The key to being generous (1 Sam 30:16-31)

In primary school, I had a classmate who had several brothers and sisters. Although not especially wealthy, she often brought extras to school for our meals to give away to those around her. Sometimes it was a bag of sweets, some chocolates or additional pieces of fruit. I think, by nature, she had a generous spirit, but I also suspect that growing up in a large family, she learnt the importance of sharing what she had with others. In our Western context where the emphasis is on individuals and their rights, we are more likely to protect what is ours than give it away. Yet the Bible encourages us to be generous, which depending on our background and temperament, may be harder for some. David’s story, as we continue our reading, gives us a key to what might aid us to cultivate generosity.

God’s faithfulness

With the providential help of the abandoned Egyptian slave (1 Sam 30:15), David comes on the Amalekites in good time. Although his band has already been reduced because of fatigue (only four hundred men continued the chase – 1 Sam 30:10), they catch the Amalekites at a vulnerable moment of celebrating victory (1 Sam 30:16). The element of surprise helps them even though they must be severely outnumbered (the note that all the Amalekites were struck down except four hundred who escaped suggests a much higher original force; 1 Sam 30:17). God is demonstrating His providential care through the circumstances, just as He had promised (1 Sam 30:8), so that all the families and their possessions are recovered (1 Sam 30:18-19).

Dispute and resolution

The greed of some fighting men who persevered to the end, however, prompts them to insist on not sharing the spoil with those who were too exhausted to follow (1 Sam 30:22). The narrator’s rare evaluative comment on these men as ‘wicked and worthless’ (v.22) underlines how serious their offence is and highlights the importance of generosity. David’s answer gives us the key to a generous spirit. He recognises that it was the Lord who kept them, delivered the Amalekites to them and who has given the spoil (1 Sam 30:23). In other words, he shifts the perspective from seeing the spoil as ‘ours’, something earned or fought for and achieved by one’s own efforts, to it being a gift of God. It is this that enables him to decide in favour of generosity expressed in the sharing of spoil between the fighting men and the background support group, a principle that was to become law in later Israel (1 Sam 30:24-25). David also leads by personal example by sending gifts to the various settlements in Judah who supported him and his men (1 Sam 30:26-31) and the note earlier about his spoil (1 Sam 30:20) suggests that he does so from his own supply.

Cultivating generosity

While some may possess a generous disposition by nature, we can all learn to be like that when we consciously remember that all we have comes from the Lord (1 Chron 29:14). Although our efforts are part of the process of acquiring what we possess, our health, strength and abilities all come from God’s provision, so that in the end, we are dependent on Him for everything. As Christians, we are also reminded that God is merciful and open-handed to all His creation, the good and evil alike, something we are encouraged to emulate (Matt 5:45; Luke 6:35-36). Finally, more than anything, God’s offer of salvation despite our sin and rebellion shows Him as non-vindictive and generous beyond measure. May our hearts be so filled with thankfulness for His amazing grace that we open our hands and hearts to others.

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