When your life gets off track, God gives you a doorway to get back on the right path with Him. Join Dr. Marty Baker in 1 Samuel 29 as we continue in the story of King David and the Philistines.
Mechanical ability and know-how eluded my father.
For instance, I headed into his backyard one Monday morning to mow the lawn around the pool, only to see him standing over his four-foot-high stainless steel filter in the distance. He had the cylindrical top of the unit to the side, as he sized up what he would do to clean all of the tall filters connected by one center bolt.
I asked, “Hey, Dad, what are you doing?”
“I’m going to remove this middle bolt, and then all the filters will fall into my hands. I can clean them once I have them loose,” he replied.
“Uh, I don’t think you should remove that connecting center bolt because you may not be able to get all those filter panels back in place,” I counseled him.
He didn’t listen to me and proceeded to remove the central bolt. Immediately, all the panels fell to the ground like dominoes. He proceeded to clean them and then put them all back together. It never happened. Even with me helping him, we couldn’t get the filter unit back in running order because the panels kept falling out of place as we worked feverishly.
What eventually happened? My father took a logical, helpful, and wise step. He called the pool guy. After he arrived, it didn’t take him long to use his skills and expertise to fix the issue and get the unit up and running again.
What has this little funny episode got to do with life? Much. From one perspective, it reminds us of the danger of compromise. Once you go against, or loosen, a bolt of the Word of God in your life, there are always negative, unintended consequences. Perhaps you know exactly what I’m talking about right now. For whatever reason, you removed a key spiritual bolt in your life, and suddenly things started unraveling in ways you didn’t anticipate. Currently, things are not improving either, and you are wondering how you will extract yourself from the mess. It is true: When you compromise biblical principles, there are always unintended, unpleasant consequences.
If anyone knew this drill, it was David.
Years of King Saul hunting David down like a dog eventually caused him to compromise and seek safety and shelter by living among the Philistines, Israel’s dreaded enemy to the southwest along the coast of the Mediterranean (1 Sam. 27:1-5). King Achish of Gath happily greeted the Israelite turncoat and his armed men. He even gave David and his soldiers the Philistine city of Ziklag to live in (1 Sam. 27:6). This way, the king could have some additional protection from Israelite raids on his southeastern border. This arrangement seemed to work well for Achish and David for the next sixteen months.
But then there came the day when the Philistines gathered to attempt to wipe out the Israelite army for good (1 Sam. 28:1). Sound familiar? Before the battle, the king informed David that he assumed he and his well-armed, seasoned fighters would join the Philistine incursion into Israelite territory. David verbally supported him, and the naïve king immediately made David his head bodyguard (1 Sam. 28:2). I’m sure this wasn’t a situation David had anticipated when he compromised by seeking protection among his enemy, but he couldn’t escape the filters as they fell.
How would David, or could he, get out of this problematic situation? If he actually fought and killed Israelite soldiers in battle by siding with their enemy, how would he ever be their king as prophesied by Samuel? If he didn’t choose to fight, then King Achish would know that he really wasn’t with the Philistines, and at that point, he’d probably have his numerically superior troops eliminate them.
Sadly, things did not get easier for the compromised warrior of Israel. Yet through all the complexities that unfolded after this brief meeting with Achish, God, who loved David, silently worked to give him and his men an offramp they didn’t expect. They still, however, had to walk through some very tough, challenging situations. All of this, of course, might be a snapshot of your jacked-up life right now. Your compromise has led to other compromises, and now things are not looking good, and you are wondering what you will do. Buckle up, buttercup. The road ahead may get rougher, but rest assured that the Lord Jesus hasn’t deserted you. On the contrary, He is not only well aware of what’s going down, but He’s setting things up to allow you to return to a vibrant, intimate walk with him.
Watch and learn as you study how this truth played out in David’s life among the Philistines.
In this first historical panel, we encounter . . .
The Reality (1 Sam. 29:1-3)
What was the reality? Read on and see:
1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek, while the Israelites were camping by the spring which is in Jezreel. (1 Sam. 29)
Aphek was located on the northern edge of Philistine territory, some 14 miles slightly northeast of what is now modern-day Tel Aviv. Since King Saul had to secretly moved by night around the Philistine forces camped at Shunem in the Jezreel Valley to visit the witch of Endor (1 Sam. 28:4), we instantly know that verse 1 of chapter 29 occurred before the troops moved to this location.
