I could begin by telling some crazy joke about a pair of docs.  But I won’t do that to you.  However, I will tell you about one of the great illogical truths, a paradox, in history which occurred when Jesus Christ was put on trial before Pontius Pilate.  The event is so significant to our Christian faith that each of the four gospels in the New Testament gives us details of that trial.   The trial is given specific reference in our Creed called the Apostles’ Creed.  In our at most basic statement of our belief, we say of Christ, “He suffered under Pontius Pilate.”   It would not be fair nor accurate to tell of Jesus and not include His trial “under Pontius Pilate.”

                Jesus was handed over to Pilot by the Jewish authorities.   Jesus was accused of leading a revolt against the king – claiming to be the King.  Three times in the gospel by Luke, Pilate pronounced Jesus innocent (23:4, 14-15, 22).  Pilate was right of course.  There was no guilt whatsoever in Jesus.  He never did anything deserving of death.  In fact, Jesus never did any evil thing.  The irony is that Pilate spoke more truth than he knew.   For you see, he proclaimed Jesus’ innocence mostly because he did not understand.   Had he truly understood all that Jesus claimed and had he taken those claims seriously, Pilate might have given quite a different verdict.   It is because of the remarkable providence of God that Pontius Pilate’s testimony to Jesus stands “nothing deserving of death has been done by him” (Luke 23:15).

                And so it is that we discover that Jesus’ life is foreshadowed in the experience of His ancestor, David.  Similarly, as the time approaches for David to receive his kingdom he is pronounced innocent – three times no less (29:3,6,9) by the Philistine king A’chish.   Had Achish truly understood David, he would have given a very different verdict.  However, we see that the remarkable providence of God made sure that Achish’s testimony about David stands.   As with Pilate years later, the irony is that Achish spoke the truth more profoundly that he could ever have known.

                How did David and Achish get themselves in this circumstance?  In these sermons on David and the psalms Pastor Dave preached in June about the first time David approached King Achish.  That encounter saw David walk into Philistine territory – alone and acting the madman.   Achish kicked David out of town and 400 disreputable men go with him.  David leads these and more men into training – turning them into a lean, mean fighting machine…but, on the run from King Saul.  Now the “mad man” wants to return.  Read  I Samuel 27:1-2.    

David and his men, and at times their entire families, have been constantly on the run from King Saul.  David is sick and tired of this.  He is tired of Saul’s impulsive and VERY short-lived conciliatory efforts.   He and his men have grown weary of the constant harassment, nervous tension, and the constant moving from place to place and the daily problems of finding sufficient food for their growing number.   At this point they number at least about 2400 people.   David decides he can no longer live the outlaw existence.   As you and look on, David’s reluctant decision makes sense.  He leads his men, and families, into the enemy territory of the Philistines.   Saul stops looking for him.  Finally, they all can get needed rest without constantly looking behind them. 

However, David and his men go beyond just inside the border.  David actually goes the full length to ingratiate himself, and win the complete trust of this enemy king.  Through deceit and ruthless gamble David succeeds.   David bargains with King Achish for a separate “field of operation.”  Meaning David wants to be outside the king’s direct overview and sight and out from under his thumb.    The king assigns him the town of Ziklag , many miles south of Gath .     Read  I Samuel 27:5-8. 

So in return for being able to live in their assigned city of Ziklag – like the medieval fiefdom and vassals we’ve read about, they are expected to render all loyalty to Achish – including all service and military protection.    The deceit is that David tells Achish that he and his men are going out on raids against the Israelites in the Negeb region.  In reality their work behind enemy lines is they are busy raiding Israel ’s ancient enemies Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites.  David never acts against his own people or Saul.   In fact, the spoil and plunder of all the raids is brought back to Achish.   David makes sure there is no one left alive to come to tell Achish the truth of the raids.  Achish trusts David, thinking of David:  “He has made himself utterly abhorrent to his people Israel ; therefore he shall always be my servant. (vs12)”    And so it goes for 16 months.

                After 16 months a natural comfort level settles over David.  However, a bigger battle is brewing that will take in the other four Philistine kings/generals and their armies.   Achish informs David that he and his men are expected to join Achish’s own army in this battle.   What’s a Double Agent to do?  Obviously, David agrees by telling Achish, “Very well, that way you shall know what your servant can do. (I Sam 28:2)”  Achish then makes David and his men his own personal body guard.  Something about keeping your enemies closer comes to mind…..   So all five generals and their armies gather in a town just south at Aphek.   This historic battle will be against Saul and the Israelites.  Whether David knows who this battle is against we are not told. 

