1 Samuel 27
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Samuel 27
Spurgeon - I remember on one occasion, to my shame, being sad and doubtful of heart, and a kind friend took out a paper and read to me a short extract from a discourse upon faith. I very soon detected the author of the extract; my friend was reading to me from one of my own sermons. Without saying a word he just left it to my own conscience, for he had convicted me of committing the very fault against which I had so earnestly declaimed. (See similar illustration Prone to Wander) A W
1 Samuel 27
Spurgeon says "he certainly had no ground for thinking that God’s anointing him by Samuel was intended to be left as an empty unmeaning act." He clearly has forgotten or at least downplayed in his mind the many times God had delivered him from death (three errant spear tosses by Saul, four Spirit induced prophesying events protecting him at Naioth, one very close call at "Slippery Rock," and two close encounters of the Saul kind at a cave and a camp, etc). Memory is a horrible thing to lose, especially if it is the memory of the mighty acts of the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God Who is complete control of everything (no exception clauses!) THOUGHT - America is all about a heart healthy diets which, as a physician, I think is very commendable. Even better though, believers should pursue a heart healthy spiritual diet which includes frequent times of remembering our Father's great and marvelous works in our life, something we will even do in Heaven, so it is good practice now! (cf Rev 15:3-4+). There is nothing better for me than to escape into the land of the Philistines (see map above) - When you think there is nothing better than to run, you have forgotten your Jesus, Who the book of Hebrews repeatedly says is "BETTER" (angels, Moses, old covenant - Heb 7:22, cf better promises - Heb 8:6, etc.) With eyes off of His God (HORIZONTAL VISION IN CONTROL - See importance of believer's maintaining VERTICAL VISION!) and His promises including even words that he himself had penned years before (see Ps , all he can see is Saul and result is his faith morphs into fear. He uses human reasoning, and logically determines there is one place Saul won't seek him and that is in enemy territory. J.
1 Samuel 27
Spurgeon - 1 Samuel 27:1 (Morning and evening) “And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul.” — 1 Samuel 27:1 The thought of David’s heart at this time was a false thought, because he certainly had no ground for thinking that God’s anointing him by Samuel was intended to be left as an empty unmeaning act. On no one occasion had the Lord deserted his servant; he had been placed in perilous positions very often, but not one instance had occurred in which divine interposition had not delivered him. The trials to which he had been exposed had been varied; they had not assumed one form only, but many—yet in every case He Who sent the trial (ED: DON'T MISS THAT STATEMENT "HE WHO SENT..." AS IT MAY HELP YOU CONSIDER IT ALL JOY WHEN YOUR NEXT TRIAL COMES!) had also graciously ordained a way of escape (ED: SOUNDS LIKE THE FAITHFUL GOD OF 1Cor 10:13!). David could not put his finger upon any entry in his diary, and say of it, “Here is evidence that the Lord will forsake me,” (ED: BUT WE CAN BELOVED - JUST READ Heb 13:5-6+ WHICH DAVID SHOULD HAVE KNOWN >> Dt 31:6+ and cf David's own words - see Ps 56 above) for the entire tenor of his past life proved the very reverse. He should have argued from what God had done for him, that God would be his Defender still (ED: Ps 27:1 and Ps 28:8 both by David). But is it not just in the same way that we doubt God’s help? Is it not mistrust without a cause? Have we ever had the shadow of a reason to doubt our Father’s goodness? Have not his lovingkindnesses been marvelous (Lam 3:22-23)? Has He once failed to justify our trust? Ah, no! our God has not left us at any time. We have had dark nights (ED: SPURGEON SUFFERED FROM BOUTS OF DEPRESSION), but the star of love has shone forth amid the blackness; we have been in stern conflicts, but over our head he has held aloft the shield of our defense. We have gone through many trials, but never to our detriment, always to our advantage (ED: Ps 119:67, 71); and the conclusion from our past experience is, that He who has been with us in six troubles, will not forsake us in the seventh (Job 5:19). What we have known of our faithful God, proves that He will keep us to the end. Let us not, then, reason contrary to evidence. How can we ever be so ungenerous as to doubt our God? Lord, throw down the Jezebel of our unbelief, and let the dogs devour it. AMEN AND AMEN! F B
1 Samuel 27
