SERIES J --- THE WARRIOR KING --- LESSON 09
ZIKLAG DESTROYED
DAVID DEFEATS THE AMALEKITES
From 1 Samuel 30
The march home to Ziklag took three days. When David and his men arrived home, they found that the Amalekites had invaded the area and burned Ziklag. Every woman and child had been captured alive and taken with them. As David and his followers surveyed the damage and realized what had happened to their wives and children, they wept until they could no longer find strength to weep. Among those who had been taken prisoner were David’s two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel. Matters grew very tense as some of David’s men placed the blame on him and talked of stoning him. That was because they were so disturbed that their families had been captured. But David placed himself in YHVH’s care and was strengthened by Him. ‘Bring me the ephod,’ David said to Abiathar the priest. When Abiathar brought the ephod, David asked Adonai what he should do. ‘Shall I go after the Amalekites?’ he asked. ‘Go after them and I will help you conquer them and free your families,’ Adonai answered. David and his six hundred men rushed after the Amalekites. They paused to rest briefly at the Brook Besor, but two hundred of the men were so exhausted that they could not go on. David left them there to guard some of the equipment while he proceeded after the Amalekites with the other four hundred. Along the way some of the men found a young Egyptian lying in a field and brought him to David. He had had nothing to eat for three days and nights and was weak from hunger. They gave him a fig cake and two clusters of raisins to eat and some water to drink and soon his strength returned. ‘Who are your people?’ David asked him. ‘Where are you from?’ ‘I am an Egyptian and the slave of an Amalekite,’ the young man answered. ‘Three days ago, I became sick, so my master left me here. We had raided the Cherethites, the coastal area of Judah and the land of Caleb and had burned Ziklag and were returning home.’ ‘Can you take me to the Amalekite camp?’ David asked. ‘Yes,’ the young man replied. ‘But swear by YHVH’s Name that you will not kill me or return me to my master. Then I will take you there.’ When the young man led David and his troops to the Amalekite camp, the Amalekites were lying here and there over a large field, eating and drinking, celebrating the enormous amount of plunder they had taken from the Philistines and the Judeans. David attacked them and from twilight that day until evening the next day the slaughter continued. Every one of the Amalekites was killed, except four hundred young men who escaped on camels. David and his men recovered all the booty which the Amalekites had taken. He also rescued all the prisoners, including his two wives. Everything the Amalekites had taken was recovered, including all the families of the Israelites. David’s men gathered the flocks and herds they had retaken from the Amalekites and drove them ahead of the band of men heading home to Ziklag. ‘These are David’s personal reward,’ they said. When the caravan reached the Brook Besor, the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to travel came out to meet them. David immediately asked them how they were. But some of the men in David’s army argued, ‘Since these men did not go to battle with us, they may not share the booty with us. Let them take their own wives and children and go.’ ‘This is not the way to distribute what Adonai has given us,’ David replied. ‘It was Adonai who took care of us and helped us conquer the Amalekites. We will not hear this kind of talk. Those who stay with the baggage will share equally with those who go out to battle.’ David made this a rule and it remained a rule for Israel from that time onward. When David returned to Ziklag, he shared part of the booty with the elders of some Israelite towns which had helped him and his men. Along with the booty he sent a note saying, ‘this is a gift for you, which we have captured from Adonai’s enemies.’ He sent these gifts to the elders of the following cities, where he and his men had lived at some time when they had been running away from Saul: Bethel, South Ramoth, Jattir, Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, Rachal, the cities of the Jerahmeelites, the cities of the Kenites, Hormah, Chorashan, Athach and Hebron.
COMMENTARY
CAMELS
In many areas of the Middle East the camel is still the most reliable form of transportation. While wheeled vehicles spin their tires in the sand, the camel moves steadily toward its destination. Its thick, awkward body appears to be weakly supported by long, spindly legs. But despite its clumsy appearance, the camel is a sturdy pack animal, well-adapted to its desert environment. The single-humped dromedary [common to the Middle East] is capable of carrying a six-hundred-pound load up to thirty miles a day. Its Asian cousin, the double-humped Bactrian, can bear up to a thousand pounds. Weighed down under a heavy load, the camel’s progress is slow. Its average pace is little more than three miles an hour. Even a swift racing camel rarely tops the maximum speed of ten miles an hour. But speed is less important than stamina in desert travel. Although the camel is slow, it excels in tests of endurance. The fatty hump on its back serves as a storehouse of extra energy. When there is no pasture on which to graze, the camel draws upon this supply of fat. At the end of a long desert journey its reserve may be so used up that its hump becomes soft and flabby. A camel can go for long periods of time without water as well. Its body is specially adapted to conserve moisture in the dry desert heat. Unlike man, the camel loses little water by sweating. Although it is a warm-blooded animal, it has the ability to change body temperature with the increasing heat of the day. The thick, fleecy hair on its back also serves as a protective covering to shield it from the sun. At the end of a week of travel, a thirsty camel may drink as much as twenty-eight gallons of water. The camel’s mating season coincides with the winter rains. The young are born a year later when the pasture is once again green and plentiful. Although the newborn learns to control its gangly legs within twenty-four hours, it does not reach its full growth for sixteen or seventeen years. This long adolescence is followed by a short maturity. The camel’s average lifespan is little more than twenty-five years.
