An Equal Share

​1 Samuel 30:23-25 ~ “But David said, ‘You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.’ And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.”
 
Have you labored hard for the Master and worked His fields through the strong efforts of your tested endurance? Perhaps you have seen the spiritual battle up close and fought on behalf of our King of kings through long days of difficulty. Or, perhaps, you were not selected for such assignments from our LORD and you see those who have gone to great lengths for the sake of the gospel and wonder if your work is of any interest to King Jesus. Maybe some have returned from great missional quests with an air of superiority. 1 Samuel 30:27 illuminates such persons, “Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, ‘Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.’” I want you to know, beloved, that the LORD does not look upon our labors as man does. God has assigned each his portion and his tasks and our King is glorified and satisfied when we serve Him.
 
In our text today, I would have you read all of 1 Samuel 30. The Amalekites had taken captive all the women from David’s contingent. David and his fighting men went after the raiders, leaving behind 200 men to guard the camp and the provisions left behind. After David’s victory, they returned with all their wives, and rejoined the 200. Yet, those who fought with David viewed their efforts with greater glory than those who remained at the encampment. But David would have none of it, establishing the precedent that all who were with him would enjoy the same victory and receive the same reward.
 
And this is the point I want to make for you today. The LORD leads out His church on a rescue mission to recover those who are held captive in sin. He goes forth as the King of kings, leading His host into the spiritual battle that lay before us. What we must never do is begin the process of making comparisons of one person’s task over another’s. Consider the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:13, “But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you.” Not one person who belongs to the LORD Jesus can have any boasting over another, for we are all assigned to the duties and responsibilities that the King has commanded. There are some who take to the streets with the gospel of Christ, spreading His message of salvation to all who will listen. There are others who, unable to go to the streets, remains at the encampment of the church and offers prayers and support as they are able. All are sharers in the work, and all will be sharers in the rewards. We find this sentiment in David as we consider our text today, “For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage.”
 
Jesus gives us a parable to illuminate this. If you have a moment, read Matthew 20:1-16. We find the telling statement in Matthew 20:14, “Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.” It is the determination of the King of kings to give as He has purposed. All who belong to Christ are inheritors of the kingdom. In Luke 22:29 Jesus says, “and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom.” We must not set it in our hearts that there is a greater or lesser service for the LORD. Dear ones, if you are assigned a task to perform by the King, take it as a great and high honor to be chosen by Him to fulfill a task. Let us do as Jesus speaks in John 4:36 and rejoice together, “Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.” In so doing, we will discover that we shall take no selfish pride in our work, nor shall we be ashamed of our tasks. But each will receive His commendation from God and we shall rejoice in the victory of Christ together.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael 

---