After the Amalekites attacked Ziklag and took captive David’s wives and other people, David and his men pursued and defeated the Amalekites, recovering all of the captives and goods. Meanwhile, Saul and his men were defeated and killed by the Philistines. David buried Saul and his sons with honor. Listen to find out how the gospel of Jesus can be found in these later chapters.
1 Samuel 29 tells the story of David’s rejection by the Philistines. David had been living in exile with the Philistines after being anointed king of Israel by the prophet Samuel. The Philistines were preparing for battle against Israel, and David had been invited to join them in the fight. However, some of the Philistine leaders were suspicious of David and feared that he might betray them. They convinced Achish, the king of Gath, to send David and his men back home.
Saul is afraid of the Philistines and seeks guidance from God, but God does not answer him. Saul then disguises himself and goes to a medium in Endor to ask her to bring up the spirit of Samuel. The medium is able to summon Samuel, who tells Saul that God has rejected him as king and that he and his sons will die in battle the next day. Saul is greatly troubled by this news and returns to his camp.
David flees to the land of the Philistines in fear of Saul. He lies to the Philistine king, Achish, and tells him that he is no longer a loyal Israelite. Achish believes David and gives him a place to live in Ziklag. David and his men live in Ziklag for a year and four months, during which time they raid the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. Achish is pleased with David’s service and believes that he can trust him. However, David is only pretending to be loyal to the Philistines. He is actually planning to return to Israel and claim the throne.
David spares Saul’s life twice, showing his mercy and compassion. Saul is starting to realize that David is a threat to his throne, and he is afraid that David will eventually kill him and take over as king. The prophet Samuel anoints David as king, even though Saul is still the reigning king. This further angers Saul and makes him even more determined to kill David.