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CHAPTER 27 (ESV)

 

7 And the number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.

 

8 Now David and his men went up and made raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt. 9 And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive, but would take away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and come back to Achish. 10 When Achish asked, “Where have you made a raid today?” David would say, “Against the Negeb of Judah,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Jerahmeelites,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Kenites.” 11 And David would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring news to Gath, thinking, “lest they should tell about us and say, ‘So David has done.’” Such was his custom all the while he lived in the country of the Philistines. 12 And Achish trusted David, thinking, “He has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant.”

 

REFLECTION:

1. David, feeling depressed and deeply disappointed after months and years of narrow escapes from Saul, decided finally to give up and move to Philistia. Living among the Philistines, David was forced to deny who he was – the future king of Israel. David lived a double life there, pretending to be a faithful servant of the Philistine king, when really he was raiding Israel’s enemies and “saying” that he had raided Israelite towns. While others might have chosen survival over honouring God and preserving His people, David chose to do both while under stress.
2. In life there are times when we find ourselves in the company of those whose ultimate goals and desires go counter to the will of God. David, both to keep his people and himself safe in the land of the Philistines and to preserve the people of God, chose to be subversive to the king of the Philistines. Today, we may find ourselves in a company that does business unethically. Our spouses may loathe the name of Jesus. We may be in an economy that exploits the poor and not caring for the oppressed. We may be doing our best to honor parents who dishonor God in thought, word and deed. However, even in situations such as these, God is still faithfully working out our salvation and his purposes in our lives.

 

PRAYER:

God, sometimes I find situations overwhelming and I cannot cope with. The Psalmist encouraged me with these words: Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my help and my God. By day the Lord commands His steadfast love, and at night His son is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. (Psalm 42: 5, 8)

 

Thank You, God, for being my help and my hope.