Finally, according to verses 26 through 31, David sent presents from his spoil to his friends and the friends of his men in many cities.
I wish to say once again that we need to relate everything in these chapters to God's economy. All the small things in this record show that God was working in a detailed way to carry out His economy. God exercised His sovereignty to rescue David from his dilemma. God did this not only for David's sake but also for the sake of His economy. God preserved David, keeping him in His hands, for the accomplishment of His economy. In Matthew 1:1 Jesus Christ is called the son of David. This indicates that David was very much related to God's becoming a man named Jesus and to fulfill what had been determined in eternity past. Without David there would not have been the genealogy through which Christ as God became a man to be one with mankind. If David had been destroyed, the genealogy of Christ would have been terminated, and God would not have had a way to carry out His economy.
At this point it would be helpful to compare the situations of David and Saul toward the end of 1 Samuel. By fighting the Amalekites David gained many rich spoils. While he was becoming rich, Saul was being defeated. David was flourishing, but Saul was diminishing, even to death. If Saul had had the proper view regarding the kingdom of God, he would have realized that David, a skilled and vigorous fighter, could have been of great help to him in defeating the Philistines for the building up of the kingdom of God. But due to his selfishness Saul lost this provision and even persecuted David and forced him to flee. However, under God's sovereignty this persecuted one became flourishing and was established in the good land to enjoy God's portion. David's situation became brighter and brighter, whereas Saul's situation became darker and darker until, with his sons, he died a tragic death.
Saul's tragic ending should warn us not to play with God. We should not try to build up any kind of monarchy. We are all here to build up the kingdom, the Body of Christ. In the Lord's recovery we do not have many pieces of work. No matter where we may be, we have only one work. We should not be today's Saul, considering only the work in our region and trying to build up a monarchy for ourselves.
We all, especially our co-workers, should realize that we are not involved in a small work. David probably never realized that his history was fully related to God's becoming a man to join Himself to mankind and to live on earth to accomplish His eternal will. Nevertheless, David was related to the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1, and what we are doing today is related to the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 and 22. Therefore, we must have the confidence that we are of God, that we are under His sovereignty, and that we are doing one unique work—the work in His recovery to carry out His economy, which will consummate in the New Jerusalem.