I Samuel 29:1-11
Good morning! We’re coming to the end of our series about
David. Including today, there are four
more messages to go. Where are we now and
where will we be going today?
Two weeks ago, we
studied through I Samuel 27. That
chapter opened with this unfortunate analysis …
But David thought to himself, “One of these days I
will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to
the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere
in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.” –I Samuel 27:1
It is unfortunate
because there is no evidence that David has come to this conclusion by
consulting the Lord. He didn’t seek God
to see if this was the right direction.
Instead, he has grown weary of running from Saul. His solution is to go where Saul is not
likely to go … among the Philistines, the enemies of God’s people. David was right. Saul did not pursue him anymore once he lived
among the Philistines. However, it
brought about other problems in David’s life.
For a short time,
David lives in the Philistine city of Gath.
David then asks for a place in the country likely because it was
uncomfortable for him, his family, and his followers as God’s people to live in
one of the royal cities of the idol-worshipping Philistines.
David then works out
a ruse that he will fight against the enemies of Israel but lie to Achish the
Philistine king of Gath. He tells Achish
that rather than fighting the Amelekites or Geshurites or others, he has been
fighting against his own people.
Achish trusted David and said to himself, “He has
become so obnoxious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant for
life.” –I Samuel 27:12
This situation
apparently was David’s steady state operation for a year or more. It seems likely that it was a tenuous
uncomfortable situation for David, but it allowed David walk a narrow path of
deceiving a friendly enemy without betraying his own people. But this situation would not last
indefinitely. I Samuel 28 opens up with
the Philistines gathering their forces to fight against Israel.
Achish said to David, “You must understand that you
and your men will accompany me in the army.”
David said, “Then you will see for yourself what your
servant can do.”
Achish replied, “Very well, I will make you my
bodyguard for life.” –I Samuel 28:1-2
Gulp! What now?
David has been drafted into the Philistine army. He gives a nice ambiguous response neither
committing himself to support Achish or oppose Israel.
Let’s take a moment
and pray before we get into today’s passage in I Samuel 29.
Lord God, it is so
easy for us to get ourselves into trouble when we don’t seek You. Help us to see what we individually need to
see and learn as we go through this passage together. I pray that You would speak to each one
here. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Verse one I chapter
29 says,
The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek,
and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel. –I Samuel 29:1
Let’s look at few
images about the area. First off, the picture shows the Jezreel valley. Jezreel means “God will sow.” It is a fertile
area. Even today, it is regarded as
Israel’s breadbasket growing many different crops and even includes commercial
fish ponds.
The next image shows
a couple of maps. From the map on the
left, you get the idea of how far the Philistines have penetrated into
Israelite territory. Nearly all of our
action through this series has happened in the southern part of that map, in
Benjamin, Judah, and the land of the Philistines. We don’t get a clear idea why exactly they
chose to come to Jezreel. Perhaps they
have come here to raid this prosperous region.
Then, on the upper
right, you see a topographical view. In
large part, Israel is a dry and mountainous land. One article I saw said that less than 18% of
the land is useable for agriculture.
This valley is the largest and one of the best watered of those areas in
the land.
The Jezreel Valley
is surrounded by significant mountain peaks.
On the north side there are the Nazareth Mountains and Mount Tabor. On the east and south are Mount Gilboa and
the mountains of Samaria. On the west end
is Mount Carmel. All of these are
significant Biblical landmarks.
Ancient caravans bringing
merchandise and innovations from far-off cultures as well as the armies of antiquity
passed through this valley. As a result,
there are famous ruins and excavations in more than twenty cities like Tel
Megiddo, Tel Jezreel and other sites.
The last picture in
the lower right is the spring at Jezreel.
It’s still there, and it is a spring.
It’s hard to see, but on the back left of the pool, there is small rock
lined water course where the spring flows out.
From this site Mount Gilboa can be seen.
Mount Gilboa is the site of Saul’s final battle with the Philistines.
As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of
hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear with
Achish. –I Samuel 29:2
David indeed is
marching with Achish. David must be
tormented. Even if he is a wanted man,
hunted by King Saul of Israel, there is nothing that has given us any inkling
that he would want to fight against the armies of Israel. He has repeatedly refused to harm Saul. He has taken a covenant not to do harm to
Jonathan. He is the anointed future king
of Israel. How could he possibly become
king after being in a battle against his own people?
Achish on the other
hand seems to be an interesting character.
If you remember, David had fled to him first after his life was in
danger from Saul. But then after
Achish’s servants recognized him, David pretended to be crazy, doing the whole
foaming at the mouth thing.
Achish seems to be a
Bingley sort of person. If you’re not
familiar with the Jane Austen novel Pride
and Prejudice, I simply mean that Achish sees the best in others or at
least he doesn’t see any danger to himself in those around him.
Achish also has a
reputation of something like compassion.
For one thing, he didn’t have David killed, but released him back when
he pretended to be crazy. Then, David
has returned to Achish again in his flight from Saul. Even much later, at the end of David’s reign
as king, some slaves run away from a man named Shimei, and they flee to Achish
at Gath. Achish is trusting of others,
and certainly more trusting than his servants, and as we will see, than his
fellow commanders.
