David saved Saul, again (Chapter 26)
Promises don’t last
for the wicked.
Before long Saul and his 3,000 faithful warriors, went after David again - to where they last saw him, in the Wilderness of Ziph.
Before long Saul and his 3,000 faithful warriors, went after David again - to where they last saw him, in the Wilderness of Ziph.
It was like trying to
kill a fly with a nuclear weapon – a complete waste of resources.
We see similar things when strongmen cling to power today.
We see similar things when strongmen cling to power today.
David sent spies and
found Saul sleeping, in a trench, with his trusted leaders, Abner and
Ner.
Next to Saul was a
spear and a cruse of water. The men with him urged David to end his troubles, but he refused. He was a most honorable man. God had chosen well.
They withdrew to an
outcrop, from which David rebuked Abner for not
protecting his king. Revealing the spear
and cruse, he confirmed how he had indeed spared the king.
Saul was moved again and repented of the harm he sought against David. Then he sent
someone to fetch his spear and cruse.
David left Israel (Chapter 27)
However, David despaired for his life and left Israel hastily (vs 1). He and his 600 men and their wives, went to live with the Philistines. They had no more places to hide in Israel.
He acted rashly and did not seek God's counsel as he stepped beyond the inheritance of Israel, despite being told to make his stand sure in Judah (22:5).
Achish of Gath, Goliath's sponsor, granted him the town of Ziklag, where he lived for 16
months. It plunged his community into the dark soul of Philistine culture and forever marred their faith.
Yet Ziklag, on the southern border of Israel, would remain a Jewish possession in perpetuity.
During that time David had reason to go against the Geshurites, Gezrites and Amalekites, but for
fear of getting the wrong attention he told Achish that he had attacked his own
countrymen.
No
witnesses survived to testify that he had been warring for
Israel.
Saul went to the witch of Endor (Chapter 28)
The Philistines
gathered against Israel again and Saul marshaled his forces at
Gilboa. We also learn that Samuel had been buried and that Saul had
rid the land of diviners and mystics.
Yet, as the Philistines
gathered, he was so scared, such was his spiritual and physical decline, that
he cried to God. But God ignored him.
Then he went and found
the Witch of Endor and swore her safety as he asked her to bring up Samuel.
Whether she did so is open to speculation. It was more of a "familiar spirit".
Whatever, Saul heard that his time was up, that Israel would be
defeated the next day and that he and his sons would die in battle.
Saul refused to eat
any more. His time was drawing to a close.
David turned back (Chapter 29)
Achish had come to
like David and saw him as an angel of God, which to Achish he was. He wanted David
to go into battle with them, but the other Philistine lords forbade that.
It was of God that
David not be required to fight his own, but the reasons given were that the
Philistines did not want David to turn against them in battle.
His reputation had gone ahead of him, as the one who slews tens of thousands. Even so, they let him
go peacefully and Achish protected him.
David returned to find Ziklag sacked
(Chapter 30)
We are right to expect that God has our back when we are about his business, but David had stepped out of God's covering and he provoked the Amalekites on his own terms.
Thus, when he got
home he found Ziklag in ruins and all their women and children gone.
The Amalekites had
taken full advantage of his absence. You would think they would know better
than to go invading nations after being thrashed by Saul.
David stood on the ruins, at his wits end. He then inquired of God before pursuing, but it was in the face of a mutiny, such was the anger and hurt of the men over their families.
He had reached his
lowest point but it came just before the dawn of his reign.
He pursued with
only 400 of his men and left the most stricken in Ziklag.
They found an Egyptian
servant of an Amalekite, who had been abandoned due to illness. He told them
about the invasion and sacking of Ziklag, then led them to the Amalekite encampment.
David routed them completely and
killed every man, then reclaimed all his people unharmed, together with all the livestock they claimed as spoil.
Having once cross the river
Besor, for the pause that allowed so many to turn back, David crossed again
in triumph.His weakest moment became his moment of breakthrough.
However, some of his
men wanted to keep the spoil from those who stayed behind, but David made a
rule that would stand forever in Israel: that the spoil belonged to all.
The end of Saul and the start of David’s reign
(1 Samuel 30-31, 1 Chronicles 10)
The battle turned
against Israel and they fled on foot, but all of Saul’s sons,
notably Jonathon, died in the retreat. The archers also targeted the
king and an arrow struck his back, but he asked his armor-bearer to kill him
lest the Philistines get him. He refused.
Then both literally
and metaphorically, Saul fell on his own sword to end a dark chapter in Israel’s
young history. Jews abandoned their homes before the advancing Philistines.
When they came to
strip and process the dead, the Philistines found Saul’s body, duly beheaded
him and nailed his torso to a wall. They proclaimed his death throughout the land.
However, some brave
Jews from Jabesh cut him down and had him buried.
Then the path to his
throne suddenly opened up for David just after he stood on the heap
of Ziklag, to declare that he was heading home: whether to live or die.
(c) Peter Missing @ bethelstone.com
