Day 27: 1 Samuel 21:10–15

“Look! You can see the man is crazy,” Achish said to his servants. “Why did you bring him to me?” (v. 14).

David’s relentless search for refuge led to a rather humorous scene, as we see in today’s reading. He fled to Achish, the king of Gath, but the Philistine king quickly recognized David. This situation frightened David in his depleted state, but the Israelite was a quick thinker. He pretended to be insane, acting like a madman, “scribbling on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard” (v. 13). Had David been auditioning for a theatrical production, he would no doubt have gotten the part!

We see a new, creative, and shrewd side of our protagonist in this situation. Not only was he a harpist and a warrior, he could have won an Oscar for best actor! Some people act for pleasure. Others act for money. David was acting for his life. He pulled it off too.

You may be wondering why the men of Gath didn’t kill him on the spot. David knew the pagan people of his day. They were terrified of a madman and far too superstitious to harm one. They feared he was a dangerous demon who had the power to cause them havoc from the next life. Apparently, David wasn’t just sheep-smart, he was street-smart.

The Philistine king delivered one of those wonderful lines that show Scripture is not only the Word of God but the greatest literature you can find. Achish said: “Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me?” (v. 15). (I confess that though good manners have precluded my using this line, the action of some people have made me think of it.)

David may have been short on patience and on perceiving God’s constant reminders, but he certainly wasn’t short on personality, was he? It does make for good story material, even though patience and perception might have helped him a little more than personality. In the days ahead, we are going to see David as he negotiates some pretty tough times. We’ll begin to peek a little deeper into the heart God saw and loved. Keep praying for a hunger and thirst for God’s Word. Ask God to make you aware of His constant presence so that you can have His assurance no matter your circumstances, no matter how crazy your life may sometimes get.