1 Samuel

1 Samuel 27:1

David's inner thoughts turn against him.  They steer him toward discouragement and away from trusting the Lord.  He looks for a way out of this uncomfortable situation.  The solution of his heart is to leave Israel, the promised land, and go to Israel's idol worshiping enemy.  While this probably seemed like a logical conclusion 'in his heart' it probably sounded drastically different to his 600 men.  When we take the thoughts of our heart to God and speak them before Him, they often look and sound vastly different.  The light of God has a way of purifying our thought process.

Saul couldn't have driven David to the Philistines.  Had he asked or demanded David to leave Israel there is no way he would have complied.  Yet, here is David, discouraged and voluntarily doing this thing.  Our hearts, feelings and emotions can quickly lead us astray.

1 Samuel 27:2-7

This discouragement didn't just affect David but all those around him; six hundred men and their families followed David to a godless land to be servants of their enemies.  David once stood before the Philistines and scolded them for defying the armies of Israel and the Lord.  He once proclaimed God would fight the battle when he faced Goliath.  Now David serves the Philistines voluntarily as he feels Saul has defeated him.   When Saul finds out David has fled he stops pursuing him.  David was living in compromise and Saul no longer felt threatened by him. 

David wasn't just hiding out there for a while.  They were settling in.  David sought favor in the eyes of the Philistine leader; I wonder if David winced when those words came out of his mouth.  David wanted a base of operations.  Its almost as if David knew this was wrong and wanted some distance between them and himself. 

1 Samuel 27:8-12

From this base of operations David attacked the Geshurites, Gerzites and Amalekites.  These were not his own people but the enemies of the land that Israel never completely drove out.  David was careful to not leave any witnesses that could report to Achish; so when asked David gave a false report telling Achish that he attacked Israel.  This lie was to gain favor with Achish, to establish a trust.  David furthers his compromise by now telling lies to pacify his new master.  Achish bought the lies and believed David was now his faithful servant and an established enemy of Israel.

©2015 Doug Ford