Instant Gratification of Revenge or Long Term Rescues
And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. And David inquired of the Lord , “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” 1 Samuel 30:6–8 ESV
Horrible disaster has just struck David and his rogue army of 600 men. They went out on a conquest and came home to find their city burned and their wives and children taken away. Surely any one of us men could relate and would go into beast mode if we found such things. It says they wept until they had no more strength to weep.
There are so many times that bad things happen and we can’t point a finger at the thing to blame. Even when we talk about ‘beat cancer’ or ‘stop Isis’ we are referring to concepts and ideas more than something we can put our hands on and smash. Entire cultures experience this when an Indian Reservation can’t fight back against ‘The Trail of Tears’ or an African American teenager can’t have a conversation with 600 years of American racism. That is frustrating!
David’s men are in this same spot, and they want to be consoled. Somehow David becomes the face of the Philistines to all of them. “You got us into this!” they might say. “This wouldn’t have happened if we would have stayed home!” They decide to stone David, thinking that would make everything better.
It all made sense until that part.
This is what makes King David, King David. Instead of consoling himself with an impulse, he consults with the Lord. The Lord knows about the patient fear of David’s wife Abigail. The Lord knows about all of the kids hauled out of their burning houses, leaving things behind as the Philistines shout at them in strange languages. The Lord knows how tired David and his men are from being out on a raid and how they are longing to come home to a celebration and rest.
What it must have been like when David heard from the Lord, “Go, and you will rescue all of them.” That’s a movie moment right there! With renewed strength and a completely different cause to fight, David led the men after the Philistines and they got everyone back safe.
David was the leader of the rescue, but moments earlier he was the curse and cause of the defeat. There is so much wrapped up in that sentence “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God,” for us to learn. May God give us the patience to not react and seek His will in our battles!