Journey Through The Scriptures

Even though Saul had quit pursuing him, David still did not believe it was safe for him to return home. After years on the run, David, his family, and his 600 men and their families spent their final sixteen months as fugitives. David was welcomed by Achish, the king of Gath, who believed David would be a valuable ally against Saul. Achish gave David and his men the city of Ziklag to settle in, and David’s army carried out raids against Israel’s enemies. David led the king to believe he was attacking Israeli towns, a deception that endeared him to Achish.

However, David was faced with the prospect of having to fight against his own people as the Philistines massed for an all-out attack on Israel. In the meantime, Saul became so desperate he consulted a medium — someone who consults the dead to determine the future. This was forbidden by the Law (Leviticus 19:31), but God intervened to deliver the message of Saul’s doom through Samuel. Saul’s spiritual decline was now complete, and his defeat was imminent. But David was delivered from his dilemma by the mistrust of Achish’s military commanders — so the Philistine king had to reluctantly “fire” David from his service.