Dealing with Tragedy - Lessons from David's Response in 1 Samuel 30:1-8

DEALING WITH TRAGEDY: LESSONS FROM 1 SAMUEL 30-1-8

By Ezekiel Kimosop

TEXT

Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. 3 So David and his men came to the city, and there 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 lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. 6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was [a]grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” (1 Samuel 30:1-8, NKJV). 

INTRODUCTION

The passage of 1 Samuel 30 picks up from the events reported in 1 Samuel 29 that terminate in 1 Samuel 31. David's offer to fight alongside the Philistines in the battle of Jezreel had been turned down by the Philistine commanders who feared that David may betray them to Saul. The Bible reader will notice that King Saul perished along with his three sons in the battle of Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31:1-5). God preserved David from shedding the blood of Saul and his sons, one of whom was his covenant friend. God used Israel's enemies to execute His judgment against Saul. 

David and his band of 600 men returned to their Ziglag camp with heavy hearts, having missed an opportunity to showcase their military skills in fighting Saul, their sworn enemy. Little did they know that God had divinely permitted their withdrawal from battle for what awaited them at their camp! 
After their three days journey back to Ziglag, the men were in for a rude shock! 1 Samuel 30 relays the story of tragedy, devastation, and divine intervention rolled together. This is where we shall draw important lessons on how we should handle the tragedies or devastations of life.

It is instructive that no believer or Christian community is immune to the afflictions of this passing evil world. God's presence however hovers over His covenant people in all ages. The passage of 1 Samuel 30 reveals seven critical phases in David's response to his circumstances of tragedy.

STAGE 1: THE TRAGEDY

The first stage is the stark pain of tragedy and devastation. David and his men were rendered speechless when they found their camp reduced to ashes. There was not a single soul left who could explain what exactly took place or where the invading enemies had fled with their people. The Amalekites had taken away their wives and children together with all their possessions. This incident is captured in 1 Samuel 30:1-8.

This is how sudden tragedy can become. It often strikes when one is least prepared. One of the most profound tragedies recorded in Scripture is perhaps Job's experience. Job 1:13-22 reveals that Job, a faithful covenant saint, lost all his children and property in a single day of devastation after Satan was permitted by God to strike him. Worse even, Job suffered bodily affliction. He suffered leprosy and was forced to live in isolation from those whose company he badly needed at the time. His frustrated wife asked him to curse God and die! We shall be drawing theological parallels from Job's tragedy in this article. 

STAGE 2: THE OUTPOURING OF EMOTIONS

The immediate reaction by David's team to the devastation was an outpouring of grief and emotion. The men wept until they had no strength left (1 Samuel 30:4). They were faced with an existential apocalypse. Weeping is a healthy response to devastation and pain. In most African cultures, men are taught never to weep! They are required to demonstrate courage even in circumstances that human frailty could not withstand the agony of loss and despair. However, God gave us tears for this natural purpose and weep we should for ourselves and for those we love. 

Jesus Himself wept when He witnessed the pain and hopelessness at Lazarus' home (John 11:35). Jesus was expressing His humanity. The Bible exhorts that we should rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15).

In Job's case, his emotional outpouring is recorded in Job 3. In the depth of his agony, Job regretted his existence and cursed his day of birth! He laments in Job 3:11-12 saying: 

“Why did I not die at birth?

Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?

12 Why did the knees receive me?

Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?"

Job's three friends who came to visit him did not make things any better for him. They blamed him for his misfortunes, arguing that Job must have sinned against God (Job 3:4-5). Scripture however ultimately attests that Job did not sin against God in this context. This is not to suggest that he had attained moral perfection for no one can do so under the sun. Job faced his afflictions with the fortitude and wisdom that could only come from a man who had a close covenant walk with God. As Job engaged his friends, his emotions played out. He raised fundamental theological questions about his tragedy that was laced with residual divine mystery. God finally answered Job, not with articulate answers but with confounding theological questions that left him speechless! In Job 38-39, God reveals that His sovereignty was beyond human comprehension.

We may never comprehend why certain afflictions are permitted by God upon His saints. Someone would perhaps why evil things happen to godly people. Suffice it however that we allow the Scriptures to speak to us under those difficult circumstances. 

Job 40:3-5 says "Then Job answered the Lord and said:

4 “Behold, I am vile;

What shall I answer You?

I lay my hand over my mouth.

5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;

Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”

Job finally admitted that he was no match for His creator. His theological prudence was nondescript before a deity before whom all men must bow in obeisance. He submitted Himself to God in silence. 