However, while our Double Agent 001 has been put in a place of honor, we are told that the day before departing for the battle the other 4 generals approach King Achish with their objection to David and his men – the Hebrews with him.   And here the term “Hebrews” is used in a very derogatory way, as was the usual case back then.   The generals know David’s military reputation.  They have heard the little ditty that the Israelites sing,”Saul kills his thousands and David his ten thousands” (29:5).  They know those who are killed are own.  So why on earth would they welcome their enemy to fight with them?   They trust their instincts which tell them that while Achish has appointed David to literally guard his head – David has much more to gain by doing something entirely different with their heads (29:1-5)”!

                When King Achish responds to the generals’ challenge of his decision of including David, he also responds with a strong defense of David.  Three times Achish defends David, saying he finds no fault in him.  Sound familiar?    In the end we see King Achish is too weak to withstand the generals.  However because he wants to save face with David – who seems to have won Achish over lock stock and barrel – Achish actually swears an oath by David’s God!   Again ironically, the content of the oath in chapter 29, verse 6 refers to David’s honesty!  Achish emphasizes that as far as he is concerned, David’s participation with him in the Philistine campaign is  “good”.  However, Achish submits to the pressure from the other generals.    He reluctantly urges David to return to Ziklag and behave well.  At all costs Achish wants peace – again so like Pontius Pilot.    

                To the very end David continues his deceitful ways.   When Achish send him back to Ziklag, David asks, “What have I done?”   In the past when David speaks this sort of protest it is with genuine innocence.  But can the same be said now as he speaks to Achish?  Is he taking advantage of Achish’s embarrassment in front of the other generals and the gathered massive army?  Does he seek to increase that embarrassment by pretending to be offended at this slight on his “goodness”?  Or is he maintaining his earlier deceit because he had been planning to do exactly what the Philistine commanders suspected he would?   Is our answer in the play on David’s ambiguous words expressing his desire to “go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king”?  Achish understands that “my lord the king” obviously refers to himself and “the enemies” to be the Israelites.    He has been so thoroughly taken in by David.  There is no risk of his taking the words any other way.  However, we know that David has recently demonstrated his faithfulness to Saul, with the same, “My lord the king” back at Engedi and again in the open field with Saul and his sleeping army (chapters 24 and 26). 

                Nonetheless, I wonder if David and his men are breathing a huge collective sigh of relief because they do not have to fight against their own people.  Or, are they greatly distressed, because they were not able to kill the enemy while fighting alongside them.   David wants to save his own people from the Philistines – but the opportunity is now blocked.  So many unanswered questions.

                By the way, if you are following along on the outline, we will return to “when we find we are fighting on the wrong side”.

                 But for now, while the Philistines advance north toward the Jezreel Valley for the final show down with Saul, we travel with David in the opposite direction, as he heads south, back to Ziklag.   In the rejection of David, David is also saved by the Philistines.   God’s remarkable providence removes David from the upcoming battle in the far north of the country.  The very battle that will see the death of Saul, is the same battle that will obviously clear the way for David to be King of Israel.   David will be innocent in any involvement or blame or collusion of Saul’s death; and he will nave no knowledge of the outcome of that battle because he is at the far south of the region.  

It’s in chapter 30 we learn that in the absence of David and his men, a massive raid has been made against Ziklag.  David doesn’t yet know it is the dreaded Amalekites.  You might remember the Amalekites from previous stories about Saul and his reign as king.  In his battle with them, Saul was instructed by God to take no hostages and take no plunder.  Saul did not obey.   Instead he took none other than the king, Agog himself and some choice beef on the hoof.  For this Saul loses his reign as king and God’s blessing.  We are not told, but this could have been one of the reasons David felt justified in his raids from Ziklag, on the enemies of the Israelites, including the Amalekites.  David would have felt he was carrying out God’s word.  

As David and his men draw closer to Ziklag they can see and smell the smoke of the destruction of their town.   Because there are no dead bodies they know all the women and children have been taken prisoner.   Which means they are now booty – probably to be used, abused and be sold as slaves.   David and his men respond with understandable grief.  Chapter 30:4 says, “Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.”   As David led his men on the run in the wilderness, and  in many battles…he now leads them in grief.   He shares their grief and suffering.  His own two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, have also been taken captive.

