Living in Ziklag- Part 5 - Divine Intervention

By John Dubois - January 30, 2012

I’ve come to regard the phrase “Living in Ziklag” as a symbolic reference to living a dark and deceptive two-faced life. 

Only God can rescue us.

Last time we left David in a pinch. As a double agent, he was aligned with the enemies of his own people on the road to fight against his own people.  He would either be found out for his duplicity, or be forced to commit even greater sins and ruin his future.

I’m confident that David’s men were feeling the tension as well.  Here their leader is bragging to Achish about all of the contributions they’ll make in the battle, and yet David and his men know that they can’t actually carry them out.  What was their leader thinking?  How would they know whether or when to abandon their deception?

At the last moment, it seems, several of the commanders in Achish’s army start to get uncomfortable about David’s presence as well.  They’re not as convinced that he is truly loyal to their king, and they’re afraid that in the heat of battle, David may turn on them and join Israel’s army.  It would be an excellent way, they suggested, for David to restore is relationships with his own people.

Achish apologizes to David for the lack of trust on the part of his generals, and with feigned protest, David agrees to leave the battle.

I can just imagine the looks and sighs of relief exchanged between the men of David as they got up early in the morning and returned home to Ziklag.  “Whew, THAT was a close one.”, I’m sure they whispered nervously.

It was a three day journey back to Ziklag, and I’m guessing David has been thinking.  Thinking about the disaster from which he was just rescued.  Thinking about the battle that was going on and the welfare of his people in Israel.  Maybe he was thinking about God again - the story hasn’t mentioned him for 18 months now.

It will be nice to be home again…