(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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1 Samuel 27:1–7, “And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath. And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife. And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him. And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee? Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day. And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.”
David had been on the run for many years and, no doubt, he had prayed continuously to the Lord to give him relief from the struggle he was facing. Finally, David ran out of hope again. He knew that he would be safe among the Philistines because Saul was unable to inflict a comprehensive defeat upon them. He went back to Achish, king of Gath. (There were five lords, or kings of the Philistines, based in Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gath and Gaza) and asked him for a safe place to live. David had previously gone to live in Gath but he was afraid that they might kill him so he pretended to be mad and they sent him away. This time David asked for a town where he, his family and his men could live. Achish told him that he could live in town called Ziklag. In those days, people would often plunder their neighbouring kingdoms and then take possession of their towns so this wasn’t unusual. The people who lived in Ziklag already were probably happy to find room for David and his men for they lived in lawless times and could do with the security of a war lord in their town. David lived in that town for sixteen months.
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