Good morning,
David is on the run from King Saul. He decides to go over to the Philistines. We will look at what David did, his covert actions, and an incident that is eerily similar to an event happening today.
David lives among the Philistines (1 Samuel 27:1-4)
And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.2 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.
Achish gives David Ziklag (1 Samuel 27:5-7)
5 And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.7 And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.
David fights against the Philistines secretly (1 Samuel 27:8)
8 And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.9 And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.
David’s answers Achish’s question covertly (1 Samuel 27:9-12)
10 And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.12 And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.
27:12 “David pretended allegiance to Achish while fighting the enemies of Judah. The time spent in Ziklag would give him valuable military and diplomatic experience for the time when he would become king. It would also increase the numbers of his forces (cf. 1 Chr. 12:1-7) (Liberty Annotated Study Bible, 1988, Liberty University, pg. 501)
Philistines distrust David (1 Samuel 29:1-5)
Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.3 Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day?4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
The Amalekites take Ziklag (1 Samuel 30:1-5)
And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.5 And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
David consults God (1 Samuel 30:6-8)
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.8 And David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
David goes – Leaves 200 to faint to pursue (1 Samuel 30:9-10)
9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
Egyptian intel (1 Samuel 30:11-16)
11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.13 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.14 We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire. 15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
David smotes the Amalekites (1 Samuel 30:17-20)
17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled. And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil.
Spoils shared with the faint (1 Samuel 30:21-24)
21 And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.22 Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.23 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.24 For who will hearken 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. 25 And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
David gives gifts to his supporters (1 Samuel 30:26-31)
And when David came to Ziklag, he sent of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, Behold a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the Lord;27 To them which were in Bethel, and to them which were in south Ramoth, and to them which were in Jattir,28 And to them which were in Aroer, and to them which were in Siphmoth, and to them which were in Eshtemoa,29 And to them which were in Rachal, and to them which were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to them which were in the cities of the Kenites,30 And to them which were in Hormah, and to them which were in Chorashan, and to them which were in Athach, 31 And to them which were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.
30:26-31 “David’s sharing the spoils of the victory over the Amalekites not only assured them of his gratitude for their friendship and help during his days of flight from the presence of Saul, but would convince his allies of his loyalty, despite the time spent with Achish. Moreover, it would prepare their hearts for his soon-coming kingship. Hebron, mentioned last, stands in climactic position in the list, for David would make it his first capital city (cf. 2 Sam. 2:1-7) (Liberty Annotated Study Bible, 1988, Liberty University, pg. 505)
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com
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