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May 8, 2025 17 mins

In this Bible Story, the Philistine horde rises up against Israel. David continues to wrestle with his alliances. While Saul, now living apart from the spirit of God, turns to dark arts to settle his weary and restless soul. This story is inspired by 1 Samuel 27. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.

Today's Bible verse is 1 Samuel 27:7 from the King James Version.

Episode 93: David, still playing the role of a Philistine marauder in Ziklag, found himself in the camp of the enemy as they were marching up against Israel. But the lords of the Philistines disapproved of this and petitioned Achish to send him and his men away. God kept David from killing his brethren that day, but when they returned to Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had raided their city and taken their wives and children. So David sought God and pursued the Amalekites to overtake them, bringing back their wives and children. God gave them favor, and the women, children, livestock, and goods were saved! David got his first true taste of what it meant to be king.

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Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard

Producer: Ben Gammon

Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham

Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith

Bible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray. And the time that David dwelt in
the country of the Philistines was a full year and
four months First Samuel twenty seven seven. Dear Lord, as
a tree finds its strength to endure from its roots,
I too will find my strength in the depths of
my roots and from the ground I choose to grow

(00:22):
in in moments of loneliness. Give me the resolve and
the strength to remain planted in the place You've called
me to. I will not abandon my values and morals
to partner with others who offer protection and gain at
the cost of my character and right to stand with you.

(00:43):
I will not become comfortable with compromise, as David and
his men did during their season of loneliness in First
Samuel twenty eight. Because I am new and transformed. I
will instead take on the latter spirit of David and
fight for what is mine. I will retake and regain

(01:03):
what the enemy has stolen from me. Through your power, God,
I will be able to reclaim my land, my position,
and all that belongs to me, my family, and my future.
I declare that compromise is not an option. In Jesus' name, Amen,

(01:27):
Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life to
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a Year dot.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Com David in zick leg In our last story, we
learned about Saul's latest pursuit to take David's life. David
once again had the opportunity to end Saul and with

(01:59):
him all the fleeing and exile. Yet David's conviction as
a man of God stood its crowd.

Speaker 3 (02:06):
He spared Saul, and Saul once again repented and left
David's presence. Now, David dwells in the land of the Philistines,
serving under King Akish. David and his men made raids
on the enemies of Israel, pretending to make raids for
the Philistines. In this story, we learn about David's continued

(02:26):
partnership with the enemies of Israel and how small compromises
continue to overshadow David and his men, as inspired by
the Book of First Samuel.

Speaker 4 (02:39):
This is Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
in a Year podcast. In our last episode, we saw
how David once again had the opportunity to kill Saul,
but he chose not to do it. Rather than choose
his own way and try to justify his own actions,
he obeyed God. He stood firm in his conviction that
God would deal with Assaul. But despite Saul's apparent regret

(03:03):
for having chased David down again and his promise to
leave him alone, David's faith wavered, and he fled into
Philistine country, forming an alliance with a foreign key. Today
we'll learn how David's loyalty to Israel will be tested
and how his decision to settle in enemy territory will
bring peril to his people. So let's listen to the

(03:26):
scripture today.

Speaker 3 (03:28):
David proved himself to be a convincing actor, as if
in a play, he played the role of a Philistine marauder.
David performed his role daily in front of Akish and
the other Philistines. He made raids on neighboring villages, ate
and drank as a Philistine, and spoke in their native tongue. However,

(03:50):
the lines between fiction and reality slowly began to blur
for David. His allegiance to Israel was muddled by his
Philistine company. His mind fell into a fog, and his
sense of right and wrong began to blend together. Now
David found himself among the Philistine camp, where they were

(04:10):
marching up against Israel. David, the chosen protector and rightful
king to the throne of the Hebrews, was preparing to
slaughter Israel. The Philistines began their march and gathered their
forces at the peak of Aphek. The Israelites were camped
by a spring below. The lords of the Philistines were

(04:30):
making their rounds and saw David and his men preparing
for battle. What are these Hebrews doing here, the commanders
asked Akish. Aikish responded, this is David, who has been
under my service for years now. I have found no
disloyalty in him. Yet David's eyes looked away. David had
given the visage of loyalty to Aikish, but had never

(04:53):
actually harmed any Israelites. However, he had not been faithful
to Israel either. When his soldiers were men without a country,
one of the Philistine commanders approached David and looked him
in the eyes. He knew what David had forgotten. David
was a Hebrew and their champion. Send the man back

