Zigzagginig In Ziklag Series

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.