Dignity in a world that so frequently denies yours in a myriad ways unspoken and spoken, acted and neglected. What would it look like to you to be seen as dignified, worthy, loved? That's the key to the name of this Blogspot and maybe someday if the Lord should see fit to use me as a Church planter that will be the name of my Church family. In my heart I think it always has been.
So by the time we reach 1Samuel chapter 30, David has long ago been anointed king over Israel, and had his final falling out with Saul, the Lord's first anointed king over Israel. David has been harassed and pursued and refused to lift a finger against Saul in spite of having the opportunity to slit his throat silently at least once. That's all changed here at the end, and David and his army have agreed to join with forces to fight against Saul, in a political alliance with other rulers. The Philistine rulers however refuse to include David's 600 Hebrews for fear they will turn coat and sabotage them from behind while they face off against Saul. So David and his army have traveled to the battle site and established camp and after being released from their alliance with Achish they struck camp and traveled 3 days from that rejection and returned to their hometown only to find it has been invaded and burned and all the people taken captive. There's a whole sermon hidden right there in that phrase 'people taken captive' - I won't lay it on you tonight though. Everybody's gone, the men are tired and unreasonable and begin talk of stoning David. David does what David was good at doing, he inquires of the Lord and the Lord tells him: "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all." (1Sam30:8). We're on at least day 3 here since any reasonable rest, the men are distraught, David saddles them up (maybe a bad assumption since the text doesn't say - maybe he actually SANDLES them up - see, it just doesn't have the same ring does it?) and heads out. 200 of the men are so tired they just can't go on. They stay at Brook Besor. David pursues the Amalekites with 400 men and the short end of the story is they overtake the enemy and spend almost a full 24 hours in a rage of butt whoopin' and taking no names. Some of the enemy are quick enough to escape, but all of the people are recovered and loot from the enemy besides. So they bundle it all up and head back to Brook Besor where instead of a joyful reunion, greedy selfishness and better than thou attitudes [the English Bibles usually translate that as HAUGHTY] kicks in with "all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David." (1Sam30:22). That begs the question "how many wicked and worthless men were there?" Not all of them surely.
And that begets other questions: Q-But why were they there? A-because David's a winner and everybody likes to be on the winning side [how many Peyton fans will no longer be Colts fans this fall? Just trying to slip in some perspective from current events folks. I openly admit I quit watching NBA when Jordan retired (the first time) I wasn't a Bulls fan without the dynastic trio of Jordan, Pippin, and what's his name?]. And Q-Why did David keep them around? A1-Cannon fodder?[wrong century I know] A2-Because they were ruthlessly efficient fighters? A3-Because of their charming personalities?[yeah right, they packed their rocks in their saddle/sandle bags when David convinced them to saddle/sandle up] or A4-Because they lived where David established his hometown headquarters and had to put up, shut up, or get out? I can't truly put my finger on that one though it may just be #2 and/or #4.
But I digress. The ruffians decide "Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man's wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart." (v22). Ouch! They're saying: Hey, we put up while you all wussed out and stayed by the water here soaking your sore feet, good, now you'll be able to walk on somewhere and start over... Be honest and ask yourself if you've ever said the same in a similar circumstance. I have had the thought if I haven't spoken the hateful words. David, who has been tried in a number of fiery situations already, keeps a cooler head and offers the right (righteous) perspective in v23 "My brethren, you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us." Laying down the law in v24 "...as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike." Do you hear Paul in 1Corinthians12 weighing out our roles and positions in the Body of Christ here and declaring in verses 25 & 26 "...there should be no schism [division, separation, mutually opposed parties] in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another...if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."
And so David gave dignity to soldiers who had reached their physical limits and could not go on. How often does that happen? Not often enough I'd say. And so I ask again: What would it look like to you to be seen as dignified, worthy, loved?
The answer is as different as each of you reading this question. The answers change with life situations. For some of us maybe those answers never change because down deep we've suffered wounds which served as our fiery furnaces of purification and we've had the dross boiled away to reveal that shining pure answer. I will seek to share answers that give dignity, affirm our worth, and let us know we are loved. I don't claim to have all the answers, but I know the One who does. Maybe He'll share... ya' think?
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