THE AMALEKITES BURNED ZIKLAG (1)

I Samuel 30:1-15

Victor M. Eskew

 

1.      Outline:

 

i.                    THE AMALEKITES SMOTE ZIKLAG (I Sam. 30:1-2)

ii.                  THE ISRAELITES SMITTEN WITH GRIEF (I Sam. 30:3-6)

iii.                DAVID SEEKS GOD’S COUNSEL (I Sam. 30:7-8)

iv.                DAVID’S MEN SQUARE FOR THE CHASE (I Sam. 30:9-10)

v.                  AN EGYPTIAN SUCCORS DAVID (I Sam. 30:11-15)

 

2.      On what day, did David return to Ziklag? (I Sam. 30:1)

 

And it came to pass, when David and his were come to Ziklag on the third day…

 

A.    The third day

 

B.      Two views:

1.      It was perhaps the third day since they had left for the battle.  One day of travel to the battle field.  One day of deliberations by the Philistine princes.  One day of travel back home.

2.      It may have been the third day since they left the battlefield.  Aphek was about 80 to 90 miles from Ziklag.

 

3.      Who had smitten Ziklag and burned it with fire? (I Sam. 30:1)

 

…that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire.

 

A.    The Amalekites

 

B.      NOTE:  This is one of the groups that David and his men had raided on their excursions (See I Sam. 27:8-9).

 

4.      Who did the Amalekites take captive? (I Sam. 30:2)

 

And had taken the women captives, that were therein…

 

A.    They took the women captives

 

5.      T – F    The Amalekites did not slay anyone in the city. (I Sam. 30:2)

 

…they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

 

A.    True

 

B.      When they came to Ziklag, all of the men were gone.  Therefore, there was no resistance.  Thus, they merely took the women captive.

 

 

 

 

6.      What three groups of people did David and his men find had been taken captives? (I Sam. 30:3)

 

So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

 

A.    Wives

 

B.      Sons

 

C.     Daughters

 

7.      T – F    David and his men wept till they had no more power to weep. (I Sam. 30:4)

 

Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

 

A.    True.  The Vulgate says that they wept until their tears failed them.

 

B.      LESSON:  Loss creates the powerful emotion of grief.  Grief produces many tears.  These men cried so much that they ran out of tears (See Ps. 6:6).

 

I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim;  I water my couch with my tears.

 

8.      T – F    Both of David’s wives were taken captive. (I Sam. 30:5)

 

And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jereelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

 

A.    True

 

B.      As the leader, David was not immune from the afflictions the people were experiencing.  He suffered the same type of loss that they experienced.

 

9.      What was another thing that caused David to be distressed? (I Sam. 30:6)

 

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him…

 

A.    The people were talking of stoning David.

 

B.      Greatly distressed

1.      Strong (3334):  to press…to be narrow, (figuratively) to be in distress

2.      BDB:  to bind, be distressed, be cramp, be narrow, be in straits

 

10.  Why did they want to kill David? (I Sam. 30:6)

 

…because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters…

 

A.    Because of their grief

 

B.      LESSON:  One of the stages of grief is anger. 

 

1.      Anger is not a sin in and of itself.  However, if anger is not displayed and discharged correctly, it can result in sin.

2.      These men were not thinking rationally because they were so angry.

 

11.  How did David get through that difficult time? (I Sam. 30:6)

 

…but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

 

A.    He encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

 

B.      Encouraged

1.      Strong (2388):  to fasten upon, hence to seize, be strong (…causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify

2.      BDB:  to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous

 

C.     LESSON: 

1.      The text does not reveal “how” David strengthened himself.  Prayer and meditation were probably an important part of his being encouraged.  (NOTE:  The next verse will give us some insight into David’s encouragement).

2.      Leaders must learn to “encourage themselves.”  From time to time, there will be opposition that comes against them even if they are not responsible for the problem and even though they might be experiencing the same plight of their followers.

 

12.  What did David ask Abiathar to bring to him? (I Sam. 30:7)

 

And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod…

 

A.    The ephod

 

B.      It is interesting that David operates in the opposite manner of Saul when under distress (See I Sam. 13:6-12).

 

C.     LESSON:  When we are under extreme pressure, we should consult the will of God.

 

13.  T – F    The ephod could not be found in the camp of the Israelites. (I Sam. 30:7)

 

And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

 

A.    False

 

14.  What questions did David ask of the ephod? (I Sam. 30:8)

 

And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop?  shall I overtake them?

 

A.    Question #1:  Shall I pursue after this troop?

 

B.      Question #2:  Shall I overtake them?

 

15.  What was the Lord’s answer to David’s questions? (I Sam. 30:8)

 

…And he answered him, Pursue:  for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail shall recover all.

