I am merely reading through the life of David, writing on “ideas” the Lord gives me for the various Bible Texts.
Our “thought” today comes from another Paragraph in 1 Samuel chapter 21.
“10 And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? 12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. 14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me? 15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?” And the next verse … “David therefore departed thence and escaped …”
David thought he could flee (from Saul) down into Philistine territory and remain incognito, unnoticed. See in verse 10 above that he is motivated by fear, seldom a good impetus. (Philistia in the Bible is often a picture of the world!)
David, even there, was humble enough to still think he was a “nobody.” But after all, he did kill the Giant of the Philistines, Goliath. (Gath is a chief Philistine city!) David’s fame and reputation were greater than he imagined!
In verse 12 I notice that David was a “thinker.” He meditated on the issues of life. (His Psalms prove that!) He realized danger … immediately upon hearing the local “gossip.” He decided on action, though bazaar action.
He acted like a crazy man!
Writing nonsense on walls!
Slobbering, drooling on his facial hair, beard!
That’s an “abnormality,” and we all have some.
In that ancient day the presence of a crazy person was an omen of “bad luck.” A harbinger of dark days ahead.
So … Achish the Philistine King dismissed David who promptly escaped!
Escaped to sit on the Throne of Israel as her glorious King!
Now, one lesson I draw from this event …
If I go somewhere I ought not to be, the Lord has a way of driving me back into the right paths! Even if by way of a cave, which is exactly what next happened to David!
Folks, do not move to Gath!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
In the world a Christian soon loses his dignity!
.