David and Achish: the minority report (Pt. II)

David as an example of faith in difficult circumstances rather than the constant cynic and failure we are often taught

The Death of Saul (unknown)

Author’s Note: this article is based on a sermon I preached at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Blacksburg, VA in June 21, 2015. It was first published on The Aquila Report on July 16, 2015.

In Part I, we argued that when David flees to Philistia in I Samuel 27 and 29, he is not backsliding in faith, but rather doing what he can to serve God faithfully in difficult circumstances. We argued this for five different reasons:

1) The literary structure of I Samuel 21-29 shows David growing in godliness, not backsliding, except his confessed sin in chapter 25.
2) Psalm 56, a Psalm of distress, may well have been written in this period.
3) The text nowhere describes David’s actions as sinful.
4) Practically, treachery to Israel would have undermined his ascension to the throne.
5) Most importantly, the results of David’s venture are positive, and thus reveal his true motives.

We turn now to the positive fruit that the text indicates results from this episode in David’s life. And once again, we find five.

1) David ends Israel’s civil war 

We read in I Samuel 27:4 that Saul no longer pursued David.  Indeed, the last word Saul exchanges with David is when he gives him his blessing in 26:25, sincerely or not. But it is David’s flight to Philistia that leads to peace in Israel. As he could not in godliness either fight or kill Saul, David had no other option but to flee. And that brings unity, of a sort, to God’s people. In this, David reflects the mind of Christ, who prayed that His people may be one, as He and the Father are one (John 17:21). A true King, such as David, always seeks the peace of God’s people, even at great personal sacrifice. In this, David demonstrates the wisdom that is from above, reaping a harvest of righteousness and peace by his flight (James 3:13-18).

2) David repossesses part of the Promised Land without any bloodshed  

The narrator reveals this remarkable fact in I Samuel 27: 6: “So Achish gave (David) Ziklag that day; therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.”  David wanted to live away from the Philistine regional capital of Gath in order to remain elusive, as we will see below. But as a practical result, he ends up annexing part of Philistia back for Israel. So the Kingdom of God (which at this era of redemptive history maintained actual borders) expands into Philistia, all without any blood being shed. This is part of David’s deceptive strategy to do what he could to defeat the Philistines even though he had only six hundred men at his command. It also is a foreshadow and type of Christ who now expands His Kingdom throughout the world through the ministry of the Church, all without bloodshed, a Kingdom of grace without earthly borders (cf., Matthew 28:18-20).

3) David continues to fight Israel’s Holy War as their King in exile 

In I Samuel 27:8ff, we read of David’s raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amelekites. We do not know much about the first two groups, other than that the text tells us that they “were inhabitants of the land from ancient times.” But we know that the Amelekites were to be the subjects of Israel’s holy war, and were to have been wiped out in the initial conquest. This is not the place to go into the details and propriety of holy war in the Old Testament, but David appears to be engaging in a form of it. He does indeed take plunder, which is forbidden in holy war, cf., Deuteronomy 20, but he appears to do so in order to trick Achish into thinking that David’s raids were actually against the people of Israel.

What then of David’s lying to Achish?  In my judgment, this is a lawful use of wartime deception, a way to remain within Philistia while yet carrying out his duties as Israel’s king. There is no clear parallel today since the Church is never to use the sword, but a rough equivalent may be the propriety of a German Christian lying to local Nazi officials about Jews hidden in her basement.

The point is that David is continuing to act as Israel’s true king by defending them, even in exile. Most kings who go into exile do so in great luxury, and only to protect their own hides. Not so David. David continues to risk his life by conducting a holy war against the original inhabitants of the Promised Land. These are hardly the actions of a rebel or backslider, but of a man devoted to his God, in season and out of season.

4) David evangelizes the Philistines 

This may be one of the most unexpected results, and yet one clearly hinted at in the text.  In I Samuel 29:6, while defending David against the (probably accurate) fears of the other Philistine lords, Achish says to David: “As the LORD (Yahweh) lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army are pleasing in my sight.” Commentators consider it significant that Achish the Philistine uses the covenantal name of God, though most think he retains his polytheism in doing so. (He is after all, on his way to attack Israel.) Nonetheless, David’s venture into Philistia made the name of God known in pagan lands.

Likewise, Achish’s wording is striking when he describes David as “an angel of God” to him in verse 9. Achish describes David as bringing him a message from God.  Whether successful or not, and notwithstanding the fact that Jew and Philistine were still primarily enemies, here we have a brief foreshadow of the gospel going to all nations. After all, it is in the Old Testament in which we read that “everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved” (Joel 2:32).  Jonah was sent to Ninevah, Israel’s greatest enemy at that time. Why shouldn’t David proclaim God’s mercy to the Philistines, even as he recognizes that he must in part deceive them as Israel’s earthly enemies? It is a complicated situation to be sure, but Achish’s wording in I Samuel 29 is intriguing to say the least.  One result from David’s flight is that Yahweh’s name is proclaimed among the Gentiles.

5) David plans to wreak havoc in the Philistine rear as they march against Israel

It seems clear that David intended to do just what the Philistine lords feared – to stab them in the back in the middle of battle against Israel.  Such feats are not unknown in history, such as what occurred at the Battle of Leipzig when many of Napoleon’s German allies changed sides in the middle of battle, joining the multi-national army arrayed against him.

There appear to be three main reasons to think this was David’s plan. First, the Philistine lords clearly state that is what they believe will happen. Second, the inconceivable idea that David would actually fight with the Philistines against Israel, whose king he is. Third, David gives ambiguous and almost humorous answers to Achish concerning his plans.  In 28:2, David merely says to Achish, “You will see what your servant can do.”  In 29:8, David says, “May I not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?,” without ever specifying exactly who his lord and king were.

For all these reasons, I am convinced that David intended to attempt the dangerous tactic of handing victory to Israel by turning against the Philistines in the middle of the battle, and then somehow from there escaping Saul’s clutch after victory was attained.  If that seems unlikely, keep in mind that David had been walking this kind of razor’s edge for years as Israel’s inaugurated but not yet consummated king. In any case, the text tells us that in God’s providence, David is spared such a dangerous tactic, because the Philistines refuse to bring him along.

And then we know the rest of the story. It is this battle that brings about the end of Saul’s life and reign. God’s time for Saul’s end and David’s ascension had finally come.  And so the lessons for us are indeed to trust God’s providential care in times of plenty and in times of want. To serve Him in season and out of season. To seek the peace of Jerusalem, God’s people. And to do our small part to see God’s Kingdom spread to all peoples, even our enemies. I find this to be a far more satisfying, encouraging and faithful reading of I Samuel 27 and 29 than the more common approach to this text. David is an example of faith, and a type of Christ, our ultimate King in exile.