(05:14):
with his soldiers. He may be separated from Saul now,
but what better way to reconcile with him than to
kill us in battle? Don't you remember the song Saul
has killed his thousands, but David has killed his ten thousands.
Aikish pulled David aside and embraced him. Aikish looked at
David and said, as the lord lives, you have been

(05:37):
nothing but faithful to me. I have found nothing wrong
with you. However, the lords do not approve, and I
cannot dispute them. Go and be free. David's heart turned.
David was like a child who was rejected by his father.
He craved the affirmation from Saul, yet found it in

(05:58):
the enemy Aikishavid did not want to hurt the Israelites,
but he also did not want to leave Akish's side.
What have I done to earn their distrust? David asked.
Aikish hugged David and sent him back to the land
of the Philistines. That day, David was spared from committing
the sin of slaughtering his people. God, in his mercy,

(06:20):
kept David from waving his sword against his brothers. So
David and his men left back to Zickleg. Still men
without a true alliance or country. David and his men
returned after a three day journey. As they were approaching
the city, they could see smoke rising into the skies.
David's eyes widened and the men ran fast into the

(06:42):
city of Zickleg. Homes were reduced to ash and smoke
emanated from farms. The Amalekites rode in the night and
raided the city while the men were away at war
against Israel. David and his men ran frantically through the city,
shouting for their wives and children, yet they could hear
no response. David burst through the doors of his home

(07:05):
to find nothing but broken and burnt furniture. Every man's
wife and child had been taken by the Amalekites. David's
men writhed in tears over their captured wives. They raised
their fists at God. They cursed David, and they wept
on the floor among the ash and wreckage. While his
men yelled and wept in pain, David sat there silently.

(07:28):
David stared off into the distance, praying silently. The other
men became overwhelmed with grief, but not David. David sat there,
remembering his time as a shepherd in Bethlehem. He was
reminded of when lions and wolves would come after his
sheep and steal them away. David would run after them
and slaughter the wild beasts to save his sheep. This

(07:51):
would be no different. David rose from his feet to
go meet with the Lord. They had some catching up
to do. Knelt before God under the stars. He spoke
to God as he used to while tending his sheep.
David breathed in the cool air and exhaled praises to
his Lord. He considered his family who had been taken,

(08:13):
and the families of his men. Lord David said, shall
I pursue them? Will I overtake them? If I go?
God responded to David quietly and firmly, Yes, David, I
have already given them into your hands. David stood to
his feet, picked up his spear, and marched intently back

(08:35):
to his men. The sun rose that morning in a
dark red covered the new sky. David, in six hundred
of his men ran without stopping, intent on reaching the
Amalekites before they could return home. They reached the Brook
of Bissor, The waters raged, and many of the men
were too exhausted to cross. Discouraged and weary. Two hundred

(08:58):
of the men refused to follow David any longer and
remained on the shore of the brook. David and the
rest of his men crossed the brook. A fire was
burning in their soul to save their families, but they
had gone three days without food and almost no water.
Dragging their feet, they marched further and further. Finally, an

(09:19):
Egyptian in the open country gave the men bread, water,
fruits and cakes to eat. They were filled and strengthened.
At the perfect time. David put his hand on the
Egyptian's shoulder and said, thank you, friend. Where do you
come from? The boy smiled and said, I served the Amalekites,
but was abandoned by them when I became sick. After

(09:40):
we raided the Israelites. David's eyes lit up, he smiled
to his cheeks and let out a bright laugh.

Speaker 4 (09:48):
He grabbed the.

Speaker 3 (09:49):
Boy and asked intently, could you take us to your
old band. The boy nodded, and David and his men
ran forward faster and with more vigor. Less than a
day had passed, and the Egyptian led David and a
couple of his men to a cliff overlooking the Amalekite camp.
They peeked their heads over the rocks and looked down
at the valley. The men were spread out far across

(10:11):
a valley. Torches illuminated their dancing, drinking, and feasting. David
could spot his wife captive below, along with the wives
and children of his men. While the Amalekites were still drinking, dancing,
and enjoying the spoils of their raid, they heard the
horns of David echoing through the valley. Before any man
could realize what was happening, David and his army descended

(10:35):
upon the camp with might. They swung their swords with
the strength of fathers and husbands, protecting their families. David
marched through the camp, striking down every Amalekite soldier in
his sight. Some tried to fight, with no success. David
and his men were far too angry and skilled for
them to stand a chance. Others fled on camels, but