The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about
these Hebrews?”
Achish replied, “Is this not David, who was an officer
of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year, and from
the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.” –I Samuel 29:3
David’s tactic to
deceive Achish had been completely successful.
Achish sees no danger in David. In
I Samuel 27, it mentions that David remained in the land of the Philistines for
a year and four months. We have to be
closing in on that amount of time.
Why did the
commanders of the Philistines even take notice of David and the Hebrews? I didn’t find an exact count of the
Philistine armies, but Saul was able to field an Israelite army of 200-300
thousand soldiers for major battles. Assuming
the Philistines might have a similar sized army, David’s troop of 600 would
have seemed small among so great a number.
The Philistine
commanders recognize what David perhaps does not. “We are not on the same side.” They worship a different God. They are our enemies.
But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish
and said, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him.
He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the
fighting. How better could he regain his master's favor than by taking the
heads of our own men? Isn't this the
David they sang about in their dances: ‘Saul
has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” –I Samuel 29:4-5
The fears of the
Philistine commanders are not unfounded.
I Samuel 14:21 explains that about twenty years earlier when Jonathan
had started the rout of the Philistines that the Israelites who had gone over
to the Philistines had turned against them in the middle of the battle. If it happened before, then surely, it could
happen again.
It’s interesting too
that David’s hit song is still on the lips of the Philistines. David’s faith-filled victory over Goliath may
seem like a distant memory now that he’s on the run from Saul and even hiding
among the Philistines, but the Philistines still remember.
So Achish called David and said to him, "As
surely as the LORD lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to
have you serve with me in the army. From the day you came to me until today, I
have found no fault in you, but the rulers don't approve of you. Now turn back and go in peace; do nothing to
displease the Philistine rulers." –I Samuel 29:6-7
Achish addresses David
in a startling way. He swears by the God
of Israel. This is an incredible gesture
of humility and it certainly proves Achish’s sincerity toward David.
You have to wonder
how these words must have sounded to David.
There must have been a jumble of emotions. There has to be some feeling of esteem. If a king complements you, you would probably
feel honored. He would feel some sense
of rejection since the other rulers didn’t approve of him. Of course, there must be a big sense of
relief that he was released from his dilemma of fighting for or against Israel.
This jumble of
emotions exemplifies David’s situation.
He doesn’t have a home. He
couldn’t be happy or at peace in Israel, so he fled to Philistia. This same sort of thing happened to Naomi and
her family at the beginning of the book of Ruth. They fled Israel because of a famine to live
among the Moabites. However, things did
not get any better for them, and in fact got even worse. Upon her return to Israel, Naomi observed
that she had gone away full but come back empty. I imagine that David is coming to this point
as well. He fled because he could not
find peace, but now apart from God he has less peace than ever.
The last phrase is
the most jarring. Achish says, “Don’t do
anything to displease the Philistine rulers.” Author and pastor David Guzik expressed it
this way, “Is this the same David who fought Goliath? Could you imagine someone
coming to David before that battle, and saying, ‘Excuse me David, I don’t think
you should do that. You might displease the lords of the Philistines.’ What do
you think David’s response would be? He might say, ‘Of course I will displease
the lords of the Philistines. I want to displease the lords of the Philistines.
I can’t wait to displease the lords of the Philistines. Let me know if I ever
stop displeasing the lords of the Philistines.’ ”
Instead, how does
David respond to Achish?
“But what have
I done?” asked David. “What have you
found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can't I go
and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” –I Samuel 29:8
David could go
quietly. He could say, “As you wish …”
running off to Ziklag. Instead, he appears
genuinely disappointed. “Why can’t I go
and fight?” His language can still be
interpreted at ambiguous. Who does he
mean by “my lord the king?” Achish or Saul?
It sure sounds like he’s disappointed not to get to fight on the side of
the Philistines though. David’s
victories against the Philistines seem like a distant memory. David is in a compromised position. His behavior no longer seems to be one of
clear devotion to the Lord.
And yet, God has not
abandoned David. It is God’s providence
which has delivered David from having to make a choice between betraying Achish
or fighting his own people.
Achish answered, “I know that you have been as
pleasing in my eyes as an angel of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders
have said, ‘He must not go up with us into battle.’ Now get up early, along with your master's
servants who have come with you, and leave in the morning as soon as it is
light.” So David and his men got up
early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the
Philistines went up to Jezreel. –I Samuel 29:9-11
Achish’s answer to
David demonstrates that wise and good men gain respect wherever they go. As Romans 12:18 says, “as far as it depends
on you, live at peace with everyone.” Interestingly,
Achish speaks what is later given as a divine promise in Zechariah 12:8. “In that day … he that is feeble shall be as
David; and the house of David shall be … as the angel of the Lord before them.”
I want to share one
other passage which is connected to the events we’ve read about today. It comes from I Chronicles 12:19-20.
