1 Samuel 27:11–12: “David would save neither man nor woman alive, to bring news to Gath, saying, ‘Lest they should inform on us, saying, “Thus David did. And thus was his behavior all the time he dwelt in the country of the Philistines.”’ So Achish believed David, saying, ‘He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he will be my servant forever.'”

June 5th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

David, in order to get away from Saul’s constant attacks, fled to the territory of the Philistines. He and his men raided other regions, sparing no one who could give them away. David thought he was covering his tracks well. The region was far enough away from Gath that King Achish was ignorant of David’s raids. David let Achish think that the hostility of Judah toward David was increasing while in fact he was gaining loyalty in Judah by raiding their wilderness neighbors. The Philistine King Achish thought David was more securely his servant as David’s own people turned against him, but just the opposite was true. However, David was now caught up in an ever-increasing amount of lies to cover his movements. David’s fear of Saul set him up to fall into more and more lies before this Gentile king.

What is the explanation for David’s failure of character in this story? We believe it is the same dangerous trap that many of us have fallen into in our walks with the Lord, weariness. David had been on the run for some time since Saul had put a price on his head. Even those from his own tribe, the Ziphites, from the tribe of Judah, were betraying him to Saul. This kind of burden tends to wear people down, and it was wearing David down. He does not so much blow out here, as he burns out and simply gives up. It doesn’t have to be this way, but, sadly, this is the way many of God’s people have failed throughout the centuries.

We must learn to read our own life carefully. When we find ourselves getting weary, we must again come to God for strength. That sounds so simple (and it is), but there in lies the problem. It is through our confession to the Lord of our weaknesses that He responds and demonstrates His strength in us. For me, it is the message from God in Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.” Even in the moment when we feel ourselves failing, we must come to Him, acknowledge our weariness, ask Him for His strength, and then rely on it.

“You LORD, are our only source of strength. We look to no other, only to You. God Almighty.

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1 Samuel 27 KJV

¹ And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there isnothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.  ² And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. ³And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife. ⁴ And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. ⁵ And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee? ⁶ Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. ⁷ And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months. ⁸ And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.  ⁹ And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish. ¹⁰ And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.  ¹¹ And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines. ¹² And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.