SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE

PROCLAMATION

“Then said David, ‘Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which The Lord hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.  For who will harken unto you in this matter?  But as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff; they shall part alike.’ ”  1 Samuel 30:23-24 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God after the death of the prophet Samuel by Nathan the prophet and Gad the seer.  After being sent home from the battle with Israel, David and his men returned to Ziklag to find that the town had been raided and burned.  Additionally, all of their women and children had been taken captive by the Amalekites. (1 Samuel 30:1-3)  The men wept and then became very distressed with David.  Then David inquired of The Lord if should he pursue the Amalekites and The Lord told him to pursue them. (1 Samuel 30:4-8)  David found a sick Egyptian slave whom the Amalekites had left behind to die.  They fed him and nourished him back to health and he led them to the Amalekites.  Then David attacked and defeated them, except for four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled. (1 Samuel 30:9-17)  David recovered everything that the Amalekites had taken and he brought everything back.  Some of his men did not want to share the plunder with the two hundred men who had been left behind.  However, David insisted that all of them share alike. (1 Samuel 30:20-25)  David also sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, and additionally he sent some to all of the towns where he and his men had stayed when they roamed about. (1 Samuel 30:26-31)

 

APPLICATION

Those who fought and those who stayed behind to guard the possessions will share equally in the spoils of victory.  Everybody on the team will share in the rewards of the championship, those who played in the game and those on the bench and the practice squad.  Everybody on the team gets the same championship ring.  The Good Lord blessed the team with the victory and it is a team victory.  Everybody on the team played a part in the preparation for the game, even if they did not play in the game itself.  The victory belongs to all, so share and share alike.