Spurgeon - Worn out by the persecution of Saul, in an evil moment his heart failed him, and he said, “I shall surely fall one day by the hand of Saul.” This was a dangerous mood. Always be afraid of being afraid. Failing faith means failing strength. Do not regard despondency as merely a loss of joy, view it as draining away your spiritual life. Struggle against it, for it often happens that when faith ebbs sin comes to the flood. He who does not comfortably trust God will soon seek after comfort somewhere else, and David did so: without asking divine direction he fled to the court of the Philistine chieftain Achish, hoping to be quiet there (from Ziklag or David Encouraging Himself in God) Ray Pritchard observes that David's "negative" thinking "led him to an impulsive decision. You can certainly say the decision to go live with the Philistines was impulsive. You can also say it was just plain dumb. Again, David has his reasons. The big one is that by going to the Philistines he will make Saul quit chasing him. The other one is a bit more subtle. You may recall this isn’t the first time David has lived with Goliath’s people. He did it before, back in chapter 21, when he lied to Ahimelech to get bread for his men. That episode ended in humiliation with David slobbering on his beard to make Achish think he had gone nuts. So now David turns around and makes the same mistake all over again. There is a great warning for all of us in this. One act of spiritual compromise—no matter how small—makes it easier to compromise the next time. Even a tiny step in the wrong direction sets us up to take the next step sooner or later. Third, it forced him into a position of compromise. God’s word was crystal clear: The children of Israel were not to mix with the surrounding nations. Over and over the warning was given and every time somebody tried it, disaster resulted. David knew all that and he did it anyway. I’m sure if you had asked David as he led his band toward Gath, “Are you deserting God?” he would have said no. He probably would have been insulted by the very question. “Me, desert God? Are you kidding? I believe everything I always believed.” “But David, these are not God’s people.” “It makes no difference. I’m going to go live there for a while until the pressure is off. It’s not a big deal. I can have my quiet time in Gath just as easily as I can in Israel.” We always have an excuse when we compromise. It seems logical enough to us. Some of us are doing it right now. We are involved in shady deals, compromising relationships, and business arrangements that we know aren’t quite right. We’re going along with some things that would embarrass us if anyone else knew. We’re still in church this morning, still singing the songs of Zion, but in our hearts, we know we’ve taken the low road. Discouragement does that. It leads us slowly downward until we end up doing things we would never dreamed we would do. What starts as a fleeting thought becomes a plan, a plan becomes a commitment, and eventually a commitment becomes a lifestyle. As we read on, we find things rapidly getting worse. His compromise involved innocent people in his wrong decision. First Samuel 27:2 says that “David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maoch king of Gath.” Each man brought his family with him. That means there were at least 600 men, 600 women, and who knows how many children involved. All now living with the enemy because of David’s choice. The same thing happens to us. Whenever we begin to compromise, we take other people with us. Naturally, we don’t think about it at the time, but soon enough we discover that our impulsiveness has hurt a lot of innocent people. If you keep on reading, you find one fact that may surprise you. David’s compromise ushered in a period of temporary peace and prosperity. (Ziklag is Burning) Easton's Bible Dictionary - Achish (angry), perhaps only a general title of royalty applicable to the Philistine kings. (1.) The king with whom David sought refuge when he fled from Saul (1 Sam. 21:10-15). He is called Abimelech in the superscription of Ps. 34. It was probably this same king to whom David a second time repaired at the head of a band of 600 warriors, and who assigned him Ziklag, whence he carried on war against the surrounding tribes (1 Sam. 27:5-12). Achish had great confidence in the valour and fidelity of David (1 Sam. 28:1,2), but at the instigation of his courtiers did not permit him to go up to battle along with the Philistine hosts (1 Sam. 29:2-11). David remained with Achish a year and four months. (2.) Another king of Gath, probably grandson of the foregoing, to whom the two servants of Shimei fled. This led Shimei to go to Gath in pursuit of them, and the consequence was that Solomon put him to death (1 Kings 2:39-46). ISBE - ACHISH - a'-kish ('akhish): King of the city of Gath in the days of David. His father's name is given as Maoch (1 Sam 27:2), and Maacah (1 Ki 2:39). David sought the protection of Achish when he first fled from Saul, and just after his visit to Nob (1 Sam 21:10-15). Fearing rough treatment or betrayal by Achish, he feigned madness. But this made him unwelcome, whereupon he fled to the Cave of Adullam (1 Sam 22:1). Later in his fugitive period David returned to Gath to be hospitably received by Achish (1 Sam 27:1 ff), who gave him the town of Ziklag for his home. A year later, when the Philistines invaded the land of Israel, in the campaign which ended so disastrously for Saul (1 Sam 31), Achish wished David to participate (1 Sam 28:1-2), but the lords of the Philistines objected so strenuously, when they found him and his men with the forces of Achish, that Achish was compelled to