(10:57):
all the women and children were saved. The sun began
to rise, and David gathered the families, the stolen goods,
and all the live stock. David and the families made
their way back home. There to greet them were the
two hundred men who refused to continue. They came out
elated to see their families. Everyone cheered except the men

(11:19):
who had fought. They looked at the two hundred men
with disgust and said to David, these worthless men did
not go with us. They should not get any of
the spoil. They should take their families we have saved
and leave. David calmed his men down and had them
keep quiet. He drew a deep breath and looked at
both groups of men. My brothers, this is given to

(11:41):
us by the Lord. He is the one who preserved us.
David said, as God has shared his goodness with us,
so we shall share. Those who battle and those who
support from Afar are equally in need of food and shelter.
David's words surprised the people, but they were all pleased
with his decree. David, still a young man, was just

(12:04):
now learning what it truly means to lead like a king.
They divided the spoils amongst one another and sent the
leftovers back home to Judah. David's heart to protect Israel
was beginning to resurface.

Speaker 4 (12:22):
Today's story begins with David living a lie he has
very cleverly convinced Akish of his loyalty to the Philistines,
and the king trusts David as one of his own. Still,
David had not yet done actual harm to any of
his own people, the Israelites. Instead, he was attacking neighboring towns,
enemies of Israel, and telling Akish that he was raiding

(12:44):
Israeli villages. But now, as the Philistines gather in numbers
to attack Israel, David isn't on a solo mission, and
he can't hide behind his deception. Were it not for
the distrust of Philistine commanders, David might have been compelled
to sin against his own people and attack them. The
commanders recognize David as a Hebrew, and not just any Hebrew.

(13:07):
This is the great shepherd warrior, David, the anointed King,
the one who was at one time one of Saul's
greatest soldiers. And though Aichis vouches for David, affirming that
he is a loyal Philictine, the commanders aren't believing it,
and so Achus tells David that while he trust him
with his life, the Philistine army commanders have rejected him.

(13:29):
He and his men must return to his home in
Ziklak David's response is interesting. He appeals to the king
to let him stay and serve him in a battle.
Perhaps he was finally getting the acceptance he wanted among
the Philistines, something that had eluded him with Saul. Or
perhaps he was forgetting his calling from God, his anointing

(13:51):
to be God's men the king of Israel. Whatever the reason,
it appears David was confused that his loyalties were divided,
and he may have been willing to turn over his
own people to the enemy. But God, in his grace,
did not allow David to participate in this battle. He
closed the door to protect the man that he had

(14:13):
chosen to serve him. How often do we fail to
recognize when God has protected us from ourselves, from our sins,
leading us out of temptation, and delivering us from evil,
as in the case of David, and for you and me,
this is all because of God's grace. That grace we

(14:33):
know is now found in the Lord Jesus Christ, who
went to a cross and died and rose again so
that we could receive the gift of eternal life. Not
by works of righteousness that we have done, but according
to his mercy He has saved us. This is the
grace of God. So David returns home with his men,

(14:54):
only to find the Amalikites had attacked while they were gone.
This is a terrible scene. These enemies of Israel had
burned the entire town down, but killing nobody. Instead, they
had taken the wives and the children of the men
of David captive. Everyone is heartbroken, They are weeping, and
the people. The army even turned their anger towards David,

(15:17):
wanting to stone him. But the Bible says that David
encouraged himself in the Lord. David found his strength in
the Lord and sought counsel. He went to the Lord
and asked him if he should pursue the Amalekites and
take what had been lost. So David and his men
went after the Amalekites. It was a long and arduous journey,

(15:38):
and they suffered from hunger and exhaustion. Two hundred men
actually turned back, unwilling or unable to continue. But David
found that Egyptian boy who had once served the Amalekites.
He gave them food and water, strengthening them for battle,
and led them to the enemy. And just as God
had promised, David was victorious. They returned home with their

(16:02):
wives and children, and the spoils of war, which David
insisted be shared with all, even those who had not
gone into battle. Then he sent some of the spoils
to Judah. His heart turned again to his people that
he was called to lead. Lord, we thank you for
this powerful story and how it reminds us that you
do protect us from evil and that you often shield

(16:26):
us from making terrible and sinful disobedient decisions. Thank you
for your grace, Thank you for your salvation in Jesus Christ.
And may we always be willing to fight the good
fight of faith and win great victories for you in Jesus' name. Amen.
Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.

(16:47):
I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot com
app and make prayer and Bible study a priority in
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(17:10):
Jack Graham dot org. God bless you
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