SERIES J --- THE WARRIOR KING --- LESSON 07

DAVID IN DESPAIR

DAVID LIVES AT ZIKIAG

From 1 Samuel 27:1 Chronicles 12:1-7

The way things are going, Saul will surely capture me some day,’ David thought. ‘Perhaps I should leave this country and go live among the Philistines. Saul will certainly not look for me there and I shall be safe from him at last.’ With his six hundred men, David went to see King Achish of Gath. The king let David live with him there in his own city, Gath. David’s two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal, was with him. Before long Saul learned that David and his men were living at Gath among the Philistines, so he stopped hunting David. David talked with Achish one day about another place to live. ‘If you feel that I am your friend, let me and my people move to a small village in the country, instead of living here in the royal city,’ David said. Achish agreed and let David and his people move to Ziklag. From that time on Ziklag belonged to the kings of Judah. David continued to live at Ziklag among the Philistines during the next year and four months. From time-to-time David raided the villages of the people who lived near Shur, along the road to Egypt. These included the Geshurites, the Gezrites and the Amalekites. Whenever he did, he would destroy all of the people of the village, take the sheep, oxen, donkeys, camels and return home. ‘Where did you raid this time?’ Achish would ask. ‘Against the Israelites,’ David would answer. ‘We went into southern Judah, also to the territory of the people of Jerahmeel and the territory where the Kenites live.’ Of course, there was no one alive from the conquered villages to tell King Achish what had really happened. This happened many times while David lived among the Philistines. Achish trusted David, so he thought, ‘He will be forced to live here and serve me from now on, for his own people must surely hate him because of these raids.’ These are the names of the great warriors who joined David’s forces while he lived at Ziklag, where he hid from King Saul. They were all skilled bowmen and slingers; they could shoot arrows or sling stones as easily with their left hands as with their right. They were all from the tribe of Benjamin, the same tribe that King Saul belonged to. The chief of these men was Ahiezer. His men included his brother Bash, who was also son of Shemaah of Gibeah, Azmaveth, Berachah and Jehu of Anathoth. Ismaiah of Gibeon was as mighty as any one of The Thirty or perhaps even mightier. There was also Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan and Josabad of Gedera, Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah and Shephatiah from Haruph. Then there was Elkanah, Jesiah, Azareel, Joezer and Jashobeam who were Korahites and Joelah and Zebadiah who were sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

COMMENTARY

FIVE PHILISTINE CITIES

David became very discouraged. He was sure that sooner or later Saul would trap and kill him. David led his men into the land of the Philistines and settled at Ziklag. How long could they live in the land of Israel’s greatest enemy? The Philistines were unique among the inhabitants of Palestine. Unlike their neighbours, they were not governed by a single monarch. They were ruled by a council of five lords, each of whom controlled one of the major cities of Philistia. The governors of Ashkelon, Ashdod, Gath, Gaza and Ekron met together to decide which actions would best serve their common good. The actions of any one of these council members was always subject to the approval of his fellows. An unwise decision could be vetoed by the other four. For example, when Achish of Gath took David with him into battle, his fellow council members overruled him. They did not trust David to fight with the Philistines against his own people. Despite Achish’s confidence in David, he had to send him back to Gath. In other matters of government Achish’s decisions were supported by the council. As Adonai of Gath he was responsible for the administration of the surrounding territory. Ziklag, an Israelite town captured by the Philistines, was in his province. At David’s suggestion, Achish gave him the town as a permanent home for his men and their families.