“大卫在非利士地住了一年零四个月。” - 撒上 27:7

在旷野生活，大卫要靠机智的头脑，他知道返回以色列实在太危险，因为扫罗又在追杀他了。他可以到哪里才会有安全？他需要隐性埋名来保护自己，有谁可以让他这样做呢？

大卫决定住在他从前的仇敌非利士人中间。怎么会有这样的事？非利士人会不会记得他曾杀了他们的勇士歌利亚呢？我们不知道所有的细节，然而，在那时，对大卫和跟随他的人来说，与非利士人同住似乎是保住性命最安全的做法。

大卫向迦特王亚吉求情，亚吉便收容了大卫，让他住在洗革拉。大卫与600个跟随者和他们的眷属，都没有伤害非利士人，他们信守诺言，不去骚扰他们，又向他们周围的敌人发动战争。大卫住在非利士境内时，扫罗没有再打扰他。大卫竟然在他最不想去的地方兴旺起来。

在这段期间，发生了一件令人惊奇的事 - 迦特王竟然信任了大卫，大卫已经使人看到他是值得信任的。他的行为，足以把昔日的敌人变为盟友。由此我们看见，尽管大卫住在他子民的敌人当中，主仍然保护他。

祷告

主啊，我喜欢住在朋友当中、胜过住在敌人当中，然而我知道你也会吩咐我走出我的舒适圈、甚至可能会进入有敌人的地方。无论我身在何地，求你帮助我都尊崇你并信靠你。阿们。

撒母耳记上27

1大卫心里说：“必有一日我死在扫罗手里，不如逃奔非利士地去。扫罗见我不在以色列的境内，就必绝望，不再寻索我。这样我可以脱离他的手。”
2于是大卫起身，和跟随他的六百人投奔迦特王玛俄的儿子亚吉去了。
3大卫和他的两个妻，就是耶斯列人亚希暖和做过拿八妻的迦密人亚比该，并跟随他的人，连各人的眷属，都住在迦特亚吉那里。
4有人告诉扫罗说，大卫逃到迦特，扫罗就不再寻索他了。
5大卫对亚吉说：“我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你在京外的城邑中赐我一个地方居住。仆人何必与王同住京都呢？”
6当日亚吉将洗革拉赐给他。因此洗革拉属犹大王，直到今日。
7大卫在非利士地住了一年零四个月。
8大卫和跟随他的人上去，侵夺基述人、基色人、亚玛力人之地。这几族历来住在那地，从书珥直到埃及。
9大卫击杀那地的人，无论男女都没有留下一个，又夺获牛、羊、骆驼、驴并衣服，回来见亚吉。
10亚吉说：“你们今日侵夺了什么地方呢？”大卫说：“侵夺了犹大的南方、耶拉篾的南方、基尼的南方。”
11无论男女，大卫没有留下一个带到迦特来，他说：“恐怕他们将我们的事告诉人，说大卫住在非利士地的时候常常这样行。”
12亚吉信了大卫，心里说：“大卫使本族以色列人憎恶他，所以他必永远做我的仆人了。”

Living Among Enemies

"David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months." - 1 Samuel 27:7

David lived by his wits in the wilderness. He knew that going back to Israel would be too dangerous because Saul was hunting him again. Where could he go for safety? Who might provide the kind of anonymity he needed for protection?

David decided to live among his former enemies, the Philistines. What? Wouldn’t the Philistines remember that he had killed their champion Goliath? We aren’t told all of the details, but it seems that living with the Philistines was the safest way for David and his men to stay alive at this time.

Making his plea to Achish, the king of Gath, David was given refuge in Ziklag. David, along with his 600 men and their families, made no attempt to harm the Philistines. They kept their word to leave them alone and to wage war on their surrounding enemies. While David was in Philistine territory, Saul stayed away. David flourished in the last place he really wanted to be.

During this time, something amazing happened—the king of Gath trusted David. David had shown himself to be trustworthy. He had modeled the kind of behavior that can turn an old enemy into an ally. In this way we can see that the Lord protected David even while living among his people’s enemies.

Prayer

Lord, I prefer living among friends rather than enemies. But I know you also call me to go outside my comfort zone, even into places where there might be enemies. Help me to honor and trust in you wherever I am. Amen.