THE VERY RELATABLE LIFE OF KING DAVID
ZIGZAGGING IN ZIKLAG
1 Samuel 27:1-12
#kingdavid
INTRODUCTION… ZigZag, google.com/books/edition/Word_Origins_And_How_We_ Know_ Them/sMiRc-JFIfMC?q=zigzag
Some words in the English language are more fun than others. ‘Shananigans’ is a fun word that literally means ‘fun activities with a side of mischief.’ ‘Bodacius’ and ‘gnarly’ and ‘tubular’ are fun words and for some reason I want to sound like a surfer dude from California when I say them. ‘Malarkey’ is another fun word to say. Whenever I hear the word ‘malarkey’ I think about a radio jingle that says, ‘you don’t have to put up with any malarkey, call 888-8SPARKY.
Zigzag is also one of those fun words. Zigzag sounds like a fun action word. ‘Zigzag’ means to have a line our course that has abrupt right and left turns. ‘Zigzag’ means to turn right and left often. Zigzag is the shape and the action. I know ‘zigzag’ is a fun word because more than one language has a ‘zigzag’ and it means the same thing. If you are a word and you cross language barriers, that is a good word. According to the riveting book, “Word Origins and How We Know Them,” English, French, and German all have ‘zigzag.’
Apparently, ‘zigzag’ was first used in 1793 in the phase ‘zig here and zag there’ and zagging is more of an effort than zigging. I mention the word ‘zigzag’ because it is a phrase that basically means ‘not in a straight line.’ Zigzag might be a fun word, but not necessarily when it comes to life. In life, straight lines are good and zigzags are not so good. Zigzags mean we are lost or making poor decisions or wandering.
We are taking a look at the very relatable life of King David and we have made it to 1 Samuel 27. In 1 Samuel 27, David does some zigzagging in Ziklag and he is worse for it. 1 Samuel 27 is not very long. It is only 12 verses. Let’s read about the life of David.
READ 1 SAMUEL 27:1-12 (ESV)
Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.” 2 So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 3 And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's widow. 4 And when it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, he no longer sought him. 5 Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” 6 So that day Achish gave him Ziklag. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. 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.”
TRANSITION
This passage is a bit odd. At first glance, there is not much for us in these 12 verses of David’s life. And yet, 1 Timothy 3:16-17 is very clear:
READ 1 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 (ESV)
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
What does this chapter of David’s life share with us that we can learn?
What might be a scolding that we can correct?
What should we see that we do not repeat the same mistakes?
What training is present in the verses so we would be more like God?
I. THE HEART OF DAVID (VERSE 1)
Verse 1 is one of the most telling verses in chapter 27 because it gives us a look inside of David’s heart. Verse 1 begins as much, “David said in his heart.” The rest of the verse shares what is going on inside David and to be honest, it isn’t that great. There are two phrases that are important as they make their way around David’s heart and mind.
First, David says in his heart, “I shall perish.” David has been on the run for quite a little bit from King Saul and the running and the stress and the anxiety are getting to him. Notice his words. He says very clearly, “I SHALL perish.” He knows this certainty that Saul will catch up with him and he will die. That is a foregone conclusion in his mind. It is a wrong conclusion, but it is what he thinks and feels.
How do we know this is the wrong conclusion? In 1 Samuel 16, David is anointed by the prophet Samuel to succeed Saul as king over Israel by the Word of the Lord. He will be king. In chapter 27, is David king yet? No. Therefore, David’s life will continue based on the promise of the Word of God. In chapter 17, puny insignificant runt David killed huge expert warrior Goliath with the help of God. He should have died and been squished into a David pancake, but he was victorious because God gave him that ability. In 1 Samuel 23:17, Jonathan the son of Saul brings a word of strength from God (and of verse 16) to David when he said very clearly:
READ 1 SAMUEL 23:17 (ESV)
“And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Saul my father also knows this.”
Not only that, but when he first meets Abigail who would become his wife later she said to him:
READ 1 SAMUEL 25:28-29 (ESV)
Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live. 29 If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the LORD your God. And the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling.
