David at Ziklag

Its impossible to speak about the events of the Old Testament without including King David into the conversation. David is a paragon of strength and virtue. His life story is dynamic and powerful.No one can claim not to have been impacted by his writings or story. Whenever I read the Psalms of David, I realize how initmate David was to God. In fact I would dare to claim that David was a friend of God, he spoke to God as a loving father. The canvas of history is heavily engraved with this immense figure, an individaul who towered over most of his contemporaries. The Jews were so enomoured by David that they called Jesus the son of David.However the story of David is not all rosy and cosy. His life was full of extremities, there is such a shocking dichotomy in his narrative. There is a contradisctinctiveness and paradox in David's life experiences that brings his humanity into light. The story of David has ambivalences, antithesies and contrapositions that brings to light the transcedence and immanence of God in the human situation. David was highly anointed but he had his flaws, limits and struggles, if there is anything that distinguished him from his peers it can only be the grace of God. David was ignored by his brethren, his father seperated him from his brothers. He was ill-treated by his family members yet God chose him to be the next King. He fought with lions and bears protecting his father's sheep. David fought and defeated Goliath, fled Saul in fear of his life. Stayed in caves during his exile years, acted like a mad man just to survive. He commited adultery with Uriah's wife and then murdered Uriah via a vicious consipracy. God punished David by killing his son with Bethsheba Uriah's wife.David repented and God forgave him. It is from this historical background we analyse the story of David at Ziklag, God gave him restoration from the Amalekites.In this article I argue that if you position yourself in prayer and praise, putting God first, God will restore everything that the enemy has stolen from you.Not only will God restore but he will restitute you.

David returns to Ziklag with his six hundred men after a mission  at Aphek the land of the Philistines. They arrived at Ziklag only to find out that the Amalekites had raided their city, burned it with fire and taken their wives, and their daughters captive. 1 Samuel 30 says, "Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their up voice and wept, until they had no power to weep." David and his men were crushed in their spirits and they began to grieve. The Hebrew word for Ziklag means a winding place and this has a strong conncetion with being under pressure. David and his men were placed between a hard place and a rock.The Bible posits, "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him because the soul of all people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God." The Hebrew word for distress is yatsar meaning "be narrow", "be distressed", and "be strained." Other synonyms for distress are "depression", "discomfort", "anxiety", "trouble", "affliction", "discouragement", "perturbed", "torment" and "worry." Therefore Ziklag by implication was a narrow and tight place of sorrow and misfortune.

But David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.David promoted, barracked and emboldened himself in the Lord. The best way to deal with grief, bitterness and heart break is to barricade yourself in the presence of God. The men's souls were sore grieved that they became bitter with grief. The Hebrew word used for grief is Mara meaning bitterness. However David said to Abiathar the priest, "I pray me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David." This verse troubled me a lot because King Saul was disqualified because he intended to offer sacrifices to God when he was not a priest but here we see David functioning as a priest.Remember that David was anointed three times with the priestly anointing, prophetic anointing and kingly anointing. An ephod was a priestly mantle that was worn for ministry. An ephod was a garment for praise and we see David putting on an Ephod of praise in the midst of bitterness. Praise is the garment you put on to deal with depression.The bible goes on to say put on the garment praise. The best way to deal with anguish and bereavement is to put on the mantle of praise. Whenever the spirit of heaviness and depression is about to come on you, put on an ephod and beggin to Yada(Prasie) in the Lord.

David inquired of the Lord, saying, shall I pursue after the Amalekites. God answered in the affirmative saying pursue them for without fail you shall surely overtake them and recover all. This occurred soon after David finished to Khazak(encouraging) himself in the Lord. David left two hundred men at Besor(meaning Cheerful) because these were those who were still bitter. You cannot go to war with a bitter spirit. You also need to watch those you are walking with because depression is contagious. David's men were contemplating of stoning David. They wanted to kill someone who raised them and trained them to be successful. I have discovered that on your way to an appointment with destiny you need to deal with betrayers. Leave betrayers at Besor, leave the doubtful behind as you wage war against the Devil. 

On their way to recover their possessions they met an Egyptian, this young Egyptian was dumped by his Amelikite master because he was sick and he had not eaten in three days and nights. David gave him food and he was revived. God had an enemy in the enemy's camp, God had a spy in the enemy's camp. God has a way of using your enemy to bless you. God is about to set up a person in your path towards destiny. An enemy is about to bless you, glory be to God. The Egyptian showed David  the location of the Amalekites because David promised not to kill him.

Let me take this moment to digress and reveal what an Amalekite spirit looks like. Amalek is a descendant of Esau. Remember that God said, "Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated." Amalekites throughout the Old Testament were always antagonsist to Isreal. They attacked the weak and those who were falling behind in the wilderness when Moses led Isreal to Canaan. They are cowards that strike you at the moment of weakness. It is a spirit that capitalizes on vulnerability. God told Joshua to wipe out the Amalekites because they did not fear God by attcking the Isrealites. One of the stories that I find fascinating is that of Haman an Amalekites who conspired to kill the Jews in Persia. Consider that they attacked Ziklag when all the men were away in battle. They attacked women and children, it is a hyena spirit, it capitalizes on human weakness. But God is saying pursue, overtake and recover all. The Amalekites think that they are taking your wealth but they are just storing it for you. Also consider how Joshua fought the Amalekites at Rephidim and as Moses lifted his hands Isreal was winning. The secret to defeating the Amalekite spirit is praise. Praise God and let the demons attack each other. God inhabits the praises of His people.

David recovered all, he recovered his two wives and children. God gave him more that what was taken, God gave them the spoils of the Amalekites. God is about to spoil every Amalekite in your life. God is going to restitute you. God multiplied David, he increased his measure. He got increase because of his trouble. David was so blessed that he blessed his region. God will bless you beyond your wildest imagination. You will recover all and God is going to make you bless your region. David sent tribute to Bethel, Ramoth, Jattir, Aroer, Siphmoth, Eshtemoa, Rachal, Jerameel, Kenite, Hormah, Chorashan, Athach and Hebron. God is about to make you a kingdom distributor.Amen!