send them back. Achish must have been a young man at this time, for he was still ruling forty years later at the beginning of Solomon's reign (1 Ki 2:39). He is mentioned as Abimelech in the title of Ps 34. Irving Jensen: a. This is the fourth type of "refuge" David has sought. (Borrow 1 & 2 Samuel : a self-study guide) QUESTION - What is the significance of Gath in the Bible? ANSWER - Gath, along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, and Ekron, is one of five major cities belonging to the Philistines before Israel conquered them (Joshua 13:3, 1 Samuel 5:7–10; 6:17). The word Gath means “winepress.” Although scholars are not certain of its exact location, Gath was situated somewhere on the border between Judah and Philistia (1 Samuel 21:10; 1 Chronicles 18:1). The Anakim, a race of giants left over from the earlier Canaanite population, settled in Gath after Joshua drove them out of the Promised Land (Joshua 11:22). Gath is known primarily as the home of the giant Goliath who was killed by an unlikely hero named David (1 Samuel 17:4). Later in his life, David led a series of battles against the Philistines; in those skirmishes, four giants who lived in Gath were killed (2 Samuel 27:22), including one described as “a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants” (2 Samuel 27:20, ESV). When the Philistines defeated the Israelites in the time of Eli, they captured the ark of the covenant and took it back to Ashdod and placed it in their pagan temple, next to their image of Dagon. After God broke the image of Dagon and afflicted the people of Ashdod with tumors, they sent the ark of the covenant to Gath, but trouble soon followed: “After they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors” (2 Samuel 5:9). The people of Gath demanded the ark be moved yet again. Eventually, the people of Philistia sent the ark back home to Israel. Years later, Gath became a refuge for David when he fled from King Saul, who was trying to kill him (1 Samuel 21:10¬–15; cf. Psalm 56). King Achish of Gath was wary of David, having heard about his accomplishments in battle. Fearing for his life, David pretended to be insane so that the Philistine king would send him away (1 Samuel 21:12–13). Later, after more confrontations with King Saul, David once again fled to Gath, saying, “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” (1 Samuel 27:1). David and six hundred men and their families went to Gath and settled there, and Saul stopped his pursuit. David then asked the king to assign him a country town rather than live in the royal city of Gath. The king gave David the town of Ziklag, which became his home base for almost a year and a half as he raided other Canaanite territories. David led the king to believe he was attacking Israelites, and so fostered the king’s trust (1 Samuel 27:8–12). Gath is also noteworthy for being the home of a band of Gittites loyal to David in later life (2 Samuel 15:18). David’s connection with Gath is reflected in his words in 2 Samuel 1:20. After learning that King Saul and his son Jonathan had been killed in battle, David cried, “Tell it not in Gath,” because he did not want the Philistines celebrating this tragedy. Despite Saul’s venom against David, David still respected him as the one God had appointed king over Israel (1 Samuel 24:5–7; 26:8–11). He cried, “Daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and finery, who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold” (2 Samuel 1:24). David mourned for Saul’s son, too: “I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me” (2 Samuel 1:26). The deaths of Saul and Jonathan were not a moment for celebration, but for grief. This was not news to be spread, “lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice” (2 Samuel 1:20). David’s words to “tell it not in Gath” (2 Samuel 1:20) reflect his desire to bring honor, not dishonor, to the Lord and His people. Christians should take this to heart and make sure they are always seeking to glorify the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:31). While Gath proved to be a safe haven of sorts for David in times of need, it was ultimately enemy territory. Gath and its idolatry represented all that was antithetical to the nation of Israel, just as the Bible presents this world’s system as all that is opposite to God’s will for His people (1 John 2:15–17). The earth is our home for now, but we are called to live in this world as sojourners and ambassadors, not participating in the world’s evil but understanding that our true citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). All the while, we invite others to join us in heaven through faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19–20; 2 Corinthians 5:16–21; 1 Peter 3:14–17; John 3:16–18).GotQuestions.org David O'brien - Why did David work for the Philistines (1 Samuel 27:1–7)? One of the major question marks about David and his checkered career is his willingness to serve as a mercenary soldier for Achish, the king of Gath. In today’s world, where nations maintain large standing armies, the work of mercenaries is considered dishonorable. What David did, however, was ordinary in his day. Service