The divinely inspired author informs us what happened in this dusty little town:
2 And the lords of the Philistines were proceeding on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were proceeding on in the rear with Achish. (1 Sam. 29)
Thousands of armed Philistine troops readied themselves for the 30 to 40-mile challenging hike over mountainous terrain to Shunem, located on the valley floor of Jezreel. Where were David and his men? They brought up the rear. How did the Philistine commanding officers feel about having David and his seasoned, skilled soldiers guarding their rear flank? Not well:
3 Then the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” (1 Sam. 29)
For you who fought in Afghanistan, think of how you would feel if someone like Mullah Mohammed Omar, the founder and leader of the Taliban, suddenly said he wanted to join our forces. Then our leading general at the time said, “That is great, welcome, and why don’t you guard our rear flank the next time we engage your former fighters?” This helps us see that the question of the Philistine commanders wasn’t unreasonable at all. It couldn’t have been more logical. Why would they want David and his troops guarding their rear flank in a brutal battle? What assurances did they have that David and his men wouldn’t attack them in the heat of hand-to-hand combat?
The response of Achish shows just how enamored he was with David and his desertion:
3 And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him from the day he deserted to me to this day?” (1 Sam. 29)
How did this argument go over with the uneasy commanders? Not well. We see this in the next enlightening section.
The Request (1 Sam. 29:4-5)
The argument against allowing David and his men to guard the rear flank couldn’t have been more logical and airtight:
4 But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with him, and the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Make the man go back, that he may return to his place where you have assigned him, and do not let him go down to battle with us, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For with what could this man make himself acceptable to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of these men? (1 Sam. 29)
None of these military leaders trusted the new head bodyguard of Achish (because he had a history of removing the head of their greatest warrior, Goliath). Their argument is easy to understand: “Why would you want this warrior and his soldiers to potentially attack the Philistines from within while they seek to engage King Saul’s troops? Why take this crazy stance and chance? So, David showed himself loyal for 16 months. Big deal. That didn’t mean he really was loyal. If he REALLY wanted to make a name for himself, this man who beheaded our greatest warrior, Goliath, then what would keep him from gaining more notoriety by removing our heads?” No wonder they called David “an adversary.” In Hebrew, the name is Satan (לְשָׂטָ֖ן). Whoa. They saw David as the Devil among their troops.
These commanders concluded by tacking on the ultimate argument:
5 “Is this not David, of whom they sing in the dances, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands ‘?” (1 Sam. 29)
Ah, these leaders knew the song sung to commemorate David’s decisive and shocking victory over Goliath and countless dead and wounded Philistine troops (1 Sam. 17:48-58). The song linked David with King Saul, so how would Achish truly know David’s loyalties were still not with Saul, even though he had been hunting him for several years? Further, they had problems with Israelite turncoats before (1 Sam. 14:21). So, why would David be an exception?
Achish listened to the concerns and arguments of his fellow military leaders, and he turned to offer what we can label as . . .
The Remedy (1 Sam. 29:6-10)
At this point, David was clueless about what transpired in this private meeting with the military leaders. From his perspective, his compromise had inconveniently led him to be part of the Philistine fighting force for this upcoming battle to end all battles against his people, or should I say, God’s people (Deut. 7). What would he do on the battlefield? As I said, if he engaged King Saul’s troops, this would jeopardize his kingship, and if he turned on the Philistines, he’d probably be wiped out by their superior forces. Whoever said removing a central spiritual bolt in your life didn’t lead to more complex, gut-wrenching situations?
However, God silently worked in all of these complexities to allow David to return to Him. How did God do this? He worked on the life of Achish. Remember what Solomon wrote years after this event. It was true in his day, and it was true in his father’s time:
1 A king’s heart is channeled water in the hand of the LORD; God directs it where he pleases. (Prov. 21)
How did God providentially guide Achish to help David out of the mess his compromise had created? Read on and you will see:
6 Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army are pleasing in my sight; for I have not found evil in you from the day of your coming to me to this day.” (1 Sam. 29)
This is the first time the Lord’s name is used in David’s exile debacle, and ironically, it came from the lips of a Philistine king. Amazing. Who knows how God will move in the lives of the ungodly around you in a quest to help you move away from the mess you created and back to your Master, Jesus.
From Achish’s perspective, he had no reason not to believe in David’s utter loyalty. To him, David was a great, righteous man. This all sounds so familiar. At a future time, with another godless and influential leader, the greater David, Jesus Christ, heard that the leader found no fault or guilt in Him. The leader was Pilate (John 18:38). And as Pilate stated three times in Luke’s account of Christ’s trial that he found no fault in Jesus (Luke 23:4; 14-15, 22), so, three times the Philistine leader said three times he found no fault in David. David’s life merely foreshadowed that of his Lord. Both men were innocent of crimes or sin levied against them.
