DAVID, SAUL AND ACHISH

Time with Jesus - Monday, 24 December 2012

Hi all,

Today’s meditation focus on three men; they were contemporaries. All three were either kings or would become kings. Saul, king of Israel and Judah; king Achish of Gath in Philistia and the future king David of Israel and Judah. Three most unlikely characters; yet the interaction between the three of them would more or less define the future of Israel and Judah with Philistia. It’s all convoluted in the book of First Samuel. This book makes fascinating reading. From Samuel to the death of Saul, complete with the life of the pre-royal David. Wonderful Biblical history.

Blessings,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Monday, 24 December 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	DAVID, SAUL AND ACHISH
Do animals laugh? It’s a strange sort of a question but strange things do happen and answers are never easy to come by. I can’t think I’ve ever seen anything like laughter from any animal that I’ve come across. I can remember seeing a “Francis the Talking Mule” movie. But I suspect it was “rigged” for Donald O’Connor’s benefit. We do have an account of Balaam’s donkey speaking in Numbers 22:28. Read it and see. The donkey certainly wasn’t laughing! Many folk feel that the Bible has no humour in it. It’s true that most of it is tragedy, or human stupidity if you prefer. But dotted here and there we find delightfully amusing statements. One of my favourites is found in the book of Jeremiah. Speaking about idols of the nations, Jeremiah records the Lord as saying, 5 Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good." Jer. 10:5 NIV. I love it. For me it’s the ultimate Biblical “put down”. There is very little we could describe as “funny” in the tale of the Saul, David and Achish. If it had been written by Shakespeare, it would be classified and included as one of his tragedies like Hamlet and Macbeth. King Saul who could be classified as the villain of the piece had become quite mad. He was obsessed with a desire to kill David. He seems to me to have had a depressive nature. Then he heard the women sing: - 7 "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands."1 Samuel 18:7 NIV. Saul hadn’t read “How to Make Friends and Influence People”. For a while he sat on it and “incubated” it! Then, when his envious anger broke out of its shell, he threw a spear at David. David ducked! If he hadn’t, he could never have become the King. From that time, more or less, David was on the run. The saga of David running from Saul comprises much of 1 Samuel. Saul’s determination to capture and kill David was a calamity. In the end, almost in desperation, David leaves the country and goes to live with King Achish of Gath! Perhaps the same Gath as Goliath’s home? The time David spent in Philistia seems to have been an all-time, pre Bathsheba, low. It does little for his reputation. He is revealed as a liar and heartless killer. He was nearly murdered by his men at Ziklag. While living in hiding from Saul in Philistia, he fooled Achish into thinking he was raiding his own people. The truth is he was raiding the places of Israel’s enemies. Achish was fooled. The Philistine officers were not. David was still the enemy. Hence David didn’t have to fight Saul in the battle with the Philistines. In this battle, Saul and three of his sons died. One of them was David’s blood covenant brother Jonathan. What a tragedy! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			3 The Philistine officers asked, "What are these Hebrews doing here?" Achish asked the Philistine officers, "Isn't this David, the servant of King Saul of Israel, who has been with me now for a year or two? I've found nothing wrong with him from the day he defected until now." 1 Samuel 29:3 GW 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed because the Spirit of glory-the Spirit of God-is resting on you. 15 If you suffer, you shouldn't suffer for being a murderer, thief, criminal, or troublemaker. 16 If you suffer for being a Christian, don't feel ashamed, but praise God for being called that name. 1 Peter 4:14-16 GW 16 Don't let something you consider good be spoken of as if it were evil. Romans 14:16 NIrV 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Peter 2:12 TNIV 14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 ESV 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellences of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. 1 Peter 2:9 ESV	The very strangest threesome that you could ever see. David, Saul and Achish. An “oddball” history! Saul was chasing David. He wished to see him dead. Achish was a Philistine. A man whom Saul should dread. David had been running, to get away from Saul. Anyone who helped him, found no mercy at all. He slaughtered all the priests who lived within the town of Nob. The Hebrews wouldn’t do it, so Doeg did the job! Doeg was an Edomite, so it is no surprise, He would kill the Priests of Nob; to look good in Saul’s eyes. Saul kept hounding David. I think he had gone mad! David wouldn’t harm Saul; though he be good or bad. Saul was God’s anointed, so David wouldn’t kill, This ruler who went crazy. He ran away until, In order to find respite, he joined the Philistines. And so he went to Achish to join their army’s lines. Achish was a ruler. Gath was his home town. Goliath was the Gathite whom David had struck down. It didn’t seem to matter and David was “his man”, So Achish gave him Ziklag; for David, a good plan. For sixteen months in Ziklag and Gath, David would raid The enemies of Israel, a dreadful price was paid. Women, men and children were all put to the sword. He said that they were Hebrews; but it was just a fraud, He used to trick King Achish. He told a bunch of lies; So he would be acceptable. Impressive in the eyes, Of Achish and his people. But would he go and fight, Against Saul and his people? How could he get that right? The generals of the Philistines refused to take him on. And very soon next morning, David’s men were gone. They all went back to Ziklag. But Ziklag was forsaken. Raided by Amalekites; and everyone was taken. All his men were angry and David took the blame. And so in desperation unto the Lord he came. There he found encouragement and what he had to do. Go and bring them back again before your men kill you! The mission was successful and families restored. All was “done and dusted”; courtesy the Lord. Jim Strickland  Written 24th December 2012