David said to himself, “One of these days Saul will kill me. The best thing for me to do is to escape to Philistia. Then Saul will give up looking for me… So… David and his men settled there in Gath with their families. …When Saul heard that David had fled to Gath, he gave up trying to find him.
It worked. Jesus also changed addresses when his life was threatened (John 11:53-54). I wonder though if David would have been better off braving the fire in Israel. At times we create a false dilemma (Acts 1:23-25; Jonas 1:1-3) and it’s worth noting that there is no record of David consulting God here. Is it at this moment where he penned Psalm 56?
David lived in Philistia for sixteen months. During that time David and his men would attack the people of Geshur, Girzi, and Amalek, …killing all the men and women and taking the sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and even the clothes. Then he would come back to Achish, who would ask him, “Where did you go on a raid this time?” and David would tell him that he had gone to the southern part of Judah or to the territory of…
Betrayal, murder and lies. Did David someone consider himself free from moral constraints as he likewise saw himself “away from the Lord” (1 Samuel 26:19-20)?
…Achish trusted David and said to himself, “He is hated so much by his own people the Israelites that he will have to serve me all his life.”
The King of Gath makes a serious mistake here. Develop in me the reflex to analyse / verify what people tell me, Lord.
Some time later the Philistines gathered their troops to fight Israel, and Achish said to David, “Of course you understand that you and your men are to fight on my side.”
“Of course,” David answered. “I am your servant, and you will see for yourself what I can do.”
Achish said, “Good! I will make you my permanent bodyguard.”
David’s conniving here is truly odious. Achish is naive, putting blind trust in someone who was his enemy – unlike his compatriots (1 Samuel 29:4-5). Help me to be more cautious with my trust, Father (John 2:23-25).