Caving, however, to the peer pressure of the commanders, Achish made the final diplomatic command to David:
“Nevertheless, you are not pleasing in the sight of the lords. 7 Now therefore return, and go in peace, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.’ (1 Sam. 29)
Put differently, Achish said, “David, head back to Ziklag and we’ll take care of the forces of King Saul without your help.”
How did David respond to this unbelievable, unexpected turn of events? He responded in a jaw-dropping, eye-popping fashion:
8 And David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And what have you found in your servant from the day when I came before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” (1 Sam. 29)
Huh? Why did David say this? To cover himself. By protesting, David sought to underscore his “loyalty.” Was he deceptive? Yes. Was this a permissible move? In a war theater where his life and the lives of his men would have been at stake, this was a prudent move to protect life.
As we have discussed before, this decision represents the ancient version of Graded Abolutism. This is when one absolute law, viz., do not be deceptive, is overridden by a higher absolute law, viz., protect life. If you step back, however, and remember how David’s initial compromise brought about this current complex situation, then you should understand why it is wiser not to compromise in the first place. The unintended consequences you will most likely face are far from pleasant.
David finished out his response to Achish with this seemingly highly ambiguous statement:
8 And what have you found in your servant from the day when I came before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” (1 Sam. 29)
The last clause is most interesting. Did David state, “You, Achish, are my lord and king, and I am willing to fight against your enemies, the Israelites?” or he (covertly, cleverly) declare, “King Saul is my king, and I’m always ready and willing to fight against his enemies, the Philistines?” Achish took it the former way, but I think David, known for being quite clever, meant it the latter way. Interestingly enough, on three other occasions, he did call King Saul “my lord” (1 Sam. 24:6, 10; 26:18). After the cave experience, where he cut off the hem of Saul’s robe, he rejected the fact that his men called King Saul the enemy. David called him “the LORD’s anointed” (1 Sam. 24:4-6). This is why I think David meant he’d fight against the Philistines any day of the week, but the veiled statement blew right by the naïve, unsuspecting, positive-thinking Achish.
I know this is the case because of what Achish said next:
9 But Achish answered and said to David, “I know that you are pleasing in my sight, like an angel of God; nevertheless the commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He must not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 “Now then arise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you, and as soon as you have arisen early in the morning and have light, depart.” (1 Sam. 29)
The diplomatic situation . . . that God had set up behind the scenes . . . was clean and straightforward: David, because the commanders don’t trust you, you and your men need to head back to Ziklag at sunrise.
That statement must have been like an explosion of insight in David’s mind. He had removed a central spiritual bolt by moving to Philistia for safety and security from King Saul, resulting in unpleasant consequences he didn’t know how to extricate himself from. But God stepped in and miraculously manufactured a door for David and his men to walk through, one that would keep David from fighting his own people and possibly being blamed for Saul’s death. It was a door, as we shall see, that positioned him to be a savior to his people who were taken captive by a military incursion into Ziklag by the nasty, brutal Amalekites (1 Sam. 30). More on that in our subsequent study.
Suffice it to say that your compromise cannot and will not thwart what God wants to accomplish in your life. You will probably face some hard, challenging times as your sin takes a toll on you, but never think for a moment that the Lord, the Good Shepherd, has taken His sovereign eye off of you. On the contrary, He’s working right now to help you get all the filter panels of your messed-up life back in working order. And He’s working with people you’d probably least expect, so rest because you are not alone in your quandary.
What did David do when God opened a door for him? He walked through it, quickly.
The Response (1 Sam. 29:11)
At the first light of day, David and his men mounted up and headed due south for Ziklag.
11 So David arose early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return to the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel. (1 Sam. 29)
God not only delivered David and his men from a terrible dilemma caused by David’s compromise, but He guided them to where they needed to be to offer safety and security to their families, who had become slaves of their other enemy, the Amalekites. God’s timing couldn’t have been more perfect in all of this.
God’s timing will be perfect in your life as well. Despite your compromise and the terrible position it has placed you in currently, take great hope in the main thrust of this powerful little passage:
God works to turn your tight spot into a bright spot.
He hasn’t forgotten about you. He isn’t overcome by what’s happening in your life because you removed the central spiritual/biblical bolt. The mangled mess of the web you’re stuck in is no challenge to His power. Note to your spiritual self: He is working to give you a door to walk through that you never expected. And don’t worry, He specializes in tough, almost impossible extractions. So, look for the door. When you see it, walk through it in obedience to Him, and He will bless you profoundly.
