Days 89&90: 1 Samuel 28-31, 1 Chronicles 10, Psalms 121, 123-125, 128-130

David has been living in a delicate situation for some time now. He's a Hebrew...and loyal to the nation of Israel...but being hunted by Saul, Israel's king, because Saul is jealous of David. So, David has been living among the Philistines, Israel's enemy, and has ingratiated himself to Achish, their king. Achish thinks David is the best thing that's happened to them in a long time and trusts him completely...he even makes David his personal bodyguard (28:2). Then, in chapter 29, the Philistines are going into battle against the Hebrews and David is right there alongside Achish. The commanders of Achish's army don't feel real comfortable with this so they ask Achish to send David and his men back...and Achish complies with this request.

    “But what have I done?” asked David. “What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
Achish answered, “I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angel of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders have said, ‘He must not go up with us into battle.’ Now get up early, along with your master’s servants who have come with you, and leave in the morning as soon as it is light.”
    So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel. (29:8-11)

I find myself wondering what David was thinking. He has had opportunities to kill Saul before and never did it because he felt it would dishonor God. If he had gone into battle with the Philistines would he have actually fought with them against his own people? Possibly even killing Saul? That doesn't seem in character to me. Perhaps at the moment of truth he would have shown his true colors and turned against the Philistines...although, according to the medium consulted by Saul, the Philistines were going to beat the tar out of Saul and his army so where would that leave David?

Well, this is all speculation because it didn't happen that way. Achish's commanders were wiser than he and insisted he send David back...and that's what happened.

Saul does indeed get killed in this battle and the final verses of 1 Chronicles 10 tell us why:

Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. (1 Chronicles 10:13-14)

The Psalms I read today are all Psalms of David. They seem to have a common theme which I think is summarized nicely in this verse:

Our help is in the name of the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 124:8)

What a great verse! If our help is the Maker of heaven and earth then what do we have to fear from the people and things that were made by Him?

But my favorite, and most reassuring verses in today's reading are these:

If you, LORD, kept a record of sins,
   Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
   so that we can, with reverence, serve you. (Psalm 130:3-4)