David Slips - Plans to Fight with Enemy I Samuel 29

I Samuel 29:1 "Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel"

In the last chapter verse 4, it gives a different set of names(Shunem and Gilboa See my little map). Being ex-military, I understand this procedure. Troops are staged and inspected at one spot before being moved to the point of battle. Saul and Israel are at a fountain in Jezreel and were able to see the numbers of the enemy. So one of these places was where the troops gathered (pitched) and another is where they were for battle (arrayed).

David came up last in this display of the forces. He was with king Achish. When the lords of the Philistines saw David they were angry and insisted that he be sent back for they were afraid he would turn on them in battle.

v6 "Then Achish called David and said unto him, Surely as the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight, for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favour thee not."

David has been anointed to be king and for him to fight with the Philistines against Israel would have been a grave mistake but the LORD did not let it happen.

v11 "So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel."

We know that Saul, upon seeing the number of Philistines was faint and afraid and sought the LORD but was not answered. The LORD had already told him the kingdom was taken from him. Saul went to a witch and received the same answer from the spirit of Samuel (or who ever the witch brought up - as I've said it is often debated if a witch could bring up Samuel).

David is returning home after not being allowed to fight with the Philistines. Tragedy awaits him at Ziklag.

Psalm 25:1-2 "Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my s oul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me."

Keywords: Bible Study, Old Testament, Samuel, Israel, Philistines, David, Saul,Ziklag, Milton Southerland "Old Old Story is a chapter by chapter study of the Bible, tracking the story of salvation."