Village Schools of the Bible

A Devotional Study of 1 Samuel 26 - 27
by Max Frazier, Jr.

First Samuel 26 records the second time David spared the life of King Saul; and chapter 27 records the account of David's flight to Gath in order to escape Saul.

I. David encounters Saul at Ziph (1 Samuel 26:1-5)
II. David spares Saul's life (vs. 6-12)
III. David challenges Saul (vs. 13-25)

Once again it would seem that God had brought Saul into the hands of David, at least that is what Abishai thought. One does not always get a second opportunity like this. And yet, once again, David refuses to kill Saul. His reasoning had not changed. Saul was still the Lord's anointed. The solution to the problem with Saul lay with God and not David. How easy it is for us to take matters into our own hands. And often when we do we create a worse situation for ourselves. How much better to just leave things with God. If we are walking in obedience to His will then we have confidence that, in His time, God will make all things beautiful. And God did that for David, although it would take awhile longer with more caves to hide in before God resolved the problem with Saul. How wonderful that David heeded his heart rather than the logic of his men.

In verse 23, David makes the following statement: The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. But, as David was to learn and as I have learned over the years of my walk with the Lord, that reward can be delayed. God does not provide instant gratification that our society demands today. As God is patient in His being angry - although that anger will be aroused with the continued rejection of man to His offers of love and mercy - so God is patient in His giving of rewards. But those rewards will come. As Paul neared his own death, he cried out that he would soon receive the crown of righteousness from the Lord. Praise God that we can live and serve in anticipation of those rewards.

I. David flees to Gath (1 Samuel 27:1-4)
II. David is given Ziklag to live in (vs. 5-7)
III. David's conspiracy (vs. 8-12)

David is living out a lie. His fears have so gripped him that he has actually come to believe that unless he does something Saul will eventually find him and kill him. The psychology of the attacks of Saul has finally weakened David's faith to the point where he is no longer confident of God's promises to him - remember he is to be the king - nor of God's protection of him. So David flees for his life right into the camp of the enemy. Those people despised by God and His people became the refuge for the man God had chosen to be king over His people. And one can almost read of David's guilt between the lines. He takes no prisoners in his raids. He pretends one thing while doing another. When we forget the presence of God in our lives we sure can make a mess of things.

David was a man on the run who had grown tired of the chase. He not only had himself to think about, but his own family, including his two wives, and the six hundred men and their families who had joined with him. So the running had to cease. The only option open to David was to settle in the Philistines territory. Now God's presence was still with him there, but he would discover, as did Peter, that it was dangerous to be around the campfire of the ungodly. Was David outside of God's will? Probably not! But he certainly was taking matters into his own hands and not trusting God wholly. That can make for a dangerous combination in anyone's life.

1Samuel 24-25 Return to the Table of Contents 1Samuel 28-29