The Brook of Besor

1 SAMUEL 30:1-10

DAVID’S CONFLICT WITH THE AMALEKITES

30 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.”
9 SO DAVID WENT, HE AND THE SIX HUNDRED MEN WHO WERE WITH HIM, AND CAME TO THE BROOK BESOR, WHERE THOSE STAYED WHO WERE LEFT BEHIND. 10 BUT DAVID PURSUED, HE AND FOUR HUNDRED MEN; FOR TWO HUNDRED STAYED BEHIND, WHO WERE SO WEARY THAT THEY COULD NOT CROSS THE BROOK BESOR.

1 SAMUEL 30:18-19

18 SO DAVID RECOVERED ALL THAT THE AMALEKITES HAD CARRIED AWAY, AND DAVID RESCUED HIS TWO WIVES. 19 AND NOTHING OF THEIRS WAS LACKING, EITHER SMALL OR GREAT, SONS OR DAUGHTERS, SPOIL OR ANYTHING WHICH THEY HAD TAKEN FROM THEM; DAVID RECOVERED ALL.

Have you ever been in a place in your life where it seems like you’ve lost everything? Have you ever been at the bottom of the barrel? This can be a very lonely, depressing, and despairing place in life > many of us have been here, some are here right now…I want you to know that there is a God in heaven who loves you, and has a way to pull you out!
God brings you to a place where you have to make these decisions on your own. I firmly believe that there are those who need deliverance, and then there are others who simply need to make a decision.

Self – Inflicted Wounds

If you must be reminded, understand, the devil cannot do anything to God’s people without an invitation…if you read the earlier chapter, you see David encamped with the Philistines…really?
In his desperation to get away from King Saul, he defected to the enemy…ever been there?
He’s finally driven away from the enemy but it wasn’t his decision, he was forced out…I know folks like that…you really don’t wanna leave the world, you’ve been forced out by circumstances, and your past devotion to Christ has upset sinners you run with now!!

1 SAMUEL 29:1-5

THE PHILISTINES REJECT DAVID

29 THEN THE PHILISTINES GATHERED TOGETHER ALL THEIR ARMIES AT APHEK, AND THE ISRAELITES ENCAMPED BY A FOUNTAIN WHICH IS IN JEZREEL. 2 AND THE LORDS OF THE PHILISTINES PASSED IN REVIEW BY HUNDREDS AND BY THOUSANDS, BUT DAVID AND HIS MEN PASSED IN REVIEW AT THE REAR WITH ACHISH. 3 THEN THE PRINCES OF THE PHILISTINES SAID, “WHAT ARE THESE HEBREWS DOING HERE?”
AND ACHISH SAID TO THE PRINCES OF THE PHILISTINES, “IS THIS NOT DAVID, THE SERVANT OF SAUL KING OF ISRAEL, WHO HAS BEEN WITH ME THESE DAYS, OR THESE YEARS? AND TO THIS DAY I HAVE FOUND NO FAULT IN HIM SINCE HE DEFECTED TO ME.”
4 BUT THE PRINCES OF THE PHILISTINES WERE ANGRY WITH HIM; SO THE PRINCES OF THE PHILISTINES SAID TO HIM, “MAKE THIS FELLOW RETURN THAT HE MAY GO BACK TO THE PLACE WHICH YOU HAVE APPOINTED FOR HIM, AND DO NOT LET HIM GO DOWN WITH US TO BATTLE, LEST IN THE BATTLE HE BECOME OUR ADVERSARY. FOR WITH WHAT COULD HE RECONCILE HIMSELF TO HIS MASTER, IF NOT WITH THE HEADS OF THESE MEN? 5 IS THIS NOT DAVID, OF WHOM THEY SANG TO ONE ANOTHER IN DANCES, SAYING:
‘SAUL HAS SLAIN HIS THOUSANDS, AND DAVID HIS TEN THOUSANDS’?

Listen, the enemy knows your resume! Now that David is back where he belongs, it’s not without consequence – we still reap what we sow people. The enemy came in and took all that he had a right to. The same is true for you and me.

Steps To Recovery

Our text speaks of some steps that David took in order to recover what the enemy took from him…it would serve you and me well to know and do these things.

VERSE 6 – 8 > . 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.”

The first thing David did was encourage himself. While there is certainly nothing wrong with being encouraged by others, you can encourage yourself as well! This does wonders for your integrity and personal worship.
The second thing David did, was have the high priest give him an ephod. The linen ephod used to be worn by the high priest, then an ordinary priest, but presently, it was worn for oracular purposes (Petition/Prayerful) purposes. Specifically when you were seeking God’s will and direction, it was traditional to wear an ephod.

This was understood by all that you were humbly seeking God’s direction and favor. Jesus translates this in Matt. 22 when speaking of a wedding garment…only those who wore this garment was worthy in the King’s court…also, an ephod resembled the ‘Breastplate’ of Ephesians 6, because they both covered the same part of the body…the heart.

As you can see, David encouraged himself, then he submitted himself to spiritual authority and humility in prayer. Do you want to recover what the devil has taken from you? This is a good place to start!

What about Them?

Look at our text,

9 SO DAVID WENT, HE AND THE SIX HUNDRED MEN WHO WERE WITH HIM, AND CAME TO THE BROOK BESOR, WHERE THOSE STAYED WHO WERE LEFT BEHIND. 10 BUT DAVID PURSUED, HE AND FOUR HUNDRED MEN; FOR TWO HUNDRED STAYED BEHIND, WHO WERE SO WEARY THAT THEY COULD NOT CROSS THE BROOK BESOR.

We know that David took 400 men over to recover all that was taken, but what about the 200 left behind? What became of them?
Now, I can spend the n
ext 15 minutes speaking of how weak and terrible these 200 were and how they should’ve shaken themselves out of the funk they were in…I’m probably right in many instances, but not 100%
Why? Well, there are some that are simply too weary to go forward at times! I know we may not want to hear this, but it’s a reality nonetheless.
So what do you do with these people?

- Ridicule them
- Rebuke them
- Ostracize them

Why don’t we try something different…WHY DON’T WE HELP THEM OUT!!
When David asked God if he could pursue the enemy, God said yes…David and 400 men went to recover ALL, not just their stuff, but the weary ones’ things also! I know there are weary people in here…you’ve been battling, you’ve been going nonstop and have hit a wall – LISTEN, YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO ARE STILL ABLE TO FIGHT, WILL FIGHT FOR YOU – THAT MAKES US FAMILY!!

We don’t recover things for those we like, or those who are like us – IT’S FOR EVERYONE!! Note: God didn’t battle with David, or help him at all, he had to recover these things on his own…so must we.