should I go after the army that attacked our homes and families? Should I overtake them?"


The Lord God answered, "Yes. Go  after the attacking army. You will overtake them and without fail recover all your families."


The six hundred men with me returned to the Brook Besor where we'd left some of our army guarding supplies. Two hundred of them had become too weary to move. I allowed them to stay with the supplies as well. The remaining four hundred went with me to overtake our enemy and rescue our families. 


After we traveled a ways we found an Egyptian man in the field. The poor man had not eaten in three days. We gave him bread, figs, raisins, and drink. I sat by him. "Who do you belong to and where are you from?"


"I am an Egyptian taken as a slave for the Amalekites. When I became sick, my master left me in this field. We invaded the southern area of Judah, and Caleb, and we burned Ziklag to the ground."


I handed him more to drink. "Do you feel well enough to take us to this army?"


"If you promise not to hurt me or to hand me over to my former master, I will take you to them."


I handed him more fruit. "I agree."


I waited for him to gain his strength then prepared for our journey.


Come back next time read what happens.


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1.  What did David and his men discover when they returned to their homes at Ziklag?
2.  What was their greatest concern?
3.  Who blamed David and why?
4.  David left some of his men to rest, how many men did he take with him?
5.  Who did David meet in a field.
6. What did the man's owner do to him?
7.  What did David do for him?
8. What did David need from the man?
9.  What did David promise the man?