We have to be careful not to become like the Pharisees when it comes to the things of Yah. He can't be put in a box on who or what he uses to draw people in.
If you're a woman over 40, you'll want to hear what my wife has to say.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=234159525650593
According to 1 Kings 7:20, there were 200 pomegranates cast in two rows around the capitals of the bronze pillars of the Temple. According to Jeremiah 52:23, four pomegranates in each row were set aside from the rest. I imagine that there were 96 of one size in each of the two rows with four larger pomegranates on opposite sides of the column, perhaps representing the four corners of the earth.
Bronze represents judgment, while four represents life and the world, and two sets of 200 may represent an appeal for mercy. Consider that Jacob sent 200 female goats and 200 ewes to Esau, Abigail gave 200 loaves and 200 fig cakes to David, and Ziba gave 200 loaves and 200 fruits to David.
The ability to reason, meaning to think clearly, seems to be on the rampant decline. From the scriptures to everyday life, being able to make clear distinctions and decisions is crucial to civilization. This message addressed this from a scriptural and societal point of view.
https://firstcenturychristiani....ty.net/let-us-reason
Hiram cast two pillars of bronze. Eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured its circumference. It was hollow, and its thickness was four fingers. The second pillar was the same.
1 Kings 7:15
The bronze pillars of the Temple were massive: 27-30 feet high, 18-20 feet in circumference, and 6-7 feet in diameter. The walls were about 4 inches thick. They were cast from molten bronze, maybe not so difficult with modern technology, but very difficult in 950 BC.
The next major topic that came in my journey was food. What is food? Who defines what food is and what food isn't? Growing up, I would have never considered a cat food. However, I worked with a guy in one of my first jobs where cats were part of their country's cuisine. The idea was just appalling to me.
I remember when I was younger I had asked why you never see horse meat anywhere. The answer I was given is that horses were a work animal used for transport back in the day. You wouldn't want to eat your main vehicle. Whenever cars took over those jobs, we still kept horses in the "do not eat" category.
I could give example after example of animals we see as off-limits when it comes to eating. And if you have ever watched Bizarre Foods on Food Network, you know that somewhere someone probably does eat it. However, those areas have their own off-limits lists. So, if everywhere has these concepts of things that are and are not food, what is the correct list?
In the comic I list several items on this restaurant's menu that I don't think any of us would sit down and eat. The question would be: Why not? When someone brings up animals that the Bible says are not for consumption, verses like Mark 7:19 are quickly given to justify eating those animals. Would that not be the case for these items in the comic? If not, why? "Well, a tire is obviously not food." Again, why? If you look into the ingredients on the back of many common foods at the supermarket, there are all kinds of chemicals in them. Imitation Vanilla has propylene glycol in it. If you've ever watched Mystery Science Theater 3000, you may know this is the scientific name for radiator fluid. If you look it up, you'll see Amazon has some Sierra brand on sale for $33 as of the making of this post. What makes radiator fluid okay, but a tire not?
In the next comics in this series, I want to look at some common objections and ideas around what is and isn't food.
https://thestraightandnarrow.cfw.me/comics/593
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As you sip your coffee and launch your Monday, try to have a kind word on your tongue and a desire to serve and help those around you. You'll find that a giving attitude will come right back to bless you, too! (This pic is of two of my daughters, wayyyyyy back about 17 years ago.........) https://archive.aweber.com/awlist6425868/AhEv.
On this date in history, 03/13/1775: Rival meetings take place in New York City. American Patriots meet at the Exchange while Loyalists meet at the widow De la Montagnie's house. #otd #tdih #americanrevolution https://www.historycarper.com/....1775/03/13/new-york-
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