During the demise of King Saul we read of David’s behavior and deception before Achish, Saul’s desperate move to consult a medium at Endor, lack of trust amongst the Philistine generals, Ziklag and a third day scenario, and how the Amalekites were the greater enemy to Israel
— More on Siding with Achish
— David deceives Achish, attacking the old enemies of Israel, not their allies (1 Sam. 27:8-10)
1 Sam. 27:8: David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites.
David did use deception here against Achish. He attacked the old enemies of Israel and told Achish that he was attacking Judah and their friends. Remember, the whole idea of David acting nuts was also a ruse in chapter 21. Deception is one strategy of warfare. I question the whole idea of lying, even to an enemy, but we are not in the same desperate sitation as was David. In verse 1 we see him reasoning to escape from Saul by living with the Philistines. Even his 600 men went with him into the land of the Philistines. We read in verse 11 that David left no man alive in the areas he raided so no word would get back to Achish of what he was actually doing. Achish fell for this deception and the bible is completely silent on the morality of this behavior.
This is where we cannot physically compare David to Yeshua. For Yeshua did not lie to the Jewish authorities or Romans about his purpose in life. However, I think the whole tapestry of Yeshua’s life did deceive the spiritually wicked forces of this world for if they had known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8).
Remember Eph. 6:12:: we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
What David seemed to do against flesh and blood, Yeshua confined to spiritual wickedness.
However, the bible is not silent on what Saul is doing.
— Saul consults the medium at Endor (1 Sam. 28: 15-20)
Now King Saul resorted to deceipt and trickery. Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes when he went to visit the medium at Endor, one known to have a familiar spirit. The spirit, whether Samuel himself or a representation of Samuel ends up rebuking King Saul. By this time Saul was fearful, and even moreso after seeing the spirt called Samuel. The spirit of Samuel rebukes Saul. Afterwards, he could not even eat.
So why the sharp rebuke of Saul and none for David lying to Achish? We should not draw a moral story of it being acceptable to lie to our enemies, even enemies of God. This is not what Yeshua did. What David did to Achish, or even the Amalekites is not to be construed as acceptable behavior before God and his Son.
Ex. 20:16:: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
false (šeqer) means deception, disappointment, falsehood
We could say that Achish is not a neighbor so lying is ok in this case. The Muslim have a practice called taqiyya where it is acceptable to lie or deceive non-believers for the purpose of protection or advancement of Islam. There is another principle that Saul violated which was later spoken by the prophet Isaiah.
Is. 8:19:: when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?
when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets (1 Sam. 28:6). Desperation calls for desperate measures!
The practice of consulting mediums had already been forbidden by Lev. 19:31, 20:6, Deut. 18:10-12. If you seek such guidance you might get truth or you could also get deceipt and even lies. The fact that Saul got truth from some spirit is amazing in itself.
— The princes of the Philisinnes did not trust David (1 Sam 29:24)
The five lords (seren = ruler or tyrant) of the Philistines passed in review by hundreds and by thousands, but David and his men passed in review at the rear with Achish. The princes (śar = military rulers: generals) of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here? (1 Sam. 29:2-3)
Rightfully so, he had at least two occasions to kill Saul and would not! He also lied to Achish on his activities.
Achish trusted David but when the men of war went in review David was at the rear with Achish. In the parable of the workers in the vineyard the Lord Yeshua said ‘the last will be first, and the first last’. King David was preferred even though he was last. The military rulers of the Philisteans did not placed much stock in David but the Lord God of Israel did just as Achish did. If there was a parade, David was in the rear.
The Lord was also merciful to David so he should not be tested that day to see if he would fight against Israel.
We never hear much of Achish after this parade. It is too bad since he was in essence a protector of David.
— Ziklag and the third day scenario
1 Sam. 30:1:: when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire
We shall see that David had compassion on the weary. Taking only 400 ahead to pursue the battle.
1 Sam. 30:10:: David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so weary that they could not cross the Brook Besor
There was an unwilling helper from Egypt who helped David find the Amalekites
1 Sam. 30:13:: I am a young man from Egypt, servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me behind, because three days ago I fell sick.
Normally the third day scenario deals with redemption like Abraham looking up on the third day to see Moriah or the third day wedding at Cana (our model for Christ and his Church and the New Wine), or Yeshua rising from the dead on the third day. In this case redemption of the families of Ziklag came through an unlikely source, an egyptian.
In the case of David returning to Ziklag apparently it had been three days since the Amalekits had attacked Ziklag. Like Abraham venturing to Mt. Moriah, David also left behind men. There is nothing wrong with letting the weary or sick stay behind to guard provisions and rest.
Apparently it was the fourth day when David attacked Amalek. The fourth day is reminiscent of Lazarus being raised from the dead.
1 Sam. 30:17:: David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled.
I find it fascinating when we have numbers agree. The four hundred of David who attacked many more Amalekites but in the end let four hundred young men escape.
— The Amalekites were the greater enemy to both Israel and the Philistines
1 Sam. 30:16:: the great spoil which (the Amalekites) had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah
As bad as the Philstines were against Israel, they could not see the real enemy (the Amalekites). Amalek was a son of Esau and learnt to hate the sons of Jacob and they were the first to attack Israel when coming back to the land of Canaan. It was also Saul’s job to rid the land of Amalek which he failed to do. The Philistines, however, were sea people, possibly from the island of Crete. So while the bible does not say the Amalekites were enemies to the Philistines, it does not say they were allies either.
Yet David knew about this rift and lied to Achish about who he had been attacking. I submit to you that like the Jews and Palestinians of today, there is a greater enemy. We could call it Hamas or the Muslim Brotherhood or ISIS or Islamic Jihad, or even Al Qeida. It does not matter, in the end it is what is driven by Lucifer himself.
1 Sam. 30:25:: So it was, from that day forward; he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.
What was this ruling? One, he wanted to share spoils with the 200 weary who stayed behind with the supplies. He also shared some of the spoils with the elders of Judah and his friends (1 Sam. 30:26). He declared the Amalekites the enemy of the LORD. This is not unlike Yeshua, who gave us a new commandment.
John 13:33-34:: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
This was not really a new commandment but a propetic interpretation of what the LORD had already given to the children of Israel (Deut. 6:5 & Lev. 19:18).
Lev. 19:18:: You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Of course in the time of King David the idea of neighbor extended to to that of Judah and his friends.
Friends included the Jerahmeelites (descendants of great grandson of Judah), and Kenites (the tribe of Moses’ father-in-law). This is what David told Achish he had raided during the time of deception (1 Sam. 27:10). The list at the end of 1 Sam. 30 actually shows he shared the spoils with 11 other places and probably other places where David and his men roved.
We are not told what happened to King Achish. Presumably he was reprimanded by the Philistean lords and put in his place.
Just a trial to see how this works