I Samuel 30:1-31:13

Saul Falls, David Rises - A Tale of Two Kings

When all seems lost, where do you turn? In 1 Samuel 30?31, David faces one of the darkest moments of his life: his city is burned, his family taken, and his own men turn against him. Yet in the midst of despair, David "strengthens himself in the Lord." Meanwhile, King Saul, once anointed by God, meets a tragic end after a life marked by compromise and fear. In this powerful message, Pastor Lloyd contrasts two leaders at a crossroads, one who finds hope in God and one who turns away. Be encouraged to seek God's strength in your own trials, and trust that even in the chaos, He is working everything out for your good.

  1. And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
  2. And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
  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.
  4. Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
  5. And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
  6. And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
  7. And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
  8. And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
  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.
  10. But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
  11. And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;
  12. And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: 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.
  13. And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.
  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 with fire.
  15. And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? 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.
  16. And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
  17. And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.
  18. And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
  19. And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.
  20. And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.
  21. And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.
  22. Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.
  23. Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.
  24. For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.
  25. And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
  26. And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD;
  27. To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,
  28. And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,
  29. And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,
  30. And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chorashan, and to them which were in Athach,
  31. And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.
  1. Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
  2. And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul's sons.
  3. And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.
  4. Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
  5. And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
  6. So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.
  7. And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
  8. And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa.
  9. And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people.
  10. And they put his armor in the house of Ashtaroth: and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.
  11. And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;
  12. All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.
  13. And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.