Thoughts on David’s “Six Hundred Men” and Being “More Than Conquerors through Him Who Loved Us”

—some thoughts by Pastor Charles P. Schmitt

When Dotty was ministering some weeks ago on “More Than Conquerors” from 1 Samuel 30 (on how David took back the spoils of Ziklag from the enemy’s camp), I was impressed with something I had not previously seen about David’s “six hundred men.” In my book on David, A Heart for God, I described these “six hundred men” in these words: “It appears as if David’s ragtag band of 400 men experienced a 50 percent growth rate that very first year! There were 600 men gathered around David at Keilah, an area close to Adullam, before the year was out. The band just continued to multiply… ‘until he had a great army, like the army of God.’”

In all my studies on David, however, I had not seen several details about these “six hundred” men who were on their way to becoming that “great army, like the army of God.” Let me share these details with you.

Six hundred men left Keilah, near Adullam in southern Judah, going with David as his might men (1 Samuel 23:13). In 1 Samuel 27:2, these “six hundred men” went with David into Philistine territory, where they settled in Ziklag (vs. 6–7). And it was this Ziklag that was then invaded by the Amalekites and burned to the ground while David and his men were away.

David and his “six hundred men” then pursued the Amalekites and, going down to the enemy’s camp, took back what he stole from them. And this becomes, as Dotty pointed out to us, a picture of those who are “more than conquerors through Him who loved us,” those who take the spoils right from the enemy’s camp!

The two things about the “six hundred men,” that I had not seen before, however, actually took me back a bit as we looked into the Scriptures that Sunday.

First of all, in the aftermath of the initial devastation caused by the Amalakites, “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his [captured] sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). I guess there are times in every one of our lives when those we had so hoped would stand with us in an hour of crisis, for whatever reason, do not. They actually oppose us and they are even intent on overthrowing us, and we are shut up to finding our strength in God alone! (“O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! … But You are a shield around me, O LORD; You bestow glory on me and lift up my head,” Psalm 3.) Thus, in this kind of ordeal, we can also become “more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

And then later on there is an unexpected statement in 1 Samuel 30:22 concerning “all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers.” I remembered the more severe King James Version translation of this passage: “all the wicked men and men of Belial among David’s followers. Men of Belial is an accurate translation of the Hebrew words used here. In 2 Corinthians 6:15, Paul declares “Belial” to be in opposition to Christ. And this spirit of opposing Christ was found “among David’s followers”! This spirit of opposition to David and his anointing from God was found among some in that very band of 600 men who had the high calling on them to become “the army of God”! Unfortunately, by their opposition to David, they were disqualified. (“O Lord, You are my refuge; never let me be disgraced….Be to me a protecting rock of safety, where I am always welcome….You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again … for everyone who tried to hurt me has been shamed and humiliated,” Psalm 71.)

I know these were extremely difficult days for David, to be “harassed at every turn,” with conflicts from the outside and from within as well (2 Corinthians 7:5). But David encouraged and strengthened himself continually in the Lord.

Though some whom David had confidence in, with bitterness of spirit, spoke of stoning him, and though David was then pained to uncover among others of his followers those who were “men of Belial,” “evil men and troublemakers”—in the face of all of this David became “more than conqueror through Him who loved us,” by being cast upon the Lord alone! (“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to You for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of Your wings until this violent storm is past. I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill His purpose for me. He will send help from heaven to save me, rescuing me from those who are out to get me. My God will send forth His unfailing love and faithfulness….Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May Your glory shine over all the earth,” Psalm 57.)

And so, the challenge comes to us, first of all, to examine our own hearts in the presence of the Lord, lest we should miss out in God’s great calling over our lives to become “the very army of God” in this momentous generation. And, secondly, where we are caused to suffer at the hands of others, to know that our confidence will never be disappointed as we strengthen ourselves in our unfailing God! For in all things we are “more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (“You give great victories to Your king, You show unfailing love to Your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever,” Psalm 18.) Amen!