CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

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The Philistines gathered all their forces at Aphek, and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel
Aphek was an important Philistine military post. It is the staging area for Philistine troop eployment in the
first an last !attles !etween Israel an Philistia re"ore in # $am%el. Here they assem!le their troops
!efore "ontin%ing their northwar mar"h.
The Philistines are in the mo%ntains an the Israelites are in the plains. They are a!o%t &' miles apart. The
Israelites ha(e a smaller for"e an are more lightly arme. $a%l has mae Israel weak !y his h%nting )a(i.
He*s e+ha%ste his men, waste s%pplies, lowere morale, an "a%se issention among his people.
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As the Philistine r!lers marched "ith their !nits of h!ndreds and tho!sands, #a$id and his men "ere
marching at the rear "ith Achish
E(eryone knows this is going to !e a "r%"ial !attle, th%s the fi(e Philistine r%lers are with their troops.
Chapter -. tells %s that )a(i was A"hish*s personal !oyg%ar. Remem!er that )a(i was for a time the
armor !earer for /ing $a%l.
It seems that after the Philistines "rosse their !orers, they ha a re(iew of the troops.
the 012 Philistine r!lers 0or lors2 marched "ith their !nits We first met when the Ark was "apt%re !y the
Philistines. The Philistine r%lers were pro!a!ly on horses as their troops passe in re(iew. 3ringing %p the
rear g%ar, was A"hish with )a(i an his men. )a(i an his men in*t look like the Philistine army.
They no o%!t "arrie ifferent weapons, ha !ears, an pro!a!ly in*t wear armor.
Philistine soliers wore feathere helmets se"%re %ner their "hins !y leather straps.
They wore !reastplates an short skirts with wie hems an tassels.
They were "lean4sha(en an 5%ite tall. 6oliath pro!a!ly in*t ha(e a !ear, !%t he*s always ill%strate with
one.
They "arrie small ro%n shiels an straight swors. In the 3i!le, 6oliath wore !rass grea(es on his legs
an a "oat of mail 7s"ales8.
There is e(ien"e that they wo%l start a !attle with two spears or 9a(elins.
their !nits of h!ndreds and tho!sands These n%m!ers are pro!a!ly not literal !%t mean :!y "ompanies an
!attalions.;
The rear g%ar is an espe"ially importan"e pla"e. It has to prote"t the rear of a "ol%mn from hostile for"es<
%ring the withrawal, it has to elay the enemy< an %ring the a(an"e, it has to keep s%pply ro%tes open.
This is where the !est troops are.
)a(i is in a !a sit%ation. What is he to o= >ight against his own people= The alternati(e is to swit"h sies
%ring the !attle. If he i this, the Philistines wo%l ha(e kille )a(i*s family an the families of his men.
?ne a%thor thinks )a(i ha the iea of going to the !attle an g%aring A"hish, an not fighting against
Israel an not fighting for the Philistines. This s"enario seems %nrealisti".
)a(i ene %p in a pla"e where he tho%ght he wo%l ne(er !e, mar"hing to fight against his own people.
3elie(ers o%t of fellowship sometimes en %p fighting other !elie(ers.
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The commanders 0/@ "alls them prin"es2 of the Philistines asked, &'hat abo!t these (ebre"s)&
Achish replied, &Is this not #a$id, "ho "as an officer of *a!l king of Israel) (e has already been
"ith me for o$er a year, and from the day he left 0eserte2 *a!l !ntil no", I ha$e fo!nd no fa!lt in
him&
'hat abo!t these (ebre"s) The CEA has, :What are these worthless Israelites oing here=; ?r :What are
these He!rews oing here=;
A"hish is s%re that he knows )a(i is a loyal s%!9e"t. It may !e that we think we know someone well !%t we
are totally mistaken. It*s not %n"ommon for two people to !e friens for years an then something happens
an they*re s%rprise to fin o%t that they ne(er really knew ea"h other. ?f "o%rse that happens in marriage.
