After David’s second “reconciliation” with Saul, David fled with his 600 fighting men to the land of the Philistines. David chose this place, called Gath, because he knew that Saul would not pursue him there. While there, David met with Achish, the king of Gath. This is unlikely to be the same Achish as from I Samuel 21, due to the mention of this Achish being the son of Maoch.
Now the Philistines were profane idol-worshippers, and David did not want to stay in the royal city. As a way of seeking a place to stay away from the main population, David said to Achish in verse 5: “If I have now found favor in your eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?”
Achish sent David to Ziklag and made him to rule over it. Ziklag had originally been part of the the tribe of Judah, but from the context of this chapter, we can assume that the people of Ziklag no longer worshipped God but were now idol-worshippers, having been assimilated into Philistine culture.
Verses 8-10 tell about how David led raids against surrounding territories. David used his position for two purposes:
- Deceptively convince Achish that he was raiding the surrounding territories in the interest of the Philistines. This assured that David would continue to reside in Philistia
- Actively seek and destroy people and territories that were against the kingdom of Israel
David used his position to both fortify his nation and to ensure his continued personal protection until the time was right for him to return to Israel proper. Did he do it honestly? No. As great a man of faith in action as David was, he was far from perfect.
Let’s review some questions that will help reveal the true motives behind David’s actions in I Samuel 27.
Q: Did David seek to sin for his own personal gain?
A: No. He lied to assure his continued protection and to kill enemies of Israel.
Q: What was David’s motive based on his actions?
A: To protect His nation.
Q: Were David’s actions the actions of a king? How so or why not?
A: David’s fleeing was not kingly, but it was necessary given the fact that he still respected Saul as the king that God appointed over Israel. David’s actions were kingly in that even when he was weak, he still found a way to fortify the protection of the nation that he knew he would one day lead.
Q: If you were David, what would you do in this situation?
David, like us, was far from perfect. But it is hard for us to look at his actions in this chapter and accuse him of having bad intentions or a weak or selfish heart. Even though David lied, he did so at the benefit of his nation and for his own protection. This is not an endorsement to say that sometimes it is okay to lie, but sometimes we must have the ability to recognize that life can be so complex as to usher in the necessity for solutions that are neither black nor white.
Monday Night Bible Study 