The Philistines go Back to Ziklag

Without time for prayer, nothing can be accomplished. - Scroggie He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day. - John Bunyan. When asked how much time he spent in prayer, George Mueller’s reply was, “Hours every day. But I … More

Prayer

To a devout Hebrew, the land of Canaan was the Lord’s sanctuary, the place where the Ark and Tabernacle rested and where the presence of Jehovah dwelt. To live outside the limits must have been very difficult for David and his followers. With this in mind, you can understand how David must have felt as he is asked by Achish to fight against his own countrymen.  Now, as he is en route to Aphek with the Philistine army, you can be sure that he prayed often and in earnest that somehow he would be spared from entering the field of battle.

The Philistine commanders knew that David was the one who, as a young man, had killed Goliath and hundreds of the Philistine soldiers. When they saw him marching to battle with their army to fight the Israelites, they protested. They expressed their concern that in the heat of battle David might turn against them. Though Achish argued that David and his men should stay, he was outvoted and they were asked to go back to Ziklag. Although David was greatly relieved, he could not allow Achish to know his true feelings so he offered a feeble protest (v.8). As a result, early the next morning before the camp is awake, with a sense of intense relief, David and his men set out for Ziklag.

Application

When David was placed in a position of fighting against his own countrymen, he called out to God to somehow spare him from this. When I may be asked to compromise, my first reaction should be to cry out to God.

I Samuel 29:1-11 (English Standard Version)


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