1 Samuel 27:8-12 “A Servant of Enemies?”
David’s fear motivated him to hide among his enemies outside the prophetic directive of God. After settling in Ziklag, He and his men supported themselves by raiding enemy occupied cities in the Southern part of Judah toward Egypt. “David did not leave a man or a woman alive to bring to Gath, saying, ‘Otherwise they will tell about us,…’” (11a, b) Because David leaned on his own reasoning and strategy, he had to embrace deceit [lying] to protect himself. Consequently, the Philistine king believed David and was convinced he was becoming a beneficial servant to him. When our fears override God’s Word, we lean on our own strategy necessitating that we live in lies that will eventually collapse. Living outside God’s Word will always bring us to a place of deceit and compromise making us a tool of our enemies! God would eventually redeem David but at a great expense. May God give us the grace to fully trust in His Word!
