My husband loves westerns so I watch with him because I love him!  The theme is usually the same—defense of the land where the good family resides. The two main characters can be described as follows:  the one wearing the white hat, has a gentle nature, always helping others, is good. The surly looking and cruel arrogant character dressed in black is obnoxious and bad.  The bad one wants to have all that the good one has and will do anything to get it.  For more clarification—the one who has the better horse is generally the good one.  The bad one is the outlaw who takes and never gives.  So, there you have it.

But wait, why are they calling David an outlaw?  Because David is on the run from King Saul who wants to keep everything he currently has—including the throne.  David has been chosen and anointed by God to be the next King of Israel.  But until that happens, he is on the run from man who refusing to give up or give in to God.  David in on the “outs” with Saul, therefore he is an outlaw to King Saul—even thought David is his son-in-law.  Confused?  Read on, there’s so much more!  So, who says the Bible is not exciting?!  God’s story is most exciting saga of the human condition you will ever read with powerful solutions for all who call on His Holy Name!

1 Samuel 27

David Among the Philistines

But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”

² So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. ³ David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. ⁴ When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

⁵ Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”

⁶ So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. ⁷ David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.

⁸ Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) ⁹ Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.

¹⁰ When Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “Against the Negev of Judah” or “Against the Negev of Jerahmeel” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.” ¹¹ He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, “They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’” And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. ¹² Achish trusted David and said to himself, “He has become so obnoxious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant for life.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“Keep your friends close; your enemies closer.”  David runs to where King Saul will not likely follow him—to enemy territory—where the Philistines reside and have possession of since the beginning.  Gath is the place Goliath grew up taller than any other man.  But David was able to have an alliance with Achish long enough to “hide out”, laying well below Saul’s radar.  Why do this in this way?

David knew that his life was in jeopardy as long as Saul was alive. David’s relationship with Saul who wanted him dead drove him so far from his homeland and heritage that David resorted to an alliance with the Philistine king who allowed him to survive as an outlaw.  Achish allows it for his own selfish reasons.

Troubles and conflicts sometimes entice us to make accommodations we normally would find unacceptable.  We all are tempted to compromise and make concessions to the enemy when nothing else seems to work.  But is our trust and faith in God slipping in these times of perplexity?  I am reminded of Paul’s statement of faith and resolve, written to the church while in prison for preaching Jesus;

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 

Paul continues to declare what God is doing in us as we live by faith;

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. –Paul, 2 Corinthians 4:10-18

The statement “confused and perplexed, but not broken” is a powerful expression of resilience, often preached by Paul and others about overcoming adversity. Paul warns us often, in facing challenges and uncertainties, to hold on to our hope with a strong grip on God’s will for this is the way in Jesus Name to persevere in all circumstances. Paul and the other apostles, disciples, teachers and preachers had the power to overcome because they lived with the Overcomer deep inside them!

The problems and obstacles we encounter in life are meant to cultivate faith, wisdom, patience, and confidence. We can profit from facing such obstacles as we allow God to shape our character through them. (Read James 1)

God is shaping David’s character—even as an outlaw to Saul.  God is shaping and molding David’s character, grooming David as the next King of Israel.    

How is God shaping my life through my current circumstances?  That is a question God loves to answer.  May God’s glory be seen in us as we allow God to do what He does best—mold and shape us until we become all He created us to be.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” Proverbs 3:5

Lord,

Thank you, Holy Spirit for leading us to all that is true and right. Thank you for leading us through the storms of life that perplex us. Thank you for reminding me that troubles we see are temporary and teach us how to live now as we prepare for life with you which is eternal. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen