In this chapter the lords of the Philistines decide not to allow David and his troops to join them in war.
“Now the Philistines had gathered all their forces at Aphek. And the Israelites were encamped by the spring that is in Jezreel. As the lords of the Philistines were passing on by… the commanders of the Philistines said, ‘What are these Hebrews doing here? He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord?’ Then Achish called David and said to him… ‘Now then rise early in the morning with the servants of your lord who came with you, and start early in the morning, and depart as soon as you have light.’ So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to Jezreel.” (v1-10 abr)
Despite finding no fault in David or his troops, the Philistine leaders prohibit David from fighting in the war against Israel. Achish, the Philistine prince who has watched over David’s troop since their arrival, reluctantly sends them away prior to the confrontation with Saul and Israel’s army.
Despite David’s seeming willingness to ally with the Philistines against Israel, I believe it was not part of God’s plan for David to shed Israelite blood. God prohibited David from killing Saul on more than one occasion, so it’s very likely God was sending David away from this head-on conflict with Saul. We know from last chapter that Saul and his sons are going to die in this conflict, and God is not allowing David’s hand in it.
Think back on a time in your life when you know God was at work and made a divine arrangement – perhaps pieces fell perfectly into place for getting a job, or maybe you were introduced to a good friend or spouse through a series of unpredictable events. I know for a fact that meeting my wife was a divine arrangement from God – I could not have possibly foreseen / planned it myself.
God has a way of making these brilliant and intricate plans that may seem like series of random events, but when we look back at them, we realize God’s hand was definitely present. I believe the same was true in David’s life – he didn’t know it at the time, but God was making arrangements to remove Saul from the kingdom while keeping David’s hands clean of Saul’s blood.
We have the advantage of seeing the entire Bible as one massive plan for God to resolve the sin issue we created. Every decision and event play a role in the coming (and second coming) of Jesus. There isn’t any waste when God is at work, every little detail has a purpose and a plan behind it.
Jesus gives us a great statement that proves God’s overall plan: ” ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.’ ” (Mt 5:17) God does not do things at random, or by accident – every action and word are deliberate and have a planned outcome.
I encourage us to revel is God’s brilliance, and willingly partner with Him as He works toward Jesus’ second coming. We each have a role to play in God’s plan – if we didn’t, we wouldn’t be here. Whether or not our name makes the history books is irrelevant – our obedience in this life, and our name making it into the Book of Life are what matter (see Psa 69:27-28, Php 4:3, Dan 12:1, Rev 3:5 re. the Book of Life).
Father, all honor, glory and praise be to You, our Awesome King. You have blessed us so richly with the blood of Jesus which was the fulfillment of Your plan for sin. Thank you as well for Your ongoing work to conclude the eradication of sin and corruption in this world. May we be willing partners and obedient to Your mission here on Earth, and may we glorify You in our pursuit of Your will. We thank You in the name of Jesus our Savior and Redeemer, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training