Deeper Reflection
1 SAMUEL 27:1-28:2 NARRATES David’s flight to Gath for self-preservation, where he stayed for 16 months (vv.1-7). By means of deception, David gained Achish’s trust in his loyalty and was made his personal bodyguard (1 Sam 27:8-28:2). This episode on David ends with “the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel” (1 Sam 28:1a), which the narrator picks up again (1 Sam 29:1) after an interruption that focuses on Saul, who sought a medium at En-dor (1 Sam 28:3-25). And now, with “the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek” to fight Israel, “David and his men were proceeding on in the rear with Achish” (1 Sam 29:1-2), which Achish expected from the commitment that David had made (1 Sam 28:1-2). What would be David’s thoughts and feelings at this moment? Obviously, he did not want to fight for the Philistines against Israel, of which God had anointed him to be its next king. David had no choice but to decide: To fight or not to fight? Either way would have grave consequences. It was a lose-lose situation. By his own doing, David had put himself in a double-bind in this tangled web. And time was not on his side. Were there regrets for what he had done? There is no mention of David inquiring of God in this tight situation, as he did before (1 Sam 23:1-4). Perhaps he did. Or he did not. Or was it too late to do so? But according to the text, there had been 16 months of divine absence and silence in David’s life.