Having been sent back, David continued his “private war” against the Amalekites. When things looked bad for him and his army, “David found strength in the Lord his God.”

BibleGateway: 1 Samuel 30:1-20

ESV Text: 1 Samuel 30:1-20

KJV Text:

The section starts at about 0:0 and ends at about 3:30

     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 ago 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.(KJV)

Hymn: TLH 522 :
When in the Hour of Utmost Need

Hymnary.org— — Organ Audio

1. When in the hour of utmost need 
We know not where to look for aid; 
When days and nights of anxious thought 
Nor help nor counsel yet have brought, 
 
2. Then this our comfort is alone, 
That we may meet before Thy throne 
And cry, O faithful God, to Thee 
For rescue from our misery; 
 
3. To Thee may raise our hearts and eyes, 
Repenting sore with bitter sighs, 
And seek Thy pardon for our sin 
And respite from our griefs within. 
 
4. For Thou hast promised graciously 
To hear all those who cry to Thee 
Through Him whose name alone is great, 
Our Savior and our Advocate. 
 
5. And thus we come, O God, today 
And all our woes before Thee lay; 
For sorely tried, cast down, we stand, 
Perplexed by fears on every hand. 
 
6. Ah! hide not for our sins Thy face, 
Absolve us through Thy boundless grace, 
Be with us in our anguish still, 
Free us at last from every ill, 
 
7. That so with all our hearts we may 
To Thee our glad thanksgiving pay, 
Then walk obedient to Thy Word 
And now and ever praise Thee, Lord. 
 
 

Hymn: LSB 615 :
When in the Hour of Deepest Need

Hymnary.org—