So as David united northern and southern Israel, what became of his Philistine buddies?
Until now, the Philistines didn’t see David as a threat.
This was mostly because he had built a strong friendship with Achish, the ruler of Gath while living in Philistine territory in Ziklag.
When David returned to Judah, they still viewed him as a loyal ally.
David let them continue in that delusion since the last thing he wanted was a distracting battle with the Philistines while he was gaining control over Israel.
While being crowned king over Judah might have caught the five Philistine rulers by surprise…
Once they heard he had become king over all of Israel, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Any pretense that he was an ally was thrown right out the proverbial window.
They knew then he was no longer an ally.
So they attacked.
Now here’s the thing.
A lot of folks think the Philistines attacked as a means to punish him for betrayal and rebellion.
While that was a factor, there was an even more important reason.
They wanted to stop David from uniting all the Israelite tribes.
Saul never achieved that goal, and a united Israel was perceived as a much bigger threat.
Why?
Because it would be so much harder to control a united Israel rather than a divided one.
There’s a huge takeaway there.
The devil always seeks to divide the body of believers by sowing seeds of dissension and discord.
That’s his biggest strategy and that’s why were encouraged to not neglect regularly connecting with fellow believers…
In this day and age, I guess that could include both online and offline fellowship.
I think offline is better, but virtual can be just as effective.
Either way, do not neglect regularly connecting with the body…
Because “your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
See ya all next time.
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