1 Samuel 29:1-11 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 29:1-11. As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first. See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
1 Samuel 29:1-11 (NIV)
1 The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.
2 As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear with Achish.
3 The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish replied, “Is this not David, who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year, and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.”
4 But the Philistine commanders were angry with him and said, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men?
5 Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances: “‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”
6 So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the LORD lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day you came to me until now, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers don’t approve of you.
7 Turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers.”
8 “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?”
9 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.’
10 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.”
11 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.
On verses 1-11: The Philistines and the Israelites are preparing to go to war against one another. David is still hiding among the Philistines and pretending that he is on the Philistines’ side. But now he is in the incredibly difficult position of having to actually fight his own people Israel. While King Achish of the Philistines is happy to have David fighting for them, the Philistine commanders urge Achish to prohibit David from fighting for the Philistines because they do not trust David. So David and his men are saved from having to fight their own people.
This is nothing but God’s pure grace and mercy on David. For 16 months David had been living in a web of lies, and now those lies had caught up to David: now David was facing the possibility of fighting and killing his own countrymen because of these lies, or betraying King Achish of the Philistines. Either way David would be betraying someone. But God rescues David from that difficult predicament: King Achish tells David to stay back and not be involved in the fight.
God gave David undeserved deliverance.
It’s a reminder to me of the countless times when God delivered me out of a difficult situation, such as:
– the day I missed my final exam and my prof graciously gave me a make up exam;
– the countless times when I’d do something stupid and somehow still come home in one piece unharmed;
– the times when I messed up and made a bad decision, and yet God still poured His blessings on me.
All those times are reminders that God is faithful, even when we are faithless, and that God’s mercy is greater than our mistakes.
The greatest form of undeserved deliverance that God has given all of us is that when we deserved to die for our sin, for turning our backs on God, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins so that we could be spared and go free. Through Jesus Christ, God gave us undeserved deliverance.
Praise God for being a God of undeserved deliverance. He delivers us even when we don’t deserve it.
Thank You, Lord, for pouring out Your unlimited mercy on my life time and time again. Thank You for being my Deliverer who has rescued me over and over, even when I didn’t deserve it. Just as You have delivered me in the past, thank You that You are faithful to deliver me in the future. I praise You, God my Deliverer! In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
Copyright © 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.