David ought to know that Saul will not catch him or kill him. David ought to know that by the promise of the Almighty God he will one day be king over Israel and that is the will of God. Nothing stops the will of God. How do we know this is the wrong conclusion? God told him so.
Second, David says in his heart, “There is nothing better for me.” David is enduring a time of trial and testing and he is feeling despair. He does not see the end of it. He does not see a good result coming from anything that he is experiencing. He does not see where the path is on will lead and so he decides to zigzag. In summary, David does not like the path God has set him on and he decides he’d like to do something else. David takes deliberate and purposeful actions to change the direction of his life. He wants to escape looking over his shoulder for King Saul. Verse 4 actually tells us that in some small way he was correct. David thought that if he escaped to the lands of the Philistines that his life would be better because Saul would not chase him. Yes, Saul did not chase him, but as we will discover in a moment, it was no better.
‘Better’ is a subjective word. Better never means what you think. A better life may not look like what you think. A better spouse may not be what you want or need. A better job may come with different stresses. A better car will just have different issues. A better house or neighborhood will still have disappointments or crazy neighbors. Better is subjective and never means what you think. May I also suggest that wherever God wants you is definitely better than anything else.
TRANSITION
So, we see a little bit of David’s heart. What does David’s heart lead him to do?
II. SETTING APART FROM GOD (VERSES 2-7)
As I mentioned earlier, David decides to zigzag over to the lands of the Philistines and eventually lands in a town called Ziklag. He is zigzagging in Ziklag. Ziklag is in the lands of the Philistines, but away from the coast and out in the desert. David packs up his whole household and goes to the King at Gath and settles among the Philistines. It is not just David that does this. Based on David’s leadership, the 600 men who were with him also pack up their homes and families and travel with David and settle with him. I can imagine their whole group was probably around 2,000 people as a good guestimation.
I would like you to notice where David decided was better for him and his family and his men. He decided to settle in a land that was not dedicated to God. He is literally surrounded by the enemies of his people and those that despise the worship of God. He is keeping company with idol worshippers and those that are hostile to him. Somehow, he thinks that is better.
It is never better for us to separate ourselves from God. David literally, for over a year, physically separated himself from the places he needed to be and the people with which he needed to deal. He just zigged away. He was not where he should have been. In his despair, he literally and metaphorically went in the wrong direction.
The Bible talks about this kind of behavior elsewhere and warns us why it is a big deal.
READ Proverbs 19:27 (ESV)
Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
READ Proverbs 13:20 (ESV)
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
READ 1 Corinthians 15:33 (ESV)
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
We must understand that the wrong thinking and the wrong feeling in David’s heart led him to pick up and leave the Promised Land of Israel and settle amongst the idol-worshipping Philistines. He is not where he is supposed to be and it is not better!
Do you want to know how else we know David is set apart from God? How else do we know zigzagging in Ziklag is a bad thing and not beneficial for him? God isn’t mentioned anywhere in chapter 27. Not a prayer. Not a consideration of God. Not a word. In David’s despair and anxiety, he not only physically moved apart from God, but I think he did internally as well.
TRANSITION
At this point, we might be thinking that none of this thus far has been that big of a deal. Yes, David has been on the run and he finally got to a physical place where Saul wouldn’t chase him. So, what? Yes, David moves in among the Philistines and settles, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to become a Philistine. So, what? Verses 8-12 share with us why this is important.
III. COMPROMISE (VERSES 8-12)
Verses 8-12 are all about compromise.
On the surface, we see that David does something quite ingenious. While living among the Philistines, he literally attacks his neighbors and so by proxy he is defending Israel. Israel does not have to deal with the Geshurites and Girzites, and Amalekites because David has already messed with them and weakened them so they are no threat to Israel. The local Philistines are happy because they hear David’s lie about attacking his own people and they accept it and they feel like things are going their way.
By the way, archeologists have determined that of all the ancient people, one group stands out as the most agreeable among all ancient people… the Geshurites… the Guess-you’re-rights. Don’t worry, we’ll be done soon.
