David’s Close Call: Escaping The Philistine Trap - 1 Samuel 29:1-30:20 Series

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David’s Distress

Last week the writer took us right up to the brink of the war with the Philistines. But once again the writer leaves us with a cliffhanger so that he can go back and resolve the last cliffhanger. Back in chapter 27 we left David in a very tight spot with the Philistines. He had been running this great scheme where he was living among the Philistines so Saul could not get to him, raiding the enemies of Israel, and making the Philistine king think he was raiding Israel. So he is winning favor in Israel, he is winning favor with the Philistines, and he is a safe distance from Saul. He is having his cake and eating it too. He is gaining favor with the Philistines and with the Israelites at the same time.

But then we get a big “Uh oh” at the beginning of chapter 28. The Philistines decide to go to war against Israel, and they tell David, “You will be joining us.” Now what? If David refuses, he will be exposed as being loyal to Israel. If he goes along, he would be forced to fight against his own people. David goes from playing both ends against the middle to being caught between a rock and a hard place. What is David going to do here? How is he going to get out of this?

Disappointing Discharge

29:1 The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.

So we have backed up a few days before the battle, the Philistines are still at their staging area in Aphek, which is near Nederland on our Denver map. Saul is gathering his troops up in Jezreel – which is the Fort Collins exit of I-25.

2 As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear with Achish.

Here you just cannot believe your eyes. The man who was conscience stricken when he just cut the hem off Saul’s robe, is now marching with the uncircumcised Philistines against God’s anointed in battle? Ever watch a movie where the hero goes totally bad? And you are thinking, “Surely this is not what it seems” and yet there is no way to explain what he is doing any other way?

Was that what David was thinking? It does not say. Throughout the book the narrator frequently tells us what people are thinking and what their motives are for what they do. But for now he keeps the suspense and intrigue of the story going by just telling us what David said and did, and not what his motives were.

In verse 3 all the Philistine rulers are having a big meeting about the upcoming battle. They are just about to launch operation Shunem Storm, and the five Philistine kings gather for a top-level summit to strategize for this war. As the soldiers see the five great kings of Philistia all gather together in one tent they might have thought, Boy I’d love to be a fly on the wall in that tent. Well guess what? That is exactly where the narrator is going to take us.

3 The commanders of the Philistines asked, "What about these Hebrews?"

Philistia was ruled by the five kings of their five major cities.

3 …Achish replied, "Is this not David, who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year, and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him." 4 But the Philistine commanders were angry with him and said, "Send the man back”

In the Hebrew that is a very strongly worded direct order. These kings are mad, and they make an ultimatum.

4 … "Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting.” How better could he regain his master's favor than by taking the heads of our own men? 5 Isn't this the David they sang about in their dances: "'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?"

That song the women sang about David had become an international hit. “Every kid in Ekron Elementary School knows the song about David killing tens of thousands of Philistines – and you want to take this guy into battle with us?” So these kings are furious with Achish.

So who is right – Achish or the other rulers? The writer leaves it up to us to figure out where David’s true loyalties lie based on David’s past activities. I think I have to go with the other rulers.