(1) В¶ 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.
I beg the Reader to remark with me concerning this event, how evidently the hand of the Lord was in it. No doubt it was intended to correct David for his past faithlessness. What business had David in an enemies' country? It was the want of faith in his God which first led him there. And moreover I beg to intimate, that it appears to me by the late conduct of David, that since this breach of trust in God, there was a remissness on the part of David, in his communion with the Lord. Hence we read of no counsel being asked of God all the time he had been in Gath. Conscious of his ill conduct, he was shy at the heavenly court, and did not except perhaps in form, frequently go there. I do not say that this was really the case. But from the silence of the Holy Ghost upon the subject, after recording his faithlessness and fear, (1 Samuel 27:1.) I think it more than probable. How then is the Lord's servant to be brought back? What method in all the stores of grace will the Lord adopt to make him sensible of his sin? What so suited as affliction. Hence David could and did say, not only upon this, but perhaps many other occasions: Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy word. Psalms 119:67. Dearest Jesus! have I not found cause to adopt the same language? I desire the Reader to make one remark more with me upon the occasion of this distress of David and his men, in proof that the Lord's hand was in it; and that is, that the Lord over-ruled the minds of the Amalekites, so that they slew not any of the people, only took them captive. Had not the Lord restrained, surely it is more than probable, that they would have done by David as he did by them, as we are told in 1 Samuel 27:1, and have saved none alive.