1 SAMUEL CHAPTER 27 David with his six hundred men, and all his faith, goeth to king Achish, and abideth there a while; Saul pursueth no more after him, 1 Samuel 27:1-4. He obtaineth Ziklag of Achish to dwell in, 1 Samuel 27:5-7. He invadeth neighbor nations; leaves no man alive to complain; persuadeth Achish he fought against Judah, 1 Samuel 27:8-12. I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul; I see by this late experience his restless and implacable hatred against me, and how little heed is to be given to all his pretences of repentance or friendship. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines: but this was certainly a very great mistake and fault in David; for,
1. This proceeded from gross distrust of God's promise and providence; and that after such repeated demonstrations of God's peculiar care over him, which gave hint cause to conclude quite contrary to what is here said.
2. He forsakes the place where God had settled him, 1 Samuel 22:5, and given him both assurance and experience of his protection there.
3. He voluntarily runs upon that rock which he cursed his enemies for throwing him upon, 1 Samuel 26:19, and upon many other snares and dangers, as the following history will show; and withal, deprives the people of the Lord of those succours which he might have given them, in case of a battle. But it pleased God to leave David to himself in this, as well as in other particulars, that these might be sensible demonstrations of the infirmities of the best men; and of the necessity of God's grace, and daily direction and assistance; and of the freeness and richness of God's mercy, in passing by such great offences. And besides, God hereby designed to accomplish his own counsel, to withdraw David from the Israelites, that Saul and they might fall by the hand of the Philistines, without any reproach or inconvenience to David, whom God had put into a safe place.