David Plunders Villages (1 Samuel 27)

Is the Bible different to most history books, in that it tells the good and the bad about its heroes? Is church life similar in that both righteous and evil acts are done? Should it shock us that only God is good? Let’s look at 1 Samuel 27.

Did David disbelieve another one of Saul’s promises, not to harm him?

David said in his heart, “I will now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel. So I will escape out of his hand.” David arose and passed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife. Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, so he stopped looking for him. (1 Samuel 27:1-4 WEB)

Where did David finally settle as a gift from a very kind foreign king?

Then David said to Achish, “If you approve of me, please give me a place in one of the towns in the country so I can live there. Why should I, your servant, live in the capital city with you?” So Achish gave the town of Ziklag to David at that time. That’s why Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah until now. David lived in the Philistine countryside for a total of one year and four months. (1 Samuel 27:5-7 CEB)

How did David provide enough to feed a band of over 600 men? Did he raid villages, steal livestock and murder their inhabitants?

The Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites lived in the area from Telam to Shur and on as far as Egypt, and David often attacked their towns. Whenever David and his men attacked a town, they took the sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and the clothing, and killed everyone who lived there. After he returned from a raid, David always went to see Achish, who would ask, “Where did you attack today?” David would answer, “Oh, we attacked some desert town that belonged to the Judah tribe.” Sometimes David would say, “Oh, we attacked a town in the desert where the Jerahmeel clan lives” or “We attacked a town in the desert where the Kenites live.” That's why David killed everyone in the towns he attacked. He thought, “If I let any of them live, they might come to Gath and tell what I've really been doing.” David made these raids all the time he was in Philistia. But Achish trusted David and thought, “David's people must be furious with him. From now on he will have to take orders from me.” (1 Samuel 27:8-12 CEV)

Was David’s heart yet perfect, or did he still need to repent of certain evils?

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. (Matthew 15:19 ESV)

Do we proclaim a very unworthy church with a dark history, or the good news of a loving God and His wonderful kingdom?

For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves because of Jesus. For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:5-7 HCSB)

Should it shock us in church life that none is good but God?

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Nobody is good except for one—God.” (Luke 18:19 ISV)

Is the Bible different to most history books, in that it tells the good and the bad about its heroes? Is church life similar in that both righteous and evil acts are done? Should it shock us that only God is good? You decide!