Matthew 6:33: 1 Samuel 27, David on the Run, Protected by God

Thursday, December 23, 2021

1 Samuel 27, David on the Run, Protected by God

Today, let’s use the accompanying map to review the years of David’s hiding from Saul. This will come from 1 Sam. 20-31.

· 21:1: Nob. This was a city just a couple miles north of Jerusalem. Saul’s capital was at his hometown, “Gibeah of Saul” (10:27; 11:4), which was about another mile north. Nearby Nob was Anathoth, a Levitical city (Josh. 21:18). This explains why there were priests and the tabernacle. The Ark was not there but in Keriath Jearim, a short distance SW of Jerusalem. Nob/Anathoth would have been a place for sacrifices and maintaining the menorah, incense and showbread.

· 21:10: Gath. This is the first time David went to Gath. When he realized he might be in danger he feigned insanity and Achish merely had him removed from his palace.

· 22:1: Cave of Adullum. The town of Adullum was in the Valley of Elah (David and Goliath). The cave would have been nearby. It was here that David gained his “militia” (so to speak) of 400 men.

· 22:3: Mizpah of Moab. David brought his family (father and brothers) here for safety.

· 22:5: Forest of Hamath. The prophet Gad was with David. Also, v20-23, Abiathar, a son of the high priest joined David there. While David was there Saul had killed 85 priests and destroyed the population of Nob.

· 23:6: Keilah. David went here, having inquired of the LORD, and saved them from the Philistines, only to leave there when the LORD told David they would betray him to Saul.

· 23:14: Wilderness of Ziph. Desert area would provide some security in that Saul would have to make provisions for his soldiers if he chased David there. This area is SE of Jerusalem towards the Dead Sea.

· 23:25: Wilderness of Maon. This is deeper into the Negev, by which we primarily mean further from Saul’s headquarters at Gibeah.

· 23:29: En Gedi; 24:1: Wilderness of En Gedi; 24:2: the Rocks of the Wild Goats. These strongholds were on the west side of the Dead Sea. The reference to wild goats is because of the many Ibex that inhabit the area. There was plenty of good water available from the spring at En Gedi that came from the aquafer that brought water from elsewhere in Israel. David was being blessed by the wonderful land God gave to Israel (Dt. 8:7).

· 25:1: Wilderness of Paran. If the Masoretic Text is accurate, this wilderness is even deeper into the Negev, south of Beersheba. Other manuscripts read “Wilderness of Maon.” In the story involving Abigail, “Carmel” (25:5) is not the mountain in the north of Israel but an area in Judah, in the Wilderness of Maon.

· 26:1: Hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon, in the Wilderness of Ziph (26:1-2). This would be David’s final connection with Saul.

· 27:1: Gath. 27:6: Ziklag. When David flees to Gath, Saul gives up trying to kill him (27:4). Ziklag is shown on the map as quite a ways south of Gath. The exact location is unknown. There is a dig just east of Gath that some think will eventually be identified as Ziklag. That location would make more sense being closer to the “city-state” area under Achish’ control.