1 Samuel 30:21-25: a reflection

21David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to stay at the brook Besor; and they went out to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. When David came near to the people, he greeted them. 22Then all the wicked men and worthless fellows of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give them anything of the plunder that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away and depart.” 23Then David said, “Do not do so, my brothers, with that which the LORD has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand. 24Who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays with the baggage. They shall share alike.” 25It was so from that day forward that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

David and his men have recovered all that a raiding party had taken; but two hundred of his men had been too exhausted to join the pursuit, and stayed behind with the baggage. Now some of the fighters, greedy and hard, want to deny those men any share of the recovered plunder, since they did not fight. But David refuses. What the LORD has given us is not ours to withhold, he says; the share of the one who stays with the baggage shall be the same as the share of the one who goes into battle. And he makes it a lasting statute.

Notice David's fairness, and its ground. He will not let those who fought despise and deprive those who could not; all share alike in what God has given, whether they were on the front line or kept the supplies. And his reason is that the victory was God's gift, not the fighters' achievement to hoard: what the LORD has given us. Because the good came from God, it was to be shared generously, not grasped by the strong for themselves.

That principle is worth carrying into how we regard what we have and what others contribute. It is easy to think that those who did the visible, strenuous work deserve all the reward, and to look down on those whose part was quieter or who could not do as much. But David reminds us that the good we enjoy is God's gift, and is to be shared, honoring even those whose contribution was less visible. Do not despise those who serve in quieter or lesser ways, or grasp for yourself all the reward of a shared effort. Remember that what you have is God's gift, and share it generously, giving those who kept the baggage their portion alongside those who fought, as David did, for the good you enjoy came from God's hand, not your strength alone.

Lord, when David's men recovered the plunder, some wanted to deny a share to the two hundred too exhausted to fight; but David refused, saying what you had given was to be shared alike by those who stayed with the baggage and those who went to battle, and he made it a lasting statute. Teach me that fairness, and its ground. It is easy to think that those who did the visible, strenuous work deserve all the reward, and to look down on those whose part was quieter or who could not do as much. But David reminds me that the good I enjoy is your gift, and is to be shared, honoring even those whose contribution was less visible. Keep me from despising those who serve in quieter or lesser ways, or grasping for myself all the reward of a shared effort. Help me remember that what I have is your gift, and share it generously, giving those who kept the baggage their portion alongside those who fought. The good I enjoy came from your hand, not my strength alone; make me generous and fair, Lord, as David was.