Faith or Folly?
Opening Prayer
What are you fearful about? Ask God to shelter you under his wing like a baby chick.
Read 1 Samuel 27:1-12
[1] But David thought to himself, “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.” [2] So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. [3] David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. [4] When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him. [5] Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” [6] So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. [7] David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months. [8] Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) [9] Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish. [10] When Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “Against the Negev of Judah” or “Against the Negev of Jerahmeel” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.” [11] He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, “They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.'” And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. [12] Achish trusted David and said to himself, “He has become so obnoxious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant for life.” Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How does David seek protection in Philistia?David doesn’t trust Saul and has a second shot at seeking asylum with Achish (2,3; cf. 21:10). The first time he barely got out alive, and now, even with six hundred soldiers to offer Achish, it’s an outrageously daring solution to the problem of being an outlaw at home and an enemy everywhere else. But why does David do it? Does it betray a lack of faith (God surely can’t carry on intervening in such extraordinary ways)? Or does it reflect a humble desire not to presume on such miracles (“Do not test the Lord your God”)? Or is this confident faith (God protected me from Saul, and he will protect me from the Philistines)? This chapter says nothing about prayer. Instead, David “thought to himself” (1). Is this sinful independence from God or just a case of David using the brain God gave him? Or are we to see these events as the answer to his earlier prayer: “May the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble” (26:24)? We are left to wonder about many things. But not about this: God’s grace abounds to those he has chosen.
Apply
Lately, when making a decision, have you been praying about it to God or relying on your own bright ideas?
Closing prayer
Lord, let’s get into the rest of our day now…. No, You first…. Really, I insist.
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