From your life experience tell me a story of generosity you have received? Now back when I was a theological student studying for ministry our whole family came down with the flu. We were all so sick that all 6 of us were crashed out on two couches, unable to move. We had no family near by, so we saw generosity of the church family I was a student minister with at the time. For the 4 days we were cared for when we were unable to help ourselves. As we consider generosity today the question i have for you is, "knowing what you know about God’s love, and of his generosity of forgiveness and grace, who was the last person you were able to be generous with? What did that look like?"
@ Tamworth Community Presbyterian Church 8/5/16
Like as we look at the life of David, we are reminded that there are times we find ourselves in the company of others; just as David finds himself back in Ziklag, Philistine territory, a fugitive on the run in a foreign land. Here in exile we are brought to see God dominate our view in the hard testing times, that grow us in humility and grace to consider generosity. As God’s children we are tested as we grow to see that there is no ordinary crown for God’s one and only Son. Just as we read in verses 1-4
1 David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, 2 and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. 3 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.
David’s merry men were the rejects, losers, and dropouts – who went into the wilderness wandering with him, they also hid out with him in the caves, going willingly went into exile with him in Philistine territory. It is this band of social misfits had no compunction to recommend that he David knock off King Saul when they found themselves in the same cave. Here in todays passage we find David still in exile, having taken his protection from the Philistine King Achish of Gath, which also was the hometown tribe of Goliath, the slain giant. David and his men hire themselves out as mercenary fighters. It is here we meet one of those “not sure how this was going to turn out moments” of the Bible if things just went a little differently? As we understand the situation David and his men are hired by King Achish of Gath, as mercenaries. We are told that all the Philistine Kings set out with their armies to go and fight Israel and David and his men marched at the rear with King Achish. Have a look at 1 Samuel 29:2-4
2 As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear with Achish. 3 The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish replied, “Is this not David, who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year, and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.” 4 But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men?
Achish turns David and his men back and I’ve often wondered what exactly David would have done if the Philistine generals hadn’t turned him away. What i keep on being reminded of is that, as we have seen previously, the long story of David’s life in 1 Samuel is a story about God’s protective providence. God's care doesn’t mean we are sparred from meeting head on the heat of life lived in a fallen world. Just as we see in the story today, in 1 Samuel 30, it begins with disaster, when David & his 600 men set off with King Ashish he left the families and the livestock back at their home base, Ziklag unprotected. In the mean time a raiding band of Amalekites had came down and captured the women, children and all the livestock, looting the place and taking everything they could carry. When the Amelikites left Ziklag that left a smoldering ruin which was once their homes stood. The situation was that all those they loved or cared for were taken away, having been looted by this Amalekite raiding party. We are told when them men see what has happened they weep, and in their grief contemplate carrying out the same sentence on David, they had once suggested for Saul, verse 6
6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God
What we know is that hardship tests us like nothing else. It is through hardship that we get a read on where our heart run to when its hard or when things haven’t gone the way we were thinking they would. We also observe that who we are comes to the foreground of our actions, just as God never minimizes the temptations we face. The question is, where do you find yourself seeking refuge in these times? The please notice the second part of verse 6 “David found strength in the Lord his God”. David's response reveals a scale model scenario of what is taking place; in that we get to see in David that we belong to the battle of 2 kingdoms. This battle is the kingdom of God versus the kingdom of the world. This is a battle that is much more than about real estate, and more about allegiance for our hearts. David knows where his strength is found, he finds it in trusting the Lord for his strength, and David comes before God seeking guidance. David is found in prayer, as he seeks God to take the lead. David also called on Abiathar the priest to pastorally care for him as he wanted to look to God going forward. What is evident is that even with everything crumbling and in disorder, David runs to where he knows the Lord is his strength. David’s identity is that God is his shepherd. As I’m sure David reflects on this time as he writes Psalm 36:5-10
5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. 10 Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.
It was time to act. Verses 9-11
9 David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. 10 Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit. 11 They found an Egyptian in a field and brought him to David. They gave him water to drink and food to eat
This Egyptian we are introduced to was with the Amelikites on the journey back home. He was anticipating a celebration, and instead when he falls ill is abandoned by the side of the track as they went on. It is this Egyptian when met with a kindness and care from David, and David reflects compassion, just as we can see in God coming towards us with the same compassion.
The Egyptian leads David and his men to the Assyrian Camp, where risk is that with 1/3 of the troops too tired to continue the pursuit, with only 400 men David pursues the Assyrians in these desolate desert badlands. Eventually they catch up with the Assyrians who were right in the middle of starting the party of capturing all the loot where David and his men sweep through them, recovering everything not only that they also got more than was taken, verses 18-21
18 David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. 20 He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock, saying, “This is David’s plunder.” 21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. They came out to meet David and the men with him. As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were.
The turn around is astonishing, these men who were so recently demoralized and grieving now return home with not only their nearest and dearest, all their livestock and goods but also with more than was taken. The men now return to meet up again at a Brook at Besor back with the 200 who couldn’t go on, and it here where David shows us something about responding to blessing in a way we don’t often respond. As here’s the thing, when it’s been hard, you’ve been demoralized and you’ve been wondering where has been God in the middle of the heat, what do you do when the storm lifts, and the problem resolves or you suddenly find a windfall of blessing, feel a fresh breeze of grace from God sweeps over you?
Here now at this Brook Besor we see grace with a surprise, as trouble begins on the return with some of the men who’d gone into battle with him now make the claim "only those who fought deserve the loot they gained, everyone else can just be thankful to get his family back." I am thankful David ruled the day pointing out something to the troublemakers they had missed out seeing, verses 22-25
22 But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.” 23 David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. 24 Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.” 25 David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.
Notice we are brought back again to who these men are traveling along in David’s rag tag army. None of David's men had backgrounds to be proud of, and as for getting their families back that only came about because David sought God to lead them. Also we have layered for us displays of generosity like that shown to a broken down, abandoned Egyptian, who showed them where the Amalekite camp was. The point is clear that everything they had before them was because of God’s grace, as David shows the way. So also we can choose to show generosity to again see those who feel like they are left on the sidelines of life because of circumstances or struggles or health. So my question is where is it that you see God shine the light of his truth inside your life. Where is it that you show generous grace like that which David showed this day? As David returned with an increased plunder from returning with more than they started out with. This generosity of God is just as we find Jesus teaches about generosity in community, so look at Jesus and see that, as we’re taught about generosity that surprises see Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. 29 Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 30 Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (The Message)
David in what was the ashes of disaster creates something that stands, reminding us of generosity and loving kindness. Something that has stood out as marking those who seek to live as disciples of Jesus So will we be generous like where Jesus teaches us to be. or even as we have seen God come towards us with grace. We are taught to come towards others treating them just as we have seen God treat us.
Lets pray…