George Sweeting, a former president and chancellor of the Moody Bible Institute, once observed that there are three things to remember concerning trials we encounter in life:
1. Trials are a common experience of all of us. No one is immune. Trials are a part of living.
2. Trials are transitory.
“In such a hope keep on rejoicing, although for a little while you must be sorrow-stricken with various trials.” - 1 Peter 1:6
Trials, though difficult, are for a “little while.”
3. Trials are lessons that shouldn’t be wasted. Though not enjoyable or necessarily good in themselves, trials constitute a divine work for our ultimate good. Jesus never promised an easy journey, but He did promise a safe landing.
Now, sometimes, the lessons we learn from trials are lessons we can learn from someone else’s trial. Such is the case today. We read in our passage for today about a trial David went through and some wonderful lessons for us to apply when we go through difficult times on how to go from tragedy to triumph.
1. The Tragedy - vs. 1-6
In chapters 28 and 29, we read how David and his men were asked by Achish, the king of the Philistines to go with them to war. But the army commanders did not trust David. Therefore, Achish sent David and his men back to the city he had given to them to live in - Ziklag.
Now, since the men of fighting age had all gone to war, few or none were left behind to defend Philistine cities, including Ziklag. So while David and his men are passing in review with the Philistine army, the Amalekites plundered the city.
When David and his men approach the city, they are horrified to find that the Amalekites had taken all the cattle and possessions, kidnapped all the women and children, and burned the city to the ground. No doubt, each man imagined how his wife and children would become slaves, to be worked hard and cruelly treated. And that would be a best case scenario.
These tough, fighting men wept until there were no tears left. Then they thought about how this came to pass. It had been David’s plan to bring them to the land of the Philistines (27:1-4); it was at David’s request that they were permitted to live in the city of Ziklag (27:5-6); and it was David who led them off to fight with the Philistines, leaving their families vulnerable. Some were so angry, they talked of stoning David.
Two thoughts are illustrated here about the tragedies of life we all face.
A. Some tragedies are due to circumstances beyond our control.
Such was partly the case here. The spring was a time when kings would go off to war against their enemies (2 Samuel 11:1). It was, therefore, a time when an enemy might carry out a strategy to hit their opponent when they weren’t watching or were preoccupied with battle somewhere else. The tactics employed by the Amalekites here were common in the ancient world. David himself had employed these same tactics against his enemies.
Likewise, we need to understand that there are certain things that we should expect to face in this world because of the way life in this world is. People get sick; they lose their jobs; folks die; parents age. There are some things about life in this world that are inevitable.
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33 (NIV)
Yes, in this world, we can expect to face tragedies. But Jesus has won victory for us over the difficulties of this world, which is what I want us to spend to lion’s share of our time together thinking about. But first, we must also observe that . . .
B. Some tragedies are due to choices we have made.
David’s men had every right to be angry with their leader. As we read through 1 Samuel, we discover that it has not been since chapter 23 that David has sought the Lord for guidance. Consequently, he has “flown by the seat of his pants” in the decisions he has made, which led him to make compromises, to lie, and be deceptive. The intervening chapters between chapter 23 and chapter 30 have not shown David at his best. He has made mistakes that have led up to making this tragedy possible.
Likewise, if we are not careful, we too, can “coast” through life, not seeking God’s guidance, and as a a result, make mistakes which can make us even more vulnerable to experiencing tragedy.
It is often at such times, that we decide we need to seek God. As the old saying goes, “Sometimes we never think to look up until we are knocked flat on our back.” David has been knocked flat on his back; and he decides it is time to look up. “But David found strength in the Lord his God,” (v. 6). Consequently, he is led to make decisions which led him from tragedy to triumph; and which provide us with some valuable lessons on how we can do the same.
2. The Triumph - vs. 7 - 31 How to pass from tragedy to triumph?
A. Seek the Lord - vs. 7-8
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” - Martin Luther
“We are trying not so much to make God listen to us as to make ourselves listen to him; we are trying not to persuade God to do what we want, but to find out what he wants us to do. It so often happens that in prayer we are really saying, ‘Thy will be changed,’ when we ought to be saying, ‘Thy will be done.’ The first object of prayer is not so much to speak to God as to listen to him.” - William Barclay
B. Obey the Lord - vs. 9-10
David and his men set out in pursuit of the Amalakite raiding party. Now, they just had marched back from their meeting with the Philistine army at Aphek to Ziklag, where they discovered what had happened and they wept themselves into exhaustion. Now they set out in pursuit of the Amalakite raiders, no doubt marching double time in the effort to catch them. It is no wonder that some of the men were wore out.
It should be noted that these men did not just “drop out” completely. Later on, David mentions that they “stayed behind with the supplies” (v. 24). So the 200 did what they could to enable the other 400 to do what they could.
No doubt, if the 200 hadn’t stayed behind with the gear, then the 400 would not have been able to move fast enough to catch the Amalakites and they may have all failed with exhaustion if they had to keep on carrying all that gear.
The point is that when it comes to obeying the Lord, none of us has what it takes. But when we take that step of faith to obey, God meets us there and provides what is needed to do what He has told us to do.
“Our obedience to God’s commands is the expression of trusting Christ.” - Scott Hafemann
If we really trust the Lord, we will obey the Lord. And though it may cost us to obey . . .
“The cost of obedience is nothing compared to the cost of disobedience.” - Anonymous
Having suffered the consequences associated with disobedience, David and his men gladly paid whatever price was necessary to obey the Lord, and the Lord provided with they needed to succeed.
C. Honor the Lord - vs. 11-15
David didn’t help this man because of what he thought the man could do for him. David helped this Egyptian simply because it was the right thing to do. They acted in a way that was honoring to God.
Often when people in the midst of a tragedy are facing a decision or a variety of options and questions, my advice is to “make the decisions today that will leave you no regrets tomorrow.”
That’s why David did. And ironically, the time spent in assisting this man proved to not be time wasted. This opportunity to honor God by doing what was right was a means of God providing what they needed to move on to victory.
Conclusion: As we read the rest of this chapter, we have illustrated the nature of the triumph that God can lead us to in times of tragedy if we seek Him, obey Him, and honor Him.
1. God can restore us - vs. 16-20
If not now, He will in eternity.
2. God can teach us - vs. 21-25
Sometimes the lessons learned as God leads us out or through a tragic situation are of greater value than anything we might have lost as a result of the tragedy we’ve experienced.
3. God can prepare us - vs. 26-31
Again, David seeks to honor God and gives a portion of the extra plunder to the elders of Judah (his tribe); and to the Israelite towns that the Amalakites had plundered. David did the right thing. Because he did, he would be eventually rewarded by the fact that these recipients of his generosity would be among the first to embrace him as their king.
Learn to facing tragedy by seeking God, obeying God, and honoring God. Then stand back and be amazed at the triumph He will lead you to.