in the army of a powerful king was a profession many able men chose. Being a mercenary soldier was a dirty job, but in a day when there were few standing armies, somebody had to do it. And it paid. Soldiers in the ancient world were given a small wage, and if they survived they were free to take anything they could carry away. So although soldiering was a high risk profession, it was lucrative for those who were good at it. So David, like many others, probably did it because it paid well. While David was in the wilderness hiding from Saul a force of men made up of economic and political outcasts gathered around him. He had a sizable following, 600 men and their families, and had to support them or lose them. He could either become a robber king or take employment as a commander of mercenary soldiers. The second reason is even more basic. Service with the Philistines was necessary for his survival. “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is 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” (1 Samuel 27:1). From the time Saul chased David from his court (1 Samuel 19:10) until Saul’s death (1Sa 31:4), Saul’s obsession was to catch and kill David. Principle 4 The more we know about the world in which the Bible was written, the better we understand the Bible itself. During those years the military pressure of the war with the Philistines kept Saul so occupied with his own survival that he was never able to eliminate his rival (1 Samuel 24:16–19). But from David’s point of view, the military pressure had a negative side. Engaged in warfare with the Philistines, Saul’s militia developed into a formidable fighting force. When Saul mounted his first military strike against Nahash, the Ammonite, he led a loosely connected bunch of farmers who had to be threatened with the destruction of their oxen to get them away from their plowing (1 Samuel 11:1–8). When he made his first military move against the Philistines at the outpost of Geba (1 Samuel 13:3–4), he led an army that apparently fought with the farm implements they had at hand (1 Samuel 13:19–22). By the time David took up with Achish, Saul had built an effective unity between the tribes. Their early success against the Philistines (1 Samuel 13:23–14:23) gave them control of a military post and, presumably, its armory. Although Saul was unable to stand against the Philistines and their chariots in a pitched battle, his organization was more than a match for David and his small force. With the Israelites watching him from one side and the Philistines from the other, David had to walk a tightrope to avoid alienating either. If he didn’t perform as a mercenary, he faced the wrath of the Philistines. If he once fought against the Israelites he would never be accepted as king by Israel. To achieve this balancing act, he raided Israelite enemies and told Achish he was plundering Israelite cities (1 Samuel 27:6–12). While keeping his boss happy, he was also winning the allegiance of the Israelite people by defeating their enemies. When the Philistines gathered for an all-out battle against Saul, David was in a situation where he could conceivably be killed by either side. He was saved by the Philistines’ mistrust. Ancient Israelite readers must have laughed at how the wily David had so completely duped his Philistine master. When the other lords of the Philistines insisted that David not be allowed to march into battle with them, Achish returned to David apologetically. He comforted him with the knowledge that the other lords didn’t know David the way he did. David acted the loyal retainer, angered at the mistrust of his master’s allies. Was David right to lie in that way? No, he wasn’t, and the Bible doesn’t applaud David’s deceit. It merely records it. Principle 5 The Bible may accurately record sinful acts without wholeheartedly applauding them. David’s lies, wars, and adulteries are recorded with as much accuracy as his piety and his triumphs. He was a man after God’s own heart, not because he never sinned, but because, having sinned, he repented. (Today's Handbook for Solving Bible Difficulties) 1 Samuel 27:3 And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's widow. with his two: 1Sa 25:3,18-35,42,43 30:5 1 Samuel 27 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries DAVID MOVES FAMILIES TO A PAGAN LAND And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's widow - When David made his detour, he took other lives with him. Lived with Achish is the antithesis of how God had commanded Israel to interact, for they were to be separated from ("be holy" Lev 11:44, et al) the idolatrous nations lest they fall prey to the sensual, seductive practices associated with their idol worship. Each with his household would swell the population of Gath by at least 1000 people, probably more, which would stress the city services and food supply. With his two wives does not get David any bonus points with God, Whose preference is clearly monogamous marriage. As as aside David would continue to add wives and concubines and set up his son Solomon to fall prey to the same sin, a sin which affected Solomon's heart and resulted in breakup of the united nation of Israel! Warren