Whose are You?

“And David said to him, Whose are you? And where do you come from? And he said, I am an Egyptian youth, servant to an Amalekite. And my master left me because three days ago I fell sick.” (1Samuel 30:13)

Some background on this verse. When David and his men came back to Ziklag after the Palestinians refused him and his men because they were afraid David would turn on them, they found that the Amalekites had burned it down and had captured all their families, wives and children.(1Samuel 30:1-5) David inquired of the Lord who told him he would recover all.(1Samuel 30:8-10) On their pursuit, they found an Egyptian who hadn’t eaten anything nor had he drunk anything for three days. And that is when David posed the question, “Whose are you?” (1Samuel 30:11-13)

When we meet someone, even a stranger in a field like David and his men found this Egyptian, we may ask, “Who are you?” But it was plain to them that this was a slave. He was not an Israelite, not a Philistinian and not an Amalekite. The Egyptian was probably wearing Egyptian clothing which was out of place in that area. This indicated that most likely he was a slave. And David doesn’t mince words, “Whose are you?”

As children of God, it’s not uncommon for people to see that there is something different about us. It’s not just that we don’t participate in sinful speech, nor play office politics or party with everyone after work. There is something tangible that is evident to them that we are different. They perceive it. And it’s the Holy Spirit in us. It’s the light in us even though it’s not visible. If they were spiritually aware of the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness, they could very well ask, “Whose are you?” But they don’t know to ask that question. They may ask, “What is different about you?” We don’t belong to the kingdom of this world. Our home is another kingdom, the kingdom of our God. We are foreigners here on earth. Jesus prayed, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (John 17:16) And Paul wrote to the Philippians, “For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which also we are looking for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” (Philippians 3:20). “Whose are you?” We belong to Jesus. We are out of place here on earth, much like the Egyptian was out of place in that area of the Philistines and Amalekites.

Another point of importance is the different behavior of the Amalekites to a slave and David’s and his men’s behavior toward an obvious slave. The cruelty of the Amalekites and lack of compassion and mercy abandoned a slave who was sick. While David and his men gave the slave food and drink even though he was a slave. (1Samuel 30: 11-14) It was the undoing of the Amalekites and the good for David. The maltreatment of the slave turned against Amalekites. And the good treatment of the slave by David and his men rewarded them with the information they needed to recover what the Amalekites had taken. The slave was able to tell David where the Amalekite company was, and David was able to “recover all.” (1Samuel 30:15-19) “He who has pity upon the poor lends to Jehovah, and He will reward his dealing to him.” (Proverbs 19:17) David and his men were rewarded for helping this slave. “...and if you draw out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall your light rise in darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday.” (Isaiah 58:10) David and his men didn’t do it for the reward and blessing. Their hearts were compassionate toward a needy individual. In the midst of their misery at the loss of their families they had compassion and God rewarded them and blessed them for their good deed. Anyone who is a child of God and born again of God has the compassionate heart of God. In the midst of our most heartbreaking times, we can still have compassion for another. And in doing that we can find the reward and blessing we need.  

In essence, we are not like the world because we are not of the world. “Whose are you?” We belong to the Lord and as such do not act like the world. The world’s kingdom and the Lord’s kingdom are complete opposites. We have the nature of God and the heart of God. The Lord is compassionate, and His people are also compassionate.