Some of the tribe of Manasseh defected to David when
he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines
because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, "It
will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.") When David went to Ziklag, these were the men
of Manasseh who defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad,
Elihu and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousand in Manasseh. They helped David against raiding bands, for
all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army. They helped David against raiding bands, for
all of them were brave warriors, and they were commanders in his army. Day after day men came to help David, until
he had a great army, like the army of God. –I Chronicles 12:19-22
This is such a
remarkable thing. Men of Israel, leaders
of Israel, continued to join David even themselves being regarded as
defectors. These men will no doubt be
crucial helps to David in the next chapter though we will not see them
mentioned by name. God’s provision for
David does not stop only with keeping David from great sin, God provides for
David by sending him needed help for the challenges which lie ahead.
As we have been
through this chapter, it would seem that God has made it clear to David that
He’s still there taking care of David. These
unlikely words and events should have been a wake-up call to David to draw near
to God. David could have heard God
speaking in many ways, but he didn’t. Instead, he quietly makes his return to
the land of the Philistines. It will take a dramatic crisis to bring David back
to where he should be in his dependence on the Lord, and we will see that next
week.
In the time which we
have left, let’s consider some of the takeaways from this passage.
Maybe more than
anything, what we might learn from this chapter is to think about what’s
missing. What is missing in the chapter?
David does not
inquire of God. He did not inquire of
God before he sought refuge in the land of the Philistines. Was this the state of affairs during his 16
months in Philistine territory, depending on himself rather than God? Based on the sorts of things David says and
does, it sure does appear that David has drifted away from a close relationship
with God.
We went over to
Brookdale yesterday afternoon, and a few of our group began singing some songs
acapella as others invited the residents to join us for singing some
hymns. They sang one song which I hadn’t
heard before.
If you read your
Bible and pray everyday you will: grow, grow, grow.
But if you neglect
your Bible and forget to pray you will : shrink, shrink, shrink.
So we will read our
Bible and pray every day so we grow, grow, grow.
Of course, you’re
supposed to start all scrunched up and then get taller and taller as you sing
about growing. Then, when you go the
other way, then you shrink down.
Sometimes kids’ songs say it best by keeping the message simple.
We need fellowship
with the Lord every day. We need to talk
to God in prayer. We need to read his
word and be spiritually fed. If we don’t
do these things, then we can struggle to understand how to deal with the
circumstances in a Christ-like way.
Rather than growing in maturity and confidence, we shrink into
discouragement and doubt. We start to
follow the wrong things.
When David gave up
seeking God’s counsel, it put him into an impossible situation. He was stuck where he could not refuse
Achish, and yet he could not fight against God’s people either. If you’ve found yourself in a place like
that, I encourage you to turn back to God.
We face difficult
circumstances. I don’t mean to imply
that if you follow God, then everything will be easy. However, following God will give us faith
amid difficulty that God is there and that He will lead us through. I Corinthians 10:13 explains it this way,
God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond
what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so
that you can endure it. –I Corinthians 10:13
Even the word there
translated tempted has a bigger meaning.
It does mean tempted but it also can mean tested or facing a trial. If we are connected to the Lord, we don’t
lose sight of His faithfulness.
David’s departure
from Israel into the land of the Philistines seems to coincide with a departure
from seeking God. This opens a pathway
for sin to come into David’s life. It is
important to note that when a child of God steps out of the will of God, they
do not lose their salvation, but that person will experience trouble. We will see more of this next week. If you want to avoid needless trouble, stay
near to God.
Let us not live in
fear, just as we saw in the verse from I Corinthians, we see that God will not
leave us. J. Vernon McGee explained it
this way, “We do not realize how many times God intervenes in our lives. We sometimes overstep the boundaries God has
set, and we are not where we should be, or we are not doing what we should be
doing. When we make errors in judgment,
many times God graciously intervenes to keep us from committing a terrible sin
that we would regret the rest of our lives.”
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be
prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the
hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear
conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in
Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
For it is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for
doing evil. –I Peter 3:15-17
We as God’s people
should behave ourselves as inoffensively as possible to gain the good opinion
of those we have interaction with. In
those relationships, we will find the opportunity to give the reason for the
hope that we have.
I thought about a
couple of plays on the words of today’s title:
Making Friends with Enemies.
1.
It’s a bad idea
to make friends with enemies on their terms.
It will set us up for situations for sinning that we cannot avoid.
2.
If you are a
child of God, then He is working out all things to our good. In David’s case, we saw that the opposition of
the Philistine rulers was actually a kindness.
God used those enemies and their distrust to provide David a way of
escape.
3.
It is a good idea
to live at peace with everyone so far as it depends on you. When we treat others with gentleness and
respect, we open doors for the good news of Jesus Christ to touch people.
Finally, God is for
us in ways that we don’t fully see or understand. Even if you may feel separated or far from
God, He is not far from you. God is
intervening continually in our circumstances.
Let us comfort and encourage one another. Let us endure the challenges we are facing
together. Let us look to the future with
hope. And, let us pray.
Lord God, help us to
remember the kids’ song that when we read our Bibles and pray in faith we do
indeed grow. Grow us in our love for
You, our love for one another, and our love for those who do not know You. I pray that You will bring to our hearts and
mind the truths that we need today. Help
is to walk in the light as You are in the light. We pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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