Anyway, on the surface, it seems like David is doing good. He is defending Israel in a sly manner behind enemy lines. Way to go David! And yet. And yet… Notice verses 9. Verse 9 is quite sad really. Verse 9 shares with us that David attacks the towns and yes, plunders all of their stuff, but yes, he also kills everyone.
Here is the question: Who told him to do that? Did Saul command David to wipe out whole towns? Did the Philistine kings ask David to wipe out whole towns? The best question and the real question is actually: Did God at all command David to wipe out these towns? God has given those orders before as part of his judgment against people because of their sinfulness. Those are hard passages to study and read and think about because we know God is love and righteous and holy, but He is also just and wrathful and the Judge of all of us. God did not tell him to kill all those people. He did that all on his own. He sinned. He erred. He broke commandments.
David is apart from God and he is compromising. It is a very small step, by the way, once we separate ourselves from God to compromise our morals or rationalize our actions or justify ourselves about what we have said or done. Remember better is a subjective word that leads David to set himself apart from God and to compromise. We can do that. Easy.
* We deserve to be happy so we compromise and think we were never in love in the first place and we justify our divorce because we want to be with someone better who loves us and doesn’t make life hard.
* We think this other job will be better and make us more money, but first we just have to compromise cutting out our family for more hours and agree to some minor lying and then the better paying job is ours.
* We know we need a better car because when people look at us we want them to see success and like us and have a good opinion of us. We can’t afford it, but we do it anyway because the money will come from somewhere.
* We are tired of being tired and tired of being overwhelmed with worry so we decide that drinking often helps relieve the unsettledness of life and decide that it is better to be a functional alcoholic than to deal with life.
* Perhaps you have your own example.
And notice that in any of those situations, I mentioned God not once.
As usual, the Bible does not leave us alone in thinking about such things, but rather offers wisdom and guidance and helps us understand what we are reading.
READ Hebrews 3:12-13 (ESV)
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
David’s heart led him away from God and he was hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. He killed and lied and I believe he probably felt justified in doing so. Yet, nowhere in any verse or even between the verses did God tell David to do what he did.
READ Proverbs 16:25 (ESV)
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
TRANSITION
1 Samuel 27 is 12 verses of David’s life. We find David in despair and anxiety and perhaps believing lies in his spirit and he sets himself apart from God and compromises who he is and his relationship with God. David did that. Maybe you have done that. Maybe you are doing that right now. Maybe this will be a temptation in the future. What do we do?
APPLICATION
For David, it takes a tremendous tragedy in chapter 30 for God to grab his attention and to get him back on the right path. David eventually comes back to following the will of God, but again, it takes God allowing a tragedy to shake David from this episode in his life.
I do not want you to suffer a tragedy or for life to become such that God has to shake you to get your attention. I don’t want that for me and I don’t want that for you. Tragedy helps, but what else might be the answer? As I was thinking and praying on the answer to that question, a passage of Scripture popped into my head.
READ Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Thinking about all that we have talked about this morning, I cannot help but read Hebrews 12:1-2 and think:
* Avoid zigzagging in life by shaking off sins in our lives and running straight to God.
* Avoid zigzagging in life by looking to Jesus regularly and often and continually.
* Avoid separating ourselves from God by praying and asking for endurance for life.
* Avoid compromise by trusting that the author and perfecter of our faith is better and best.
CONCLUSION
ILLUSTRATION… Getting Home (p)
Right after we moved here and not too long after we moved into our house, State Road 54 had a midlife crisis and started to crumble. That road is a great way for me to get home from church. The road and construction crews shut down 54 and so I had to find an alternate way home. There are about 15 different ways to get from the church to my house, but none of them are as good as SR 54. Why? All the other 15 ways are zigzagging through the country up and down hills and slower. Zigzagging is not the way to get home.
May I suggest that zigzagging is not the way to follow God either. David experienced this. May you and I look to Jesus and abide in Him and run with endurance the life of faith God has set before us. Let’s avoid the zigzags.
PRAYER
INVITATON
Hebrews 12:1-2… ‘author of faith’
