David lives among the Philistines

1 Samuel Chapter 27

David kept thinking to himself that someday Saul would get him and so the best thing to do would be to escape to the Philistines. He figured Saul would stop hunting for him then, and he would finally be safe.

So David took his six hundred men and their families and went to live at Gath under the protection of King Achish. David brought his two wives along with him - Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel (Nabal's widow). Word soon reached Saul that David fled to Gath, so he stopped hunting him.

One day David told Achish that he and his men would rather live in one of the county towns instead of the royal city. SO Achish gave him the town of Ziklag and they lived there among the Philistines for a year and four months. During which time, David and his men spent their time raiding the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites, who lived near Shur on the road to Egypt. David didn't leave one single person alive in the villages he attacked and he took all the livestock and clothing before returning home to see King Achish.

When King Achish asked David where he raided, David would reply, "Against the south of Judah, the Jerahmeelites and the Kenites." But no one was alive to come to Gath and tell where he had really been. This happened again and again and Achish believed David and thought to himself, "By now the people of Israel must hate him bitterly. Now he will have to stay here and serve me forever."

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: Saul stopped pursing David because his army was not strong enough to invade the Philistine territory and because the threat to his throne was gone with David out of the country.

The city of Gath was one of five cities in Phistia and Achish was one of five rulers, so David may have wanted to avoid skirmishes upon his family and escape scrutiny of the Philistine officials, so he moved to the countryside.

Why did David conduct guerrilla-style raids on the three tribes? Because these same tribes were known for their surprise attacks and cruel treatment of innocent people. And David lied to King Achish about his activities, but probably felt justified with his own war on pagan enemies. He knew one day he would be king of Israel and hiding among the Philistines was a good place to hide from Saul.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? The stories of blood and gore are prevalent throughout the Old Testament. Yet we must step away and look at the big picture from God's view. He had reasons for everything he did and does today. Sometimes it is not always possible for us to see those reasons. But the reasons are still there, nevertheless. Would David have gone to battle against Saul? We don't know. But we know his loyalty was to God, not any human king. Can you do a loyalty check on yourself today? Could you put yourself and your family through hardships and remain loyal to your God? We all like to think we can. Pray for God to keep you faithful like David.

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Gabe, Wanda, Janice Long’s parents, and Arlene’s nephew David. Update on Lori: she sheds her back brace soon and can drive. She thanks God for healing her. Please continue to pray for her during recovery. Pray for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life. Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, is now able to speak and is working on rehab for paralysis. Pray for Robert Sargent with lung cancer and Marthaline Sargent with serious health issues. Update on Stella: A photo of her shows a chubby, alert baby who is breathing on her own. Her eyesight problems seem to be no longer a problem. But she must learn to eat and drink normally. She continues to have a long road, so prayers are still needed. Update on Mark: He has some paralysis on one side from the stroke, his eyesight has been impaired too. But he has gone home and his wife cares for him. Soon he will begin therapy. Continue to pray for his healing. Pray also for my aged friend Elaine who underwent surgery and is home healing slowly. Update on Craig: he ended up having a stent put in and is back to work. Keep him and his family on your list for prayers. Pray for Carolyn’s friend Margaret and her husband who were in a car accident. As elderly drivers they may face a life change which may cost them their independence. Let’s all raise our voices to God to hear our prayers.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, those who need jobs, those who are about to lose or have lost their homes. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.