STAGE 3: THE BLAME GAME

Following their pain and anguish, David's men broke the team spirit and began to lay blame on their leader David. Some even sought to stone him to death in utter frustration! (1 Samuel 30:6). They were unable to reign in on their emotions. Their military command structure and team spirit were deeply tested at this point. We should guard our Christian brotherhood in the face of tragedy lest the bond of unity is inadvertently broken!

It is common for people in trouble to seek to lay blame where they believe it should lie - far from the confines of personal responsibility. This is scapegoating. Our solutions to problems should be handled with wisdom. If David was to blame as the group leader, where does that leave his loyal men who willingly accepted to travel to the Philistine territory with him? The entire team should take collectively responsibility for failing to provide adequate security arrangements at their camp during their absence.

Did they perhaps presume that their desert camp was secure for the period they would be away? Were there sentries who were overpowered by the Amalekites? Scripture is silent on the details!

These are just but a few of the many hard questions that perhaps rang through their minds as the painful picture of their ruined camp unfolded. Someone said leaders should have a thick skin because they will ultimately be the center of focus when things go awry! Their wisdom and fortitude must count at the hour of need.

Again, in Job's case, we learn about his moral fortitude in tragedy. He did not blame God for his afflictions. Despite the many questions that crossed his mind, Job was careful to submit to God under his difficult circumstances. His human limitations however played out until God's voice rung out. 

Job's brokenness before God is revealed in his repentance and restoration recorded in Job 42:1-6 which says: "Then Job answered the Lord and said:

2 “I know that You can do everything,

And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.

3 You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’

Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,

Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

4 Listen, please, and let me speak;

You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’

5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,

But now my eye sees You.

6 Therefore I abhor myself,

And repent in dust and ashes.” (NKJV). 

Job's discernment of God's incomprehensibility finally dawned on him. His revelation of God was considerably expanded through his discourse with God. He realized that he had offended the divinities by his presumptive attitude. It is wise to repent and seek forgiveness from God where we have sinned against God in dealing with our anguish and devastation.  

STAGE 4: THE RISE OF A LEADER -  DAVID'S REACTION

David exemplified mature leadership spiritual discernment during the Ziglag crisis. 1 Samuel 30:6 reveals that David, though heavily distressed by the loss of his wives and children, was deeply grieved by what his men were seeking to do. David's prudence and stature towered above the rest and through him, the needed leadership was found. Great leaders rise from the ashes of ruin and hopelessness and provide godly direction for people. God ultimately uses them to reshape the direction of things and offer practical solutions. Scripture says "Wisdom strengthens the wise, More than ten rulers of the city" (Ecclesiastes 7:19). 

To his credit and to the glory of God, David acted with profound wisdom! He sought refuge and comfort in the LORD! The Bible states that David strengthened himself in the LORD his God (1 Samuel 30:6). There can be no greater refuge in times of disaster than in the hands of God. A great leader discovers and cherishes God's leading during tragic moments of life and always leads his people towards God. Weak leaders lead people through blame games and witch-hunts and self preservation. They lead people further and further away from God.

What kind of leader are you?

David here offers us a glimpse of important lessons on crisis management under the hand of God. Solutions to our many problems only begin to unfold when we turn to God for answers. It is only God who has the answers to our life issues. No witchdoctor or self appointed diviner has access to the mind of God in our difficult times. God alone is the source of our eternal security.

Psalm 18:2 says "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

STAGE 5: SEEKING DIVINE LEADING

David sought wisdom and direction from God on the way forward following his tragedy. Despite his vast military experience, proven battlefield prowess, and the many victories for which he was decorated and celebrated, David rightly discerned that without the hand of God guiding him during his lowest moments, his efforts would be an exercise in futility. He turned to God in prayer and sought His divine leading. He asked God whether he should pursue the enemies and whether he would overtake them. This is where his dependence on God was most practically demonstrated. 

Do you seek God's leading during the darkest moments of life? 

Notice that the three day gap that stood between David's return from Jezreel and the fleeing Amalekite forces may have been strategically impossible to bridge. It was legitimate for David and his men to have feared for the worst. They may have thought that the enemy had probably decimated their captors. This was the worst case scenario. As we wrestle with the ashes of life, we should bear in mind that God alone can lead us out of the ruin that stands before us. 

STAGE 6: GOD'S RESPONSE

God graciously gave David the answer to his tragedy, having seen the sincerity of David’s heart before His presence. He directed David to pursue the enemy saying that he will overtake them and recover all! David would only succeed under God's leading. 