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,!t the Philistine commanders "ere angry "ith him 0A"hish an )a(i2 and said, &*end the man
back, that he may ret!rn to the place yo! assigned him (e m!st not go "ith !s into battle, or he "ill
t!rn against !s d!ring the fighting (o" better co!ld he regain or he "ill t!rn against !s than by
taking the heads of o!r o"n men) &
$ome of the "ommaners are smart eno%gh to 5%estion whether Israelites sho%l !e in their army. The
"ommaners ha(e more sense than )a(i. Here*s an e+ample of %n!elie(ers who are smarter than a !elie(er,
a great !elie(er at that. They see in the song a!o%t $a%l an )a(i a !on an to them !oth men are their
enemies. They want A"hish to :*end the man back, that he may ret!rn to the place yo! assigned him
0Biklag2,- whi"h wo%l !e far away from the !attle. They ha(e nothing !%t "ontempt towars )a(i.
or he "ill t!rn against !s In I $am%el #& when @onathan assa%lte an p%rs%e the Philistines, the He!rew
mer"enaries in the Philistine army t%rne on their masters, 9oine the Israelites an !egan sla%ghtering
Philistines. The Philistines "o%l see e+a"tly the same thing happening again. )a(i eserte $a%l an they
reason, he might esert %s. The /@ has, :!e an a(ersary.; This is the term %se for $atan, o%r A(ersary.
The "ommaners it seems are not taken in !y )a(i*s lies. They see him as an a(ersary, an this is what
)a(i has !e"ome, a liar like $atan.
$atan "an appear as an angel of light.
3%t his is p%re e(il.
He hies his nat%re an his !%siness.
He lies an e"ei(es.
He tells half tr%ths, whi"h are lies, as he i to E(e.
)a(i has !e"ome like $atan. He is a liar an e"ei(er.
)a(i*s e"eption t%rne on him an many in his family an staff e"ei(e him after he !e"ame king.
or he "ill t!rn against !s The Commaners say that )a(i "o%l !e a fifth "ol%mn an kill some of them
an take their heas !a"k to $a%l to re"on"ile himself to $a%l.
I s%spe"t that the Philistines are thinking a!o%t more than 9%st the heas that )a(i "%t off.
The "ommaners are oing 6o*s Will an helping f%lfill the Plan of 6o.
.
Isn/t this the #a$id they sang abo!t in their dances:
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& 0*a!l has slain his tho!sands,
and #a$id his tens of tho!sands/)
The Philistines remem!er )a(i killing 6oliath. )a(i seems to ha(e forgotten it. They remem!er the
h%miliation of their efeat< )a(i forgot the great (i"tory that 6o ga(e him.
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*o Achish called #a$id and said to him, &As s!rely as the 234# li$es, yo! ha$e been reliable, and I
"o!ld be pleased to ha$e yo! ser$e "ith me in the army 5rom the day yo! came to me !ntil no", I
ha$e fo!nd no fa!lt in yo!, b!t the r!lers don/t appro$e of yo!
Thieme says that A"hish !e"ame a !elie(er in the 6o of Israel. The Cor is @eho(ah, the Personal 6o of
Israel. As the Lord lives is %ne+pe"te in a Philistine oath< "an it !e that A"hish has "ommitte himself to
)a(i*s Cor, or is he !eing "o%rteo%s to )a(i in not swearing !y Philistine gos= The latter is perhaps
more likely.; 73alwin8
?ther "ommentators say that this phrase means that A"hish knew of the Cor of Israel !%t wasn*t a !elie(er
in him
A"hish is thinking like $a%l sho%l !e thinking. $a%l sho%l !e tr%sting )a(i as m%"h as A"hish.
5rom the day yo! came to me !ntil no" A"hish isn*t holing )a(i*s past against him.
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T!rn back and go in peace7 do nothing to displease the Philistine r!lers&
6o in pea"e, happiness, an prosperity.
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&,!t "hat ha$e I done)& asked #a$id &'hat ha$e yo! fo!nd against yo!r ser$ant from the day I
came to yo! !ntil no") 'hy can/t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king)&
)a(i is totally e"eitf%l when he says this. He pretens his honor is offene. He pretens he*s totally
amaDe that anyone sho%l 5%estion his loyalty. He oesn*t want to fight his own people, espe"ially sin"e he
knows he will one ay !e their king.
)a(i has to walk a fine line. He wants A"hish to !elie(e him when he says how m%"h he wants to fight the
Israelites, !%t he oesn*t want to !e too pers%asi(e.
&,!t "hat ha$e I done)& We "an answer this 5%estion. He e"ei(e A"hish into gi(ing him his own "ity.
He lie to him a!o%t his military a"ti(ities, an he is lying to him now.
