Wait, Where Was God?

Summarize the text while reading through 1 Sam.27-28:2

Verse 1 — for the second time, David flees to Philistines for protection, sure that Saul will capture and kill him.

Verse 2-4 — David, along with his family, his 600 men, and their families, all went to Gath, to king Achish, and his goal was accomplished: Saul “no longer sought him.”

Verse 5-7 — David asks Achish to provide him and his men a place to stay and the king comes through. He gives David the town of Ziklag, which is how the city became a city of the Judean kings.

Verse 8-10 — In Ziklag, David finds a place to have his cake and eat it, too. He and his men “became desert Raiders who raided desert raiders” (Davis). During this time, David may be proud of himself because he’s taking out God’s vengeance on people who were already promised judgment, taking the spoils of war and giving the king his share. Only one problem, however…

Verse 11 — David didn’t leave anyone alive so that Achish could never know what he was up to. Why the deception? Why the complete massacres? Was this God-sanctioned?

Verse 12 — well, if David’s plan was to gain Achish’s trust, mission accomplished. He became a perpetual servant to Achish, so that…

Chapter 28:1-2 — He was “so successful at making a fool of Achish that Achish unwittingly” made “a traitor of David” (Davis). As the Philistines mount up for an assault on Israel, David and his men are called into action. David’s reply, a little vague: you’ll “know what your servant can do.” Is David seriously going to slaughter the very people he was called to lead and serve and shepherd?

And then, the text moves on. Talk about cliffhanger of all cliffhanger moments!

The story in and of itself is interesting, but there is something strangely missing. Anyone catch it? There’s no mention of God in this text. We are left wondering, “What is God up to during all of this?” We’re not sure, nor does the author give us commentary on how we’re supposed to think about all of this. So, how do we view David, foreshadow of the Messiah, great king of Israel, the man after God’s own heart? All we can do is sift through the clues.

When we begin to think through some of the details, I think we see a text that is sympathetic to David…while also painting him as being in the wrong. What we do know, and what David should remember, is the fact that YHWH has repeatedly protected him, even given Saul into his hands twice! But, that is missing from David’s calculations.

Further, the picture of David’s butchery is not flattering. There is no indication that God had directed David to do this, and while it ultimately accomplished the judgment of God, David did it to keep his secret in tact (verse 11: “David would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring news to Gath, thinking, ‘lest they should tell about us’”). Even the Amalekites, in chapter 30, will show more restraint…less brutality…than David does.

So it seems the text is simultaneously sympathetic for the to-be king, but also critical of his actions. And, further complicating the passage is the fact that not all commentators agree on how to take this passage. I make that concession as well. But, there does seem to be enough agreement that we can draw some pertinent lessons from a passage that is devoid of a mention of God. So, let’s give it a shot.

Speak Truth in the Silence

The whole sequence of events in chapter 27 starts with David’s own inner dialogue: he “said in his heart” that Saul would one day kill him. I think it can literally be translated that David said to his heart, and whatever we speak to the core of our being, true or false, can and typically will affect our decisions and actions.

Is there a part of us that can be sympathetic to David here? If we’re thinking clearly, and not from theological pedestals, then absolutely. If you’ve ever walked through a fire, only the fire seems to be never-ending, you’ve probably found yourself in a similar situation, thinking, “I know God has brought me through before, but I’m not sure how much more He can do.” It’s easy, sometimes, to detach ourselves from real life when it comes to biblical texts. We know the rest of the story. We have the advantage of hindsight. We forget that these are real stories with real people and real struggles. But with that in mind, we see a grave folly on David’s part…he looks at and focuses on his situation and searches for rescue in Gath rather than God.

Now David’s situation is different than ours, sure. He’s still on the run from a madman, and the kingship of God’s people is on the line, but I believe there are enough parallels to find instruction. The question that looms before us is this: how do we avoid deceiving ourselves (or being deceived by the enemy’s lies) with substitute “truths,” as if you can really call them that?

What I’m about to say may sound a little pop-psychology-ish, but it’s true: we must speak truth to ourselves about God. The most influential voice you have is the one inside your head, the one you speak to yourself constantly throughout the day. What we say to ourselves matters.

Let me say it again…

What you and I say to ourselves matters. We must speak truth to ourselves, truth rooted in and informed by God, His Spirit, and particularly His Word. Feed your soul “true propaganda, especially about the adequacy of our God” (Davis).

So here’s something we need to pray about and contemplate and wrestle with: what do I say to myself?

Seek Wisdom from Above

The Book of Proverbs is a host of wisdom that would feed our souls well. I wish I were a better student of them. One such proverb is found in Proverbs 14:12 (“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”).

So, let’s think about this passage in those terms.

There is a way that seems right to a man.

Again, imagine the emotional toll that has likely rocked David. Surely he was dog-tired. He’d faced the hatred of Saul and his army. The local folks had betrayed him…more than once! There were wives and families to think about, logistics and safety concerns for those families. He also seemed to always be one step ahead of death.

