I Samuel 27: In Hiding

Posted on by byrdmanbloggeth

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:

  1. 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
  2. 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.

I Samuel 26: Cat & Mouse?

Posted on by byrdmanbloggeth

Another profound chapter in the midst of a profound book, I Samuel 26 has us watching David and Saul playing cat and mouse once again. But which is which? Saul pursues David, but despite this David always comes away with the upper hand. Who is chasing whom?

Saul is told of David’s whereabouts and seeks to track him down. Ultimately, David has the chance to take Saul’s life for a second time, but he relents. David again has to restrain a fellow soldier in Abishai, who desires greatly to kill Saul as he sleeps. Later, they will converse across a great distance, David speaking from the top of a hill.

In the big picture, David knew that it is not up to him to decide when Saul should be removed as King. This was of course up to God to determine. These events flow according to the pattern His will, under which nothing happens that He does not allow.

At this point, we can ask ourselves, to what extent do we behave like David and let events take their course, behaving righteously? Or do we sometimes take matters into our own hands when they are not ours to take? Naturally there are times when intervention is needed, and in these situations, we must not hesitate. But David knew that in this situation, and in the cave of chapter 24, it was not appropriate to act. How do we know the difference? How did David know the difference?

The answer is that David was close to God in thought, prayer, and action. Because of his closeness to God, his faith was great. Because his faith was great, he was better attuned to the right course of action, being sensitive to what was most appropriate and what was right or wrong. We can of course experience the same thing today, and we should strive for it every morning.

Notice that Saul, when speaking with David in verse 17, refers to him as “my son.” What does this say about Saul, when we consider the totality of his actions? Is this endearment sincere?  

David, understanding how impressionably weak Saul is, appeals to Saul asking him if he is following the directive of God or of men when he decides to pursue David. It must have been surprising to David to find that Saul had pursued him yet again (with three thousand men). Surprising or not, David understands the foolishness in Saul’s pursuing him. He seems to have an understanding that Saul is motivated by jealousy and the chiding words of men close to him. He says openly to Saul in verse 20 that he is not worth Saul’s time: “So now, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord. For the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

This statement is not based on the character of the two men, but rather on the fact that one has been chosen as king and the other, his subject. Now of course David knows, having already been anointed king by Samuel in chapter 16, that he would likely replace Saul. But until that time, David remains in full respect of God’s will and the natural flow of events as he sees them dictated by God.

Verses 23 and 24 encapsulate the highly righteous attitude of David. Who else but God’s true anointed could see events and capture them in speech so perfectly?

“May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.” I Samuel 26:23-24

Based off of these verses, here is what David knows:

  • Man is repaid for his righteousness and faithfulness
  • God rewards mercy
  • To request mercy is not foolish
  • The true giver of mercy is Almighty God

Saul’s meager rejoinder betrays a shallow heart and lips that want to please. It is difficult not to see Saul as a hollow man because that is exactly what he appears to be based on his words and actions. Saul was a long way from the condition Paul expounds on in Ephesians 4 as he addresses kingdom unity, for Saul was “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind…” Saul was not swayed by doctrine however, but by the persuasive words of evil cohorts.

Saul is a great case study of how not to act, how not to think, and who not to listen to. When we seek God as our primary source of truth and excellence, we ourselves put on the attributes of truth and excellence, much like the armor of God of Ephesians 6.

This would be the last meeting between Saul and David.

I Samuel 25: Nobody’s Perfect

Posted on by byrdmanbloggeth

At the beginning of this chapter, we learn that Samuel has died. He was given a proper sendoff and David flees to the wilderness of Paran.

The remainder of this chapter deals with David’s dealings with Nabal and Abigail. Nabal was harsh and evil. The word Nabal means “fool.” Abigail was of wisdom and beauty. A contrasting couple, to be sure.  

While David was hiding in the wilderness from Saul, he and his men had worked hard to protect Nabal and his thousands of sheep. Nabal would have needed this protection as he lived in the wilderness and was vulnerable to thieves. David also implies that he and his men could have taken advantage of Nabal while they were in the surrounding wilderness. David sends his men to Nabal to request a form of payment for this protection. As Nabal was shearing his many sheep, he would have had a lot of money on hand.

Nabal resists payment, citing that he does not know where these men are from. Plus, he has to feed his own men. David meets this response with the act of taking four hundred men with him, ready for battle, presumably to take what he feels he and his men are owed and to decimate Nabal’s household. At this, we may see into a fault of David. Why does he need to answer Nabal’s rebuke with violence? Was his pride hurt? Did he feel that he and his men deserved the money and that it was worth fighting for? David says as much in verses 21-22: ““Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good. May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light.”

One of the young men that work for Nabal goes to Abigail and tell her of the situation, mentioning also how well David and his men protected Nabal’s sheep during their time in the wilderness. Immediately Abigail collects an appropriate amount of goods for payment to David and his men and goes to intercept David before he can bring violence to Nabal and the family. Abigail is showing shrewd wisdom and dedication to protecting her own, and she does so without the knowledge of her wicked husband.

But God’s grace comes in many forms. In this chapter, Abigail is the instrument, and also one of the beneficiaries of His grace. David is softened by Abigail’s entreaty and gift and does not pursue killing the house of Nabal.  After this event, things go very well for David and his men. Abigail tells Nabal of how she interceded to protect the family, and Nabal dies about ten days later. David wholly ascribes Nabal’s death to God’s intervention: “Blessed be the Lord, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil! For the Lord has returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head.”

David then marries Abigail and likely takes ownership of all of Nabal’s former wealth. This lengthy chapter is a brief interlude into the story of David, and it teaches us a few things:

  1. David’s judgment is fallible
  2. The grace of God benefits the righteous
  3. God can protect us from our own weaknesses

These are the primary lessons, although there are more. The underlying lesson for each one of us today is to witness David’s consistent dedication to God and to living righteously. David’s misstep in this chapter show us God’s longsuffering mercy towards those that love, serve, and fear him. This gives us confidence to love and serve God and not to fear for the loss of His providence and blessings when we make mistakes. We are only human after all. We all have sinned and will continue to sin, not willfully, but our place in the flesh leaves us vulnerable to temptation. If David can sin (and this instance is not his worst), and still remain in God’s graces, surely, we can and will too. God’s grace can, but also often will not, remove the real-life consequences of sin that follow misdeeds.

The secret to spiritual balance is knowing that we will not be perfect, accepting it, and continuing to work harder than ever to please God in every situation we are in. When we make mistakes, we need to take our lumps, move on, and redouble our efforts to please God again, ashamed that we have let Him down, but also knowing that He understands and accepts our spirits of repentance, our fear, and our worship.