David’s life has been in constant jeopardy from Saul. In spite of repeated escapes, David knows his days are numbered so long as Saul is alive and he is in the territory of Judah. He resolved to align himself with the Philistines.

In escaping from Saul, David went to the Philistines and took up residence in Gath. David took his 600 men, along with their families, and put himself and his men in the service of Achish. The king allotted the village of Ziklag to him, and his men settled there. They raided the enemies of Israel and of the Philistines, but claimed they had raided southern Israel. For that reason, Achish put his confidence in David. While he lived in Ziklag, David was joined by powerful warriors from Benjamin, Gad and Judah.

The Philistines assembled from their cities to campaign against Israel. Achish made a special point to let David know that he was expected to fight against the Philistines’ enemies-in this case, Israel. David agreed, and Achish awarded him an exalted position in his army.

Saul assembled his men at Mount Gilboa, near Jezreel in the north. When he saw the Philistines, he was afraid and tried to consult God, but Samuel was dead, Saul had murdered the priests, and God gave him neither dreams nor prophets. In desperation, he demanded a spiritist who could summon the spirits of the dead. One was located in Endor, so Saul and two attendants disguised themselves and went to her.

At first, the woman refused to help, since Saul had waged relentless war against all occult workers. They persuaded her, though, and she agreed to bring up Samuel. As Samuel arrived, she realized that she had committed her crime in the presence of the king, but he reassured her. Saul then asked Samuel for counsel, but Samuel refused and plainly told Saul that he and his sons would die tomorrow.

The woman prepared food and urged the king and his attendants to eat. A listless Saul ate a little, then returned to the encampment.

David and his men marched northward with Achish, but the other Philistine commanders refused his service. They well knew his reputation and feared that he would turn on them to regain favor with Saul. Even though Achish trusted him, he sent David away, insisting that he return to Ziklag at first light. As David slipped away southward, he was joined by defectors from Manasseh.

As David and his men were marching southward, the Amalekites raided Ziklag and took every person alive, then burned the city to the ground. David and his men returned to absolute ruin. For a time they were devastated in grief and some even talked of stoning David, but he inquired of God and was urged to pursue the raiders and rescue the prisoners and plunder. The warriors immediately set out.

At the Besor Ravine, near Beersheba, 200 men were too exhausted to continue the chase, but David and the rest left unnecessary gear and supplies with them and struck out. They caught up with an Egyptian straggler who had been abandoned by the Amalekites. When he was revived, he served as a guide to lead David’s men to their enemies. David and his warriors immediately pounced upon the raiders and struck them down throughout the night. Only 400 of their young men escaped on camels. All the people were restored and the additional plunder fell to David.

When they returned to the contingent left at the Besor Ravine, the fighters refused to allow the rear echelon to share in the victory, granting them only their own families. David, though, made them all equal partners, then sent presents of the plunder to those areas that had supported him in the past.

Back at Mount Gilboa, the battle was joined and the Philistines triumphed. Saul’s sons, Jonathan, Abinadab (known as Ishvi in 1 Samuel 14:49), and Malki-Shua were killed, and Saul was surrounded. When he was seriously wounded, he pleaded with his armor-bearer to finish him, but the armor-bearer refused. In desperation, Saul killed himself, and his armor-bearer imitated him. At that, the Israelites army fled and most evacuated the cities west of the Jordan. This Philistines took them over and looted them.

When the Philistines searched the battlefield the next day, they found the bodies of Saul and his sons. They cut off his head and displayed it in the temple of Dagon, they put his armor in the temple of Ashtoreth, and fixed the bodies on the wall of the city of Beth-Shan. In the night, the men of Jabesh Gilead sneaked up to the city walls and removed the bodies. They took them back home and treated them as decently as they could, cremating them and honorably burying the ashes. Saul was dead, and the kingdom of Israel was a shattered, leaderless chaos.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why did David hide his raiding activity from Achish’s notice? Why did David align himself with the Philistines as a way of hiding from Saul? Do you think David took this course of action in obedience to God, or in opposition to God?

2. Why didn’t God answer Saul’s request for guidance? Why did Saul resort to an occult medium to contact Samuel? Why was it acceptable for him to do that, but not acceptable for others? Why did the woman insist on feeding the doomed men?

3. Were the Philistine rulers wise to reject David? Since war was largely a matter of profit, what did it mean to David’s men that they were sent home before battle? Why did David agree to leave Achish’s service that day?

4. God had urged Saul to exterminate the Amalekites, yet he had failed by disobeying. What did it mean to Israel that David’s first major victory came against the Amalekites? Why do you think David attacked the camp as night was falling? What was so important about allotting an equal share to those who “remained behind with the baggage”?

5. Who was responsible for Saul’s death? Why did the Philistines send Saul’s head and armor to their pagan temples? Why did the men of Jabesh Gilead rescue the bodies and treat them decently?