David runs from Nob to Gath, about 23 miles southwest, carrying bread and a sword.
This was risky as all hell!
Why?
Because he was heading to Philistine territory.
Why would David have hopes of being protected by the very enemies he had battled for so long?
When the King of Gath (Achish) spotted David, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Achish’s servants immediately shout out…
“Isn’t this David, king of the land?
Weren’t they dancing
and singing to each other,”
‘Sha’ul has killed his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands?”
At this point, Achish knew David wasn’t Israel’s king.
His men had been fighting Saul and his soldiers for years.
Yet he was still shocked.
Why would David show up in his town?
The King of Gath had good reason to be very suspicious…
And more than a little worried.
Okay, let’s pause here for a second.
I dunno if you realize it but the irony is so thick you could cut it with a dull, wooden butter knife.
David…
The slayer of Goliath…
Is carrying Goliath’s own sword…
To Goliath’s hometown…
In the hopes of being protected out of all people, the Philistines…
Israel’s sworn arch enemies.
Holy cow!!!
So let me ask you an important question.
From God’s perspective, do you think David was in the right when he fled to Philistine territory?
Was this the equivalent of David metaphorically “returning to Egypt” out of desperation?
From God’s perspective, was this allowable given the circumstances?
Or should he have trusted God by staying in Promised Land territory?
Lemme know in the comments below.
could not david do almost anything he wanted as long as GOD was with him,, every step of the way???
My point is I’m not so sure God was with David when he ventured into Philistine-controlled territory.