'hy can/t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king)& )a(i inee wants to o this, go
!a"k to Israel an fight A"hish an the other Philistine enemies of Israel. ?f "o%rse what )a(i says is
totally lost on A"hish. Can yo% imagine someone going %p to )a(i after he kille 6oliath an saying to
him, :)a(i, one ay yo%*ll mar"h with the Philistines to fight against yo%r own "o%ntrymen=;
)a(i is a smooth talker an a goo a"tor an goo at e"ei(ing people. #$-'E#, -FE1, ##, -.E..
G
:There is more than a little h%mor in this s"ene 7((. H4.8. A"hish stans there, apologeti"ally emphasiDing
how he thinks )a(i sho%l go with him in this "ampaign an e+tolling )a(i*s faithf%lness, whi"h he has
no reason to e+tol. ?n the other han, )a(i with is!elief on his fa"e an e+asperation in his (oi"e protests
the re9e"tion he has no reason to protest. The e"ei(e efens his e"ei(er, an the relie(e isp%tes his
relief. 7 )ale Ralph )a(is8

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Achish ans"ered, &I as an angel of 9od7 ne$ertheless, the Philistine commanders ha$e said, 0(e
m!st not go !p "ith !s into battle/
1:
;o" get !p early, along "ith yo!r master/s ser$ants "ho ha$e
come "ith yo!, and lea$e in the morning as soon as it is light&
A"hish answere, :I know that yo% ha(e !een as pleasing in my eyes as an angel of 6o. 7NIA8
3%t A"hish insiste, IAs far as IJm "on"erne, yo%Jre as perfe"t as an angel of 6o. 7New Ci(ing Translation8
An A"hish answere )a(i an sai, :I know that yo% are as !lameless in my sight as an angel of 6o.
7English $tanar Aersion8
?ne a%thor says that A"hish looks like a fool. He says )a(i was a go sent, ?ne sent !y 6o. A"hish seems
to ha(e more integrity than )a(i.
A"hish takes the opposite (iew of the "ommaners. They are not please with )a(i, (erses F, !%t he is
please with him.
yo!r master/s ser$ants Keaning $a%l*s ser(ants or $a%l*s men. )a(i*s army in"l%e many eserters from
$a%l*s army. We "an take :master; to mean the Cor. Thieme "alls )a(i an his men :the Army of
@eho(ah.; $ee #Chron#-EL4--.
A"hish warns )a(i to get o%t of )oge as soon as possi!le. He fears for )a(i*s safety. A"hish may ha(e
hear r%m!lings a!o%t )a(i an his men !eing atta"ke !y the other troops.
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*o #a$id and his men got !p early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the
Philistines "ent !p to Jezreel
They were now in the lan of Israel, at Aphek, near @eDreel, from there they went !a"k to Biklag. )a(i was
"lose to the point of no ret%rn. If they were "loser to the !attle front, the other Philistines might ha(e set %pon
)a(i an his men. If they ha mar"he f%rther, )a(i wo%ln*t ha(e !een a!le to sa(e his wi(es an the
families of his men or retrie(e their possessions in the ne+t "hapter.
The Cor*s timing is perfe"t. )a(i knew the Cor a(erte a isaster 7fighting for the Philistines or fighting
against them an s%ffering the "onse5%en"es8 !%t it wasn*t %ntil a few ays later that he realiDe that the
Cor also a(erte another isaster 7the Amalekites es"aping with their women an "hilren8.
What if )a(i ha "ontin%e with A"hish an the Philistine armies= Co%l he ha(e t%rne the !attle in fa(or
of Israel an eli(ere $a%l= It was 6o*s Plan that $a%l sho%l ie.
)a(i was getting (ery "omforta!le in Philistia. He ha his "ity< he ha his wi(es< he ha a ni"e 9o!
pl%nering< he was in with the politi"ians, A"hish< no!oy !othere him< he was his own law< an he was
&
ri"h. Kay!e the Cor a(erte another isaster, )a(i not !e"oming kin. Wo%l his people want a king who
fo%ght with their ha!it%al enemy, the Philistines=
It wo%l take a lot to get )a(i !a"k to Israel. Kay!e )a(i wo%l ne(er ha(e ret%rne to Israel if the e(ents
of the ne+t "hapter ha not o""%rre.
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