Ziklag

 

1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire,

2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.

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

5 And David's two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive.

6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, "Please bring the ephod here to me." And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

8 So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all."

     1 Samuel 30:1-8 (NKJV)

 This tragic scene awaited David and his men when they returned to Ziklag, a Philistine town that they'd made as their temporary residence. How awful to find the town burned and their wives and children taken captive.  To make matters worse, the men wanted to stone David, blaming him for the losses. David was their leader and he had made serious errors, not only in leaving Ziklag defenseless while they were away, but in aligning with the Philistines in the first place.

 Earlier the Bible explains: “And David said in his heart, ‘Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.’" (1 Samuel 27:7, NKJV)  Out of fear and without seeking God's guidance, David decided to join the Philistines, enemies of Israel. Instead of remaining in Judah where God had told him to stay (1 Samuel 22:5), David fled there and followed his own ill-conceived plan.

Yet after the tragedy in Ziklag, David came to his senses. Once again, David remembered that God was his strength (v. 6) and once again, David turned to God, seeking His wisdom and help (v. 7-8)  And God graciously assured David that He would be with them and bring about their victory.

 Even though he made many mistakes, David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) because he always returned to God and trusted Him.  Sometimes God will allow difficulties in our lives to get our attention when we’ve blundered or strayed so we will turn back to Him. When we do, He is gracious and welcomes us back. 

If God is For Us...

 I've been told that my Master actually isn't in my corner, doesn't have my best interest at heart, and I'm living in a world doomed to failure from the point it was created. Does it sound like I heard that from some snake in a tree? That message of bitterness and pain is out there, and it's popular with people who need some excuse for their pain and hopelessness.

The truth is much different. Jesus made a strange statement when Pharisees questioned His disciples about why Jesus would eat with "tax collectors and sinners". Jesus said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick." In the account in Mark and Luke, He continues, "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

It's one of the earliest "reversals" in Jesus' ministry. But God's heart for those "sinners" is clear much earlier. In the Garden, with the dead pair who were so precious to Him, God makes clothes from skins instead of the "fig leaves" they used for themselves (Genesis 3:21). And then, with their firstborn, Cain, we see that, once again, our Creator has a heart for the sinner:

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:6-7 NASB

Even as Cain is upset that his sacrifice was not acceptable, his Creator seeks to lead him in the right path. He didn't need to. Why reach out to Cain? Clearly, Cain is far too much like his parents, the ones with whom Yahweh used to walk in the Garden in the cool of the day. But God does not give up on Cain.

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Genesis 4:9-10 NASB

God gives Cain a chance to confess, to repent, for regret, and to make it right. The first question is a test, one which Cain fails. Yet God still gives him the opportunity, even to one who has murdered his brother. And it continues. Even after Cain lies, even after he whines about his curse, even then, there is mercy from his Creator.

Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.  When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.” Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is too great to bear! Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” So the LORD said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him. Genesis 4:11-15 NASB

There is something in Cain's cry, that he would be hidden from the face of Yahweh, that resonates with me. Perhaps there was a glint of understanding and regret of what he had lost with his Creator. Commentators differ in their opinion about Cain, but God's mercy is unmistakable. He gives this sinner, this rebel, this murderer, a sign so that he won't be murdered himself. That wasn't part of the curse, it seems. His consequences didn't include being murdered himself, which seems strange to me.

Regardless of how you see Cain, focus on the mercy of our Creator. Regardless of how reprehensible his crime, look at our Savior. Isn't is amazing, incomprehensible? How is it possible that our Creator loves such as Cain? And, if someone loves like that, what sort of hope can we have?

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:31-32 NASB

This has been true from the beginning.