David Among the Philistines

1 Samuel 27:1-12

Key Verse 7

“ David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.”

1. Read verses 1-4. Why does David decide to go to Gath? (1) Who follows David when he goes over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath? (2,3) Where does David settle? (3a) What does Saul do when he heard that David had fled to Gath? (4)

2. Read verse 5-9. How does David come to live in Ziklag? (5–6) How long does David live in Philistine territory? (7) Which peoples do David and his men raid? (8) What does David do when he attacks?(9)

3. Read verse 10-12. What does David say to Achish when he is questioned about where he has been? (10) What does David do in order to conceal the truth? (11) What does Achish think about David? (12)

David Among the Philistines

1 Samuel 27:1-12

Key Verse 7

“ David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.”

Introduction

Although David had a great victory in the previous chapter in dealing with Saul, today’s passage shows his tedious weakness of inner fear problem. He could have overcome his negative thought up in front. But he entertained his thought and gave bad influence to many of his followers. May the Lord help us to be alert in fighting against our negative thoughts so that we may not lost our ground before God. May the Lord help us to continue to live by faith!

1. Read verses 1-4. Why does David decide to go to Gath? (1) Who follows David when he goes over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath? (2,3) Where does David settle? (3a) What does Saul do when he heard that David had fled to Gath? (4)

1-1) Read verses 1-4.

1But 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.”

² So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. ³ David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. ⁴ When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

1-2) Why does David decide to go to Gath? (1)

1 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.”

a) “David thought to himself”. He did not inquire of the Lord. Rather he depended on his own thought.

He was very confident in the previous chapter in dealing with Saul.

He not only overcame his temptation to kill Saul but also trusted God’s righteousness and faithfulness in his life.

David says in 1 Samule 26:23, “The Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.  As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble.”

b) But we do not know why David suddenly entertained negative thoughts. 

There is great contrast between 26:23 and 27:1.

“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.”

It reminds us of 1 Kings 19:3, “Elijah was afraid and ran for his life” The prophet Elijah just won a great victory over 450 Baal prophets and he demonstrated God’s glory so powerfully in 1 Kings 18. But suddenly on the next day he was filled with great fear when he heard the news about the queen’s threat.

c) Fear is man’s sin problem. When there is no faith fear creeps into our hearts and thoughts. The power of fear is formidable.

Although David won the great victory against his soldiers who tempted him to kill Saul, but he was still vulnerable to his own inner fear and negative thoughts.

Our enemy Satan is very expert in terms of planting fear and negative thoughts in our hearts.

Maybe man’s worst enemy is fear!

David used to be a great servant of prayer to inquire of God and become a great general to win the victory against enemies.

But he was blind to his own negative thought. He was not able to discern his thought did not come from God.

When he lost God’s word of promise, doubt came into his heart and reality seemed to be bigger and bigger and negative ideas was out of control.

d) Negative thoughts has a tremendous power to shape our actions, even our whole destiny.

If someone says in their heart, “God doesn’t care about me,” it will make a difference in their life. If someone says in their heart, “I deserve better than this,” it will make a difference in their life.

What we say in our heart (which is our thoughts) has great power for good or evil, for blessing or cursing.

e) How can we overcome negative thinking?

Is it possible to change our negative thoughts with positive talking to ourselves? It may work to certain extent. But reality is reality. Without turning our mind to God, there is no fundamental solution. We should see the almighty God like Abraham in Genesis 15.

We should renew our faith in His promise. We should renew to believe God’s love and the glorious hope and His grace in Jesus Christ.

By meditating on God’s words and prayer, we should go close to God and receive His light.

1-3) Who follows David when he goes over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath? (2,3)

² So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. ³ David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. ⁴ When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

David’s decision influenced 600 people. They recognized David as a man of God and determined to follow him.

But David followed his inner fear and ended up guiding his 600 followers (disciples) to the wrong direction. What a tragedy it is!

Even their families and his own families are following him blindly.

What a tremendous influence he had!

One leader’s negative thought become a snowball effect on himself, his life, his friends, his disciples, and their followers.

For instance Abraham followed his negative idea and took a concubine to solve his ‘no son problem’. The end result is to produce a son (Ishmael) and Ishmael is a tremendous source of trouble and influence even to our days in the Middle East.

1-4) Where does David settle? (3a)

Gath- one of Philistine cities.

This place is a land of compromise without faith in the Lord.

Interesting enough, David was here in the past (in previous chapter) and experienced God’s help in his life and wrote two psalms.

