Stepping Back

Stepping Back
Words of Faith 12-20-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Samuel 29:1-11
[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.

A battle was brewing between the Israelites and the Philistines. The armies were gathered in the valley of Jezreel, in the region near Megiddo, where the battle of Har'meggido will take place. This area has seen many great battles.
On the eve of the battle, the Philistines rendezvoused at Aphek, precisely where they had defeated Israel and captured the ark about 90 years earlier. By the spring, Saul and the Israelites took up positions in Jezreel, on the flank of Mount Gilboa, about 40 miles away.
Achish the Philistine was the lord of Gath who had shown confidence in David and permitted him to settle at Ziklag. He attempted to put David and his men into the Philistine army to fight against Saul. He was confident that David would fight against Saul because of the terrible hatred Saul had shown toward David.
David and his men were acting as mercenaries and placed near the back of the Philistine troops. The other commanders objected because they did not trust David to be at their flank. Achish argued with the other leaders that David should be allowed to fight against Saul, but he was outvoted. The other commanders feared that David would defect to Israel in the heat of battle. Once discharged, David returned to Ziklag.
It is hard to imagine that David would have actually fought against his fellow Israelites. It might have been tempting, but it is far more likely that he planned to trap the Philistines from behind and hand Saul another victory in hopes that his heart would be changed toward David. Most scholars believe that David would have shown loyalty to Israel. This was not the first lie that David had told Achish. Again and again, David had shown that he was loyal first and foremost to the Lord God, secondly to the anointed king of Israel, and then to the people of God.
It is difficult to imagine that David could ever have fought against his own people because of a grudge that Saul held against him. He was prevented from being in that position. There was actually a much bigger mission ahead for David, which he did not yet know about.
There is a powerful lesson here. If you ever find yourself about to battle against the people of God because one person has made themselves your enemy, it is a good time to step back and take another look. David could have bitterly fought against Saul, but he had the chance to step away, and we will see that it was a good thing.
We can sometimes find ourselves in a complicated conflict that really concerns only a few people, or perhaps only one. This is not a reason to go to war against your own people, the Body of Christ. It is a good time to step back.

Father God, keep me at peace with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Help me to be a peacemaker-- not a peacefaker or a peacebreaker. Help me see how I might be used to bring hope, healing, and reconciliation. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.