We need the discernment of God to appreciate what God is saying to us concerning our difficult circumstances of life. Until and unless God speaks, we remain helpless and without direction. Our strategies and actions should be informed by divine the wisdom that we can distill from the word of God and the leading of His Spirit. We need patience in the presence of God so that we may walk with confidence in confronting the many troubles of this life. God never called us into comfort and bliss. He however assures us of His presence comfort and leading in those difficult moments. 

David profoundly understood this divine truth. In Psalm 123:4, David proclaims: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

This scripture reminds us about God's awesome presence that surrounds the lives of His covenant people at all times including during the most horrifying circumstances of life. 

One famous church hymn writer Horatio Spafford wrote the famous hymn: "It is well....It is well with my soul..." Interestingly, this hymn was a tribute to one of the most tragic and devastating moments of his life. Mr. Spafford, an American real estate investor and church elder, lost his property through the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. His real estate fortune went up in smoke! Before he could recover from his investment loss, another tragedy visited him. He also lost all his children through a transatlantic shipwreck in 1873. His wife was sailing to France with his three daughters. Only his wife survived. By ordinary standards, this man would perhaps have been asking difficult questions about his relationship with God rather than praising God. The man however found refuge in God's immeasurable grace at his lowest moment and this explains his unparalleled courage under the dumbfounding distress. He threw himself into God's arms! God later restored him. 

As for David's case above, God miraculously provided vital intelligence details and direction using an abandoned Egyptian slave who was part of the raiding party (1 Samuel 30:11-15). The man had been left to die in the desert after he fell sick. This was miraculous in all proportions because such captives were usually eliminated by the enemy to rule out any possibility that they may be captured and would betray the enemy's cause. God permitted the Amalekites to abandon this sickly Egyptian slave for a divine purpose. When we emerge through harrowing circumstances of life and look back, we discover God's divine footprints through the people and events that stood along our recovery path! God can use strangers or unusual people to lift us out of the ashes! These are divine agents appointed by God under those circumstances. 

STAGE 7: DIVINE VICTORY/GOD'S PURPOSES SERVED

1 Samuel 30:16-20 records the glorious victory that God granted David against the Amalekites. It also mentions David's bountiful recovery. To the glory of God, none of their families were killed. They had simply been taken as war prisoners, perhaps with the intention of enslaving them. God graciously preserved David's people not just because David was faithful to God and served him with dedication but because God is exceedingly gracious and merciful. He also captured lots of resources that the Amalekites possessed. 

We need to appreciate that even when we walk faithfully before God, He may permit some afflictions to come our way to to test our faith. Some tragedies result in unpleasant outcomes even for God's people. However, we must remain steadfast in allowing God to have His way in those painful circumstances. We should never give up on God or question His sovereignty. 

All the great men and women of the Bible were tested under different sets of afflictions. Some even perished under their convictions but God later approved them as saints (Hebrews 11). We should therefore hold a healthy view of trials and afflictions to the glory of God. 

Psalm 34:19 says "Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

But the Lord delivers him out of them all." (NKJV)

James 1:2-4 says "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (NKJV). 

In Job's case, we notice that God finally restored him. God affirmed Job's covenant faithfulness. He rebuked his three friends and asked them to take seven bulls and seven rams and present them to Job for their sacrificial atonement (42:7-8). This is evidence of Job's priesthood. In the end, God restored His servant Job. Job's restoration is recorded in Job 42:10-17. No matter what afflictions we suffer in this world, our hope in Christ Jesus will never fail. 

Paul faced his martyrdom with profound courage. His valedictorian confession in 2 Timothy 4:6-8 is deeply inspiring. He proclaims:  

"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."

CONCLUSION

This passage of 1 Samuel 30:1-8 has taught us vital lessons in dealing with tragedy or crises in our lives. David knew where the secret of his success lay. He always turned to God. God alone can restore us from the tragedies of life. He restored David, Esther, Mordecai, Daniel and his three friends and countless others. He restored Joseph in Egypt. He restored us from Adam's disobedience and fall that resulted in our separation from a holy and righteous God until Calvary. This is the greatest restoration that we can receive from God. 

Do you turn to God in your lowest moments or do you blame God or others for your misfortunes? What afflictions are you now undergoing and what prescriptions are you contemplating in response to them?

Let us always turn to the Lord for answers to the many afflictions affecting us, our families, our Christian communities; our society, and nation at large. God alone has the solutions.

More significantly, however, we should remain hidden in Christ so that we are shielded from the tragedy that awaits the wicked. Revelation 20:11-15 says:

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

There can be no greater tragedy. 

Is your life hidden with Christ in God? 

Is your name written in the Book of Life?


Shalom




© Ezekiel Kimosop 2020