Relocating To Gath

I Samuel 27:1-12

“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.” (I Samuel 27:1-3)

After years of living under the constant threat of being killed by Saul and his army,  David began to get discouraged.  Time after time Saul had, just missed capturing or killing him. And David began to fear that sooner or later he wouldn’t miss.  He took refuge in the Philistines lands belonging to Acish king of Gath, bringing his family and servants, including his two wives, as well as his six hundred man army.  For a time, he stayed in the capital with Achish.

“And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.” (I Samuel 27:4)

Much as Saul wanted to kill David, he wasn’t willing to risk invading Philistine territory to get him.  It might trigger all out war, with Israel getting defeated. 

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. 1sa 27:7 And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.” (I Samuel 27:5-6)

Though they tried not to cause trouble, it was a strain to prevent conflicts between six hundred Israelites and thousands of Philistines.  Their cultures, values, language, and religion were different.  It wasn’t long before David asked for a separate place where they could stay without constantly having to be on guard to avoid conflict.  While we are often told how bad segregation is, it often alleviates a lot of problems.

In the early 1970’s, I took a door selling job working in Kansas City.  I quickly discovered that I enjoyed working in both the all black and all white neighborhoods, but I really wasn’t welcome in the mixed neighborhoods where they lived everyday with interracial interaction and resented having to deal with anything else.  Neither blacks nor whites wanted me there.

Achish was experiencing some of the same problems, and gladly donated Ziklag, one of the border cities to David, to provide a buffer zone between Israel and the Philistines.  Ziklag would remain property of David’s descendants for hundreds of years.

“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.” (I Samuel 27:8-9)

Along the southwestern border of Judah and Simeon were several groups that had originally occupied parts of Israel.  They made frequent raids on across the border into Israel.  David took his men and destroyed their bases, leaving no survivors to tell who had made the attacks.

“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.” (I Samuel 27:10-11)

The Philistines had a policy of not bothering the Amalekites and other groups if the didn’t bother them as a way of maintaining a truce.  David knew Achish might consider his attacks on provocative and turn on him, so when asked where they had fought that day David just said they had fought along the southern edge of Judah, against the Kenites and Jerahmeelites, who were friendly to Israel.

“And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.” (I Samuel 27:12)

Achish had no reason to doubt David’s statement, and if he was attacking Israels friends, it would deepen the separation between David and Israel.  He hoped it would seal the relationship between himself and David