David on the ascendancy, his rag tag followers are growing into a military force. Right now he’s a mercenary, respected by other rulers, and feared by the Philistines.
David marries Abigail
1 Samuel 25:39-44
David again spares Saul’s life
1 Samuel 26:12-12
David confronts Saul
1 Samuel 26:13-25
David retires to Gath
1 Samuel 27:1-7
David deceives Achish
1 Samuel 27:8-12
David’s friends
1 Chronicles 12:1-7
The Philistines gather for battle: Achish’s confidence in David
1 Samuel 28:1-2
David prevented from fighting
1 Samuel 29: 1-11
Men who joined David
1 Chronicles 12:19-22
David starts to accumulate wives. Abigail at least is a shrewd woman, and will no doubt be a valuable helper. But women are like trophies, not people, and this is hard to swallow 3000 years later.
David again has the chance to kill Saul, but resists, and appeals to the king. Saul again is penitent, but nothing really changes. Saul seems powerless to break out of his pattern of behaviour, and David is content to wait, not to push events along.
But David then pursues a high risk strategy, and goes to live among the Philistines. He serves Achish the king faithfully, and gains his complete trust. But how long will it be before David is ordered to fight against the Israelites?
But events turn out well - other Philistine leaders a suspicious of David, and refuse to let him fight with them, and David gets away without having to choose where his loyalties lie. He’s lucky, as well as blessed.
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