David has had his ups and downs while running from Saul. He has saved a town, and gained an army. He has hidden and run and protected. He has lost his wife, and gained some more.
I Samuel 25:42-44- And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife. David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives. But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.
It seemed that every time things started to look good for David, Saul was at his heels again.
I Samuel 26:1-3- And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon? Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.
Saul had come to where David was hiding and he brought an army of 3,000 with him. Remember, David only had about 600 men in his army.
I Samuel 26:4-7- David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed. And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him. Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.
David and his nephew sneaked down to Saul's camp while the people were sleeping. They were able to creep right up to where Saul was laying with his spear in the ground beside him.
I Samuel 26:8-12- Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless? David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish. The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go. So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.
Abishai, David's nephew, wanted David to let him kill Saul. The Lord had put the whole army into such a deep sleep that no one woke up to see them. But, David, again, would not kill Saul. He knew that he would rather be on the run and in God's protective grace, than on the throne with God's judgement.
David stole the spear and the water canteen that Saul had and then he and Abishai sneaked far enough away to not get attacked when they woke Saul and his army up.
I Samuel 26:13-16- Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of an hill afar off; a great space being between them: And David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king? And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord. This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD'S anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster.
David called out to the captain of Saul's army, Abner. He told Abner that he had been careless in his duty. He asked Abner to look around and see where Saul's spear and canteen were. For someone to get that close to the king was really bad! The captain would normally be put to death for being so careless.
But, Saul recognized David's voice.
I Sameul 26:17-18- And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king. And he said, Wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?
Saul asked if it was David talking. David said, "Yes, and why are you trying to kill me again?"
I Samuel 26:21-25- Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. And David answered and said, Behold the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it. The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed. And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation. Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
Saul realized that he was being foolish trying to kill David again. He told David that he would stop hunting him. David returned Saul's stuff, and Saul left.
But, David knew that Saul wouldn't stop trying to kill him. He knew that if he were to stay in Israel that Saul would hunt him down again.
I Samuel 27:1-3- And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David dwelt 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.
David took his two wives and his army and moved to the land of the Philistines. When Saul heard that, he knew it would be pointless to try and hunt David any more.
I Samuel 27:4- And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.
David made friends with the king of Gath, and he settled down to his new life there.
I Samuel 27:5-6- And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee? Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.
David asked the king, Achish, if he could have a small town to live in. Achish gave David the town of Ziklag. From that day on it belonged to the kings of Judah.
Even though David lived among the Philistines, he knew what God wanted of him. He still fought the Lord's battles.
I Samuel 27:7-12- And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months. And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish. And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites. And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines. And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.
David went out and destroyed the enemies of the Israelites. He made sure to kill everyone in the places he attacked so that no one could tell that it was David who had destroyed them. When king Achish asked him where he had battled, he would say that he had battled against people in Israel. Achish believed David because he liked him.
David stayed here and lived this way for over a year.