A.    Pursue:  for thou shalt surely overtake them

 

B.      He also said that David and his men would recover “all.”

 

C.     At this point, David would certainly have been strengthened in the Lord.  He would be able to report to his men what the Lord had told him (See Ps. 40:2).

 

He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

 

16.  To what place did David and his six hundred men go before some were left behind? (I Sam. 30:9)

 

So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.

 

A.    They came to the brook Besor.

 

 

17.  How were the six hundred spilt up? (I Sam.30:10)

 

But David pursued, he and four hundred men:  for two were left behind…

 

A.    David and four hundred men pursued the Amalekites

 

B.      Two hundred of the men stayed behind.

 

18.  Why did two hundred stay behind? (I Sam. 30:10)

 

…which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

 

A.    They were too “faint.”

1.      Strong (6296):  exhausted

2.      BDB:  to be exhausted, be faint

 

B.      These men had travelled several days to the field of battle and back home again.  When they reached home, they found their homes destroyed and families carried away into captivity.  There would not have been any provisions in the city of Ziklag for them.  Physically and emotionally, they were spent.

 

19.  Who was found in a field? (I Sam. 30:11)

 

And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David…

 

A.    An Egyptian

 

20.  What was given to the Egyptian to eat? (I Sam. 30:11-12)

 

…and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water; and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins…

 

A.    Bread

 

B.      Water

 

C.     Piece of a cake of figs

 

D.    Two clusters of raisins

 

21.  How long had it been since he had eaten? (I Sam. 30:12)

 

…and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him:  for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

 

A.    Three days and three nights

 

22.  When the Egyptian revived, what question did David ask him? (I Sam. 30:13)

 

And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou?

 

A.    To whom belongest thou?  and whence art thou?

 

23.  What was his answer? (I Sam. 30:13)

 

…And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite…

 

A.    I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite

 

24.  Why had this servant of the Amalekites been left behind? (I Sam. 30:13).

 

…and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick.

 

A.    He was left because he had fallen sick.

B.      This was not uncommon in those days.  Those who slowed the troops and were a drag on resources were cut from the group and left to die.

 

25.  What four places had they invaded? (I Sam. 30:14)

 

We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag.

 

A.    The south of the Cherethites

1.      The word literally means “executioners.”

2.      Cherethites is another name for the Philistines (See I Sam. 30:16).

3.      It is thought that they were aboriginal to the island of Crete (See Ezek. 25:16).

 

B.      The coast which belongeth to Judah

 

C.     The south of Caleb:  near the towns of Kirjath-arba, Hebron, and Kirjath-sepher

 

D.    Burned Ziklag

 

26.  What was David’s second question to the Egyptian? (I Sam. 30:15)

 

And David said unto him, Canst thou bring me down to this company?

 

A.    Can you bring me down to this company?

 

27.  What two things had to be promised to the Egyptian before he would bring David and his men to the company of the Amalekites? (I Sam. 30:15)

 

And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.

 

A.    Thou wilt neither kill me

 

B.      Nor deliver me into the hands of my master

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE AMALEKITES BURNED ZIGLAG (2)

Homework

I Samuel 30:16-31

Victor M. Eskew

 

1.      Outline the text:

 

i.                    I SAMUEL 30:16

ii.                  I SAMUEL 30:17-20

iii.                I SAMUEL 30:21-25

iv.                I SAMUEL 30:26-31

 

2.      T – F    The Egyptians brought them to the camp of the Amalekites. (I Sam. 30:16).

 

3.      What were the Amalekites doing when David and his men found them? (I Sam. 30:16)

 

4.      How long did David fight against the Amalekites? (I Sam. 30:17)

 

5.      T – F    None of the enemy escaped from the hand of David and his men. (I Sam. 30:17)

 

6.      “And David _________________  ________  that the Amalekites had carried away:  and David rescued his two _________________” (I Sam. 30:18).

 

7.      What was the only thing that David and his men did not recover from the Amalekites? (I Sam. 30:19)

 

8.      What became David’s spoil? (I Sam. 30:20)

 

9.      T – F    David returned to the two hundred men he had left behind. (I Sam. 30:21)

 

10.  What did David do when he saw the two hundred men? (I Sam. 30:21)

 

11.  Who only wanted to give the two hundred men their wives and children and nothing of the spoils? (I Sam. 30:22)

 

12.  T – F    David agreed with the men of Belial on this occasion? (I Sam. 30:23)

 

13.  David reminded the evil men that ___________ had given the spoils to them (I Sam. 30:23).

 

14.  “…but as his part is that ____________  ___________ to the battle, so shall his part be that ________________ by the _____________:  they shall part alike” (I Sam. 30:24).

 

15.  T – F    The standard that David made that day became a statute and ordinance for Israel (I Sam.

30:25).

 

16.  What two groups received spoils from David who lived in Judah? (I Sam. 30:26).

 

17.  To what other cities did David sent parts of the spoil of the rescue? (I Sam. 30:27-31)