But at this period of today’s passage he had no spirit to write any Psalm and total darkness in his life.

1-5) What does Saul do when he heard that David had fled to Gath? (4)

He no longer searched for him.

Saul never drove David to the Philistines. If Saul were to tell David, “You must leave the people of God and go live among the Philistines,” David would never bow to it.

But discouragement and despair are more powerful enemies than even Saul. Discouragement and despair drove David to do something that Saul could never make him do.

All of these are reasons to deal with in our hearts. When we don’t deal with them, they can build inside of us and drive us to far worse places.

May the Lord rescue us from negative thoughts, despair, inner fear so that America becomes a kingdom or priests and a holy nation to serve world mission command boldly!

2. Read verse 5-9. How does David come to live in Ziklag? (5–6) How long does David live in Philistine territory? (7)  Which peoples do David and his men raid? (8) What does David do when he attacks?(9)

2-1) Read verse 5-9.

⁵ Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” ⁶ So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. ⁷ David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.

⁸ Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) ⁹ Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.

2-2) How does David come to live in Ziklag? (5–6)

⁵ Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” ⁶ So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since.

2-3) How long does David live in Philistine territory? (7)  

⁷ David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.

2-4) Which peoples do David and his men raid? (8)

⁸ Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.)

^{David might have felt good to destroy the enemies of Israel people as shown in the map. But his invasion is not for the glory of God but his own need.}

^{The meaning of “Raid”-}

^{A surprise attack by a small armed force.}

^{An entrance into another's territory for the purpose of seizing goods or valuables.}

^{David learned how to pray before going out wars in chapter 23. But now his spirit got deteriorated to go out war for the purpose of profit and exploit only.}

2-5) What does David do when he attacks?(9)

⁹ Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.

3. Read verse 10-12. What does David say to Achish when he is questioned about where he has been? (10)  What does David do in order to conceal the truth? (11)  What does Achish think about David? (12)

3-1) Read verse 10-12.

¹⁰ When Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “Against the Negev of Judah” or “Against the Negev of Jerahmeel” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.” ¹¹ He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, “They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’” And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory.¹² 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.”

3-2) What does David say to Achish when he is questioned about where he has been? (10)  

¹⁰ When Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “Against the Negev of Judah” or “Against the Negev of Jerahmeel” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.”

David lied to gain favor from Achish. He knew that this Philistine leader would be pleased to hear that David raided his own people of Israel.

3-3) What does David do in order to conceal the truth? (11)

¹¹ He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, “They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’” And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory.

David would save neither man nor woman alive so that no one could bring news to Gath: In his raids, David killed all the men and the women and children so that his lie to Achish would not be exposed.

In the past due to his lies, 85 priests and the families of Ahimelech, the priest, were killed. Now he is lying again.

Much later in his life, David will become a far more notorious sinner with Bathsheba, and end up killing Bathsheba’s husband Uriah to cover(conceal) his sin.

The root of sin of lying is shown even from in 1 Sam 27:1-12. Many years before David killed Uriah to cover his sin, he kills these men and women in his raids to cover his sin.

The roots of sin must be dealt with, or they come back with greater strength.

3-4) What does Achish think about David? (12)

¹² 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.”

a) Achish felt good when David had said what pleased him. David was trapped in a web, and Achish was like the spider.

Achish believed that David had burned all his bridges behind with the people of God.

But David had not - and could not - burn his bridge with God.

Only his trouble is bigger and bigger!

b) Here, let’s think about David’s life in the land of the Philistines.

In the land of the Philistines, David had to live a double life.

* Physically, he and his men and family members were safe without being chased by Saul. However, his mind was not peaceful.

He continually had to pretend and might be flattering the king, Achish. He also was vulnerable because his lies could be exposed sooner or later.

Someone said that to justify one lie needs ten lies. One other person said, “One ought to have a good memory when he has told a lie.”

These mean that lies will not last and will be revealed sooner or later. Lying and living a double life were painful for David. He had no peace in his heart.

Conclusion:

Man’s sin problem is deeper than we might think it would be. We are very thankful to the Lord who trained a young man, David until his sin problem is exposed to daylight. The further we study the book of 1 Samuel, the more we realize how far one young man can go astray from the Lord whenever he lost his personal faith. We also appreciate God’s great patience and love to bear with a man whose sin is tedious. May the Lord help us to live by faith. Help us to overcome inner fear and trust in the Lord and become a humble servant always. Amen.  

One word: David thought to himself