The men – in their wearyness, stress, loss and grief begin to speak among themselves.  They want to vent their grief stricken anger on David.    It was David who led them in this last hair brained  plan to find safety in Philistine territory for crying out loud. It had been his scheming to make raids that had now so terribly gone against them.   So David, who escaped Saul, and duped the Philistines, is now in danger of being stoned to death by his own men. 

David’s response?  Well, first of all, David’s response and Saul’s response to troubles and disaster are polar opposites.  Saul turned to the medium and the forbidden world of divination and communication with the dead.   But David, who has not deserted God we are told in chapter 30:6, “strengthens himself in the Lord his God.”   He went to his Rock.  Here David finds renewed strength again in the One who had promised that he would be king over Israel .  The strength David finds is trust in the God who never deserts him.  He finds strength and guidance in God’s promises.  This is faith.  And David’s turning to God for guidance and help pulls the troops together. 

So they leave in search for their families.  By divine help of an Egyptian slave who was left by the Amalekites for dead because he was ill, David now learns who and  where the enemy is.  As David and his men get close, about 200 of his own 600 men are too exhausted and weak to continue to do battle.   They are left behind to rest and guard the gear.  David and the 400 continue on, take over the Amalekites.  They attack and fight the next day from daybreak until evening.  David’s attack is so successful that only 400 Amalekite warriors escape.  This number is the same number as David’s entire fighting force.   God’s amazing providence once more is evident. And David is able to rescue all the families and all that was taken, plus additional pluder from the Amelakites. 

They all head back to where the 200 are camped.  Now normally the plunder is divided between only those who do the actual fighting.  And that is exactly what the men expect.  However, David says that the plunder will now and hereafter be divided between everyone – those who fight and those who stay with the gear and as guards.  Apparently David has learned his lesson in not keeping a guard on the families.   You might ask why this bit of information seems so important.  So glad you asked.   This ruling is given as noble act of grace and tact.  This emphasizes the royal fitness of Israel ’s future king.  David makes his first kingly decision.  At the same time David sends part of the plunder as a present to the leaders of various towns in the southern part of Judah , and specifically to Hebron – where David will eventually be crowned king.   You see, David is repaying them for feeding his band of renegades when they were on the run.  He is also looking to the future.  He is cultivating favor with those leaders who can and will support his kingship when that opportunity presents itself.   God consistently was clearly at work, though behind the scenes, quietly assuring David’s success – for God’s ultimate purpose.

Now, what about us?  What happens when we find we are fighting on the wrong side?  Battles like this happen quite often in business.  When I was with Fidelity Bank as a manager in the loan department, there were times I was told to promote certain programs that certainly were not ultimate benefits to the customer.  As a manager –  we could say the enemy lines - I had to hype up my staff to promote those programs.   Many of you are currently living deeper situations.  Some of you have shred with me that like me, while relying on God and getting closer to God, God was fighting the battle.  In your own businesses you could probably name many instances when you feel compromised – but need to fight the battle – even if on the wrong side.    Perhaps you are wondering – really struggling how you can even serve God in that work place.  Don’t stop relying on God for your answer and resolve.   And in our marriages we support, defend and fight on our spouse’s behalf.  There are time we know they are really wrong.   God works in amazing ways for His purpose, and provides the right opportunity to set things straight.  We might not know this at the time or for some time.  God never deserts us!  

                Even when we think, feel, believe that human voices and actions have the upper hand and are in control – rather than God…we must remember that God does not desert us.   He promises to never leave us.  We, like David, are to “strengthen ourselves in the Lord” by seeking God’s guidance.  We have the Scripture – which include the teachings of Christ as well as the full message of the Old Testament which always points to Christ.  We have the presence of the Holy Spirit, who has been promised to all believers.  Obviously this promise included some exceptional people of Old Testament times.  We have God’s personal invitation to pray – and to pray directly to God in Jesus’ name.  We have the long history of the Christian church and its deep insight through the years.  We have the people, Christ’s church, and your wonderful guidance and counsel. 

                God is at work – just like the newspaper with the cross already there – God is at work today.  God’s remarkable providence is at work in, through and around us might not always be evident.   We need to ask for the grace to trust Him more.