34: David defeats the Amalekites: from crisis to victory ( 1Samuel 30:1 – 31)

He faced his greatest danger at the very place where David had once enjoyed security.

👉 Read 1Samuel 30:1 - 31

Q1. When David and his men had joined the Philistine camp, the Amalekites raided and burned their town Ziklag. What are the three points that the Bible describes about the situation? (2, 3-4, 5-6) 

The Amalekites didn’t kill anyone but took their families captive.

David and his men wept aloud in deep grief over the loss of their loved ones.

Though David was greatly distressed, he found strength in the Lord his God.

On the third day: Why does the author mention the date? It took David and his men three days to return from the battlefield in northern Israel to Ziklag in the south—a distance of about 180 km, requiring around 40 hours of walking. They likely traveled as quickly as possible, anxious about the safety of their homes. During their absence of at least a week, the Amalekites raided these towns, which were left vulnerable because the men had been enlisted for war.

The Bible emphasizes that no one was killed—only taken captive. Every person was spared. This shows that God was still in control. However, at the time, David and his men had no way of knowing whether their families were alive. It must have been agonizing.

David had been under the protection of King Achish of Philistine. But now, he had lost everything, and even his own men threatened his life. In that moment of crisis, he finally turned to the Lord for help and learned to fully trust in God—not in the Philistine king, nor in his 600 warriors.

At the beginning of the pursuit, 600 men departed. But (          ) men were too exhausted and stayed behind at Wadi Besor. They found (               ) who was a slave of one of the Amalekites. He had been abandoned by his master because (            ). After being restored with David's help, he guided David and his army to the raiding party. David struck them and recovered (         ) that had been taken. Also, he took a large amount of plunder. Some worthless men argued that they should not share the plunder with the (           ) men who stayed at Wadi Besor. But David said, "No, you shouldn’t do this. (         ) gave us the victory and all this plunder." And it became a binding (              ) for Israel from that time on.

At the beginning of the pursuit, 600 men departed. But (200) men were too exhausted and stayed behind at Wadi Besor. They found (an Egyptian) who was a slave of one of the Amalekites. He had been abandoned by his master because (he was ill). After being restored with David's help, he guided David and his army to the raiding party. David struck them and recovered (all) that had been taken. Also, he took a large amount of plunder. Some worthless men argued that they should not share the plunder with the (200) men who stayed at Wadi Besor. But David said, "No, you shouldn’t do this. (The Lord) gave us the victory and all this plunder." And it became a binding ( ordinance ) for Israel from that time on.

Although the plunder was gained through their own hard work and risk of life, the Bible calls those who insisted on keeping it for themselves 'evil and troublemakers.

Q3. After David returned to Ziklag, what did he do?

He distributed his plunder with the Israelite towns. The bible shows a long list of towns. 

In Assyria, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, kings often shared war booty with temples, nobles, or allies to secure loyalty and show divine favor. David’s gift-giving followed this custom but reflected his godly character and political insight. However, in most ancient cultures, only those who fought received the spoils. David’s decision to share equally with the 200 men who stayed behind (1 Samuel 30:21–25) was unusually generous. Through this, God was shaping David to lead His people in His ways.

“David drew strength from the Lord his God”

“This is David’s plunder!”

“Look at what the Lord has given us!”

He faced his greatest danger at the very place where David had once enjoyed security. Yet he drew strength from his God, experienced a great victory, and reflected God's goodness and generosity.

He expects and will do the same in your life.