”Then Achish called David and said to him, “Surely, as the Lord lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight. For to this day I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me. Nevertheless the Lords do not favor you. Therefore return now, and go in peace, that you may not displease the Lords of the Philistines.”“
I Samuel 29:6-7 NKJV
a. Surely, as the LORD lives: “As the Lord lives is unexpected in a Philistine oath; can it be that Achish has committed himself to David’s Lord, or is he being courteous to David in not swearing by Philistine gods? The latter is perhaps more likely.” (Baldwin)
b. Nevertheless, the lords do not favor you: David thought he couldn’t be happy or at peace in the land of Israel (1 Samuel 27:1). Now he finds that his “Philistine friends” won’t accept him either. David has no home; he is trying to live in both worlds, so he has no home in either world.
i. No doubt, David didn’t like being rejected by the Philistine rulers. Not many people like rejection. But God would use the rejection of ungodly people in David’s life. Many people are hesitant to live out-and-out for Jesus Christ because they are afraid of the rejection of the ungodly. How much better it is to be all out for Jesus, and to trust that if the ungodly reject us, God will use it for good – for our good and for theirs.
ii. In many ways, David was in the worst place for any child of God. He had too much of the world in him to be at peace in the LORD, and he had too much of the LORD in him to be at peace in the world. God spoke to David through this, but David had to listen.
c. That you may not displease the lords of the Philistines: David used to displease the lords of the Philistines all the time. He used to be a mighty warrior for the cause of God, and he used to strike fear in the heart of every enemy of God. Now, David is concerned about displeasing the lords of the Philistines.
i. Is this the same David who fought Goliath? Could you imagine someone coming to David before that battle, and saying, “Excuse me, David. I don’t think you should do that. You might displease the lords of the Philistines.” What do you think David’s response would be? He might say, “Of course I will displease the lords of the Philistines. I want to displease the lords of the Philistines. I can’t wait to displease the lords of the Philistines. Let me know if I ever stop displeasing the lords of the Philistines.” But all that was a distant memory in this time of backsliding and compromise for David. (Guzik)
Had to Listen!
Don’t let this quote from David Guzik escape you!
“David was in the worst place for any child of God. He had too much of the world in him to be at peace in the LORD, and he had too much of the LORD in him to be at peace in the world.”
That’s a hard place to be in and sometimes we get stuck there just like David! We love the Lord but we allow something of the world to interfere with our faith in Christ. We want to belong and like David we don’t like being rejected!
We lost our peace in the Lord and the world!
BUT:
“God spoke to David through this, but David had to listen.”
Like Elijah we need to listen to the “still small voice” if we want to be at peace in the Lord!
”and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.“ I Kings 19:12 NKJV
Are you listening to the Lord’s “still small voice”?
Blessings
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