David thinks to himself, “I’ve got to do something.” And, if we were to look solely at outcomes, David is successful, his actions vindicated, his thinking correct. Finally his people are able to sleep in a city instead of a cave. His plan works and Saul doesn’t pursue him anymore. His plan works and Achish gives him the city Ziklag. David’s plan works and he attacks Israel’s enemies. David plan works as he effectively deceives Achish. Even if the plan isn’t full of faith, it is full of success.

But, Prov.14:12 is more than a way that seems right to man. It goes on to say:

It’s end is the way to death.

I want you to know I’m not trying to heap on David. Again, I doubt I would’ve fared much better in his circumstance. I mean, first off, I highly doubt I’d ever be in line to the king in the first place, and second, I’m pretty sure I would’ve failed one of those two previous tests about not touching the Lord’s anointed. But I digress.

David’s plan, particularly his deception of Achish, has worked a little too well. He’s now being conscripted to fight against his own people, against Israel. And, if he marches with the Philistines, what will the cost be? On one hand, labeled a Benedict Arnold of the highest degree, a Judas if there ever was one. Would he ever gain the confidence and trust of Israel if he marches with Achish and attacks his own kin. Still, if he doesn’t march…if he turns on the Philistines, even…how does he then escape their clutches? To be on the run from Saul, with a head start, in a land you’re familiar with is one thing, but to be surrounded by the enemy army in unfamiliar territory is another thing altogether.

Again, I’m not taking a shot at David, but missing in the whole scenario is the fact that God’s purpose is bigger than simply escaping Saul.

Here is where we pause and remember that we must seek wisdom over feeling. By this, I mean we must learn to see bigger pictures, to think outside of the confines of our emotions, and learn to develop discernment. Again, the book of proverbs helps us:

Proverbs 3:5–6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

I honestly do believe that this book, the Bible, is sufficient for everything we face in life. And, this passage helps us understand how it does this. We trust the Lord, lean not on our understanding, and acknowledge Him each and every step. Sometimes we get this a little mixed up. Proverbs doesn’t say throw your understanding out the window, but to not lean on it. Davis sums it up like this: “lean on the Lord and use your understanding; don’t lean on your understanding and use the Lord.”

But this type of wisdom doesn’t come overnight. It’s cultivated and crafted through the years. That’s why we find something like this in Job:

Job 12:12 “Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.”

And, wisdom is a spiritual matter as well. James instructs us to “ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking” (James 1:5).

So we commit to learning the craft of wisdom, to apply biblical truth to everyday life, and we lean in to prayer, remembering that we need the Spirit’s direction moment-by-moment. If ever I become, and this is a lesson God has been hammering home in my heart lately, if I ever become solely dependent on myself and my understanding, without seeking and depending on the Spirit’s guidance, I’m operating out of pride and not humble dependence.

Let Grace Grip You

We’ve mentioned that there is a certain sympathy for David and his situation in this text. However, we still have to wrestle with the fact that the writer paints “Philistine” David, Desert Raider David, as a ruthless, deceitful butcher to cover his own tracks.

Let that sink in for a moment.

While sympathetic, there is an open and honest display of David’s sinful nature.

We’ve been careful along the way in 1 Samuel to not make a hero of David, but it’s only natural to do so. It’s easy to sympathize with the guy who was hunted by Saul, the madman king who wanted nothing more than to wash his hands in David’s blood. And, we’ve marveled at David’s innocence and faith in the matter. He’s slayed giants when everyone else was scared to step forward. He’s the guy whose heart longs for YHWH. He’s the most unlikely of heroes, yet he seems to come out on top, and everyone loves a good “underdog story.” It’s easy for David to win your heart.

But now? This? David, how could you? What has gotten in to you? I’m so disappointed in you? What were you thinking?

And, why would the Bible tell us such unpolished truth about David?

And, why would God anoint a man capable of such atrocities? Saul was bad, but after this, is David that much better?

But then again, maybe this text isn’t just about David’s mistake. Maybe it’s about ours as well. Maybe it’s about our temptation toward hero worship. Maybe it’s about the temptation to put our favorite Bible characters on a pedestal, exalting them too highly and believing that they’re the ones we’re called to emulate.

The text is reminding us that David is made of the same stuff we’re all made of. We’re nothing more than clay pots, and those clay pots are filled to the brim with sin. It’s not just that God’s kingdom is filled with sinners saved by grace, but even chief characters of the story along the way — sinners indebted to the matchless grace of God.

Today’s text makes every effort to reject the idea of David as a mirror for godly virtue. God’s servants are not “dipped in Clorox so they will be infallibly sin-free.” God never has clean material to work with. And, we can’t be frustrated with God that He’d use a broken and sin-stained servant. Rather, we should marvel that He’d roll up His sleeves and work with such dirty clay in the first place. Davis sums it up:

“As long as we wallow (however subtly) in some idea of human worthiness we will never understand the Bible,

“never tremble before this God, and never delight in this God.”

The scarlet thread that runs throughout salvation history, the one that violently assaults our pride and humbles us at the foot of the cross, is the story of grace. May we never outgrow our spiritual poverty. May we never get over the cross. May we never think that we’ve grown beyond our need for grace. We may never fail to give Him humble thanks.