Leadership in Challenging Times

1 Samuel 30
Darrin Mariott, Lead Pastor

Big Idea: In challenging times, obey God, press forward in Him, and trust that He will lead the way.

I. David’s Challenges (vv. 1-15, 21-25)
1 Samuel 30:1-31
1 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire2 and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way.3 And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.4 Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.5 David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.6 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.7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.8 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.”9 So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.11 They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink12 and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.13 And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago.14 We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.”15 And David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band.”16 And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.17 And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled.18 David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives.19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all.20 David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them.22 Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.”23 But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us.24 Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.”25 And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD.”27 It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir28 in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa29 in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites30 in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach31 in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.

A. David is hard-pressed on every side here. Not only does he feel anguish over the capture of his family, but his men also blame him for the capture of their families as well. The real issue, though, is where do they go from here. Do they give in to anger and despair, or do they turn to God (v. 6; cf. Isa. 41:10)
Isaiah 41:10
10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

B. The challenges facing David include:

1. Situations beyond his control (vv. 1-6; cf. 2 Cor. 1:8-10) – It seems all is lost here, but God provides a way.
2 Corinthians 1:8-10
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.

2. Personal loss (vv. 3-5) – Things initially look grim, but it turns out that not all is lost (vv. 18-19).

3. Relational strain (v. 6) – The pressure strains David’s relationship with his men.

4. 4. Physical strain (vv. 4, 9-10) – The physical stress was enough to cause some of David’s men to give up, but David pressed on.

5. Leadership challenges (vv. 21-25) – David continues to demonstrate principled leadership by sharing the spoils of war with everyone, resisting division and envy.

II. David’s Leadership (vv. 6-9; 16-31)

A. David could have despaired in this situation and taken things into his own hands. But unlike Saul, he didn’t. Rather David turned to God in trust and obedience.

B. We see David:

1. Turn to the Lord and seek His will (vv. 6-8).

2. Trust in the Lord (v. 8; Ps. 18:1-6).
Psalm 18:1-6
1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.4 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me5 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.6 In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.

3. Act on the Lord’s instructions – God will give us what we need—wisdom, even faith—but we must act on it for it to be realized. David’s actions reveal his trust in the Lord and the rewards of those who diligently seek Him (cf. Js. 1:2-8).
James 1:2-8
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.