From : Dealing With
Troubles by Dr. Feddes
After David killed
Goliath, he became a popular military leader. Saul became jealous of David’s
popularity. Saul tried to kill him. David went into hiding, going from place to
place.On his way out of the country, David went to Goliath’s home town. David
went to the court of Achish, the king of Gath. Almost immediately some of the
king’s assistants began to talk. They said to Achish, “Isn’t this David, the
king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: ‘Saul has
slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands?’” That song was first
sung after David killed Goliath of Gath. It may have been sweet music to
David’s countrymen, but it didn’t sound so good to people back in Goliath’s
hometown.
When David heard them
talking like this, his heart sank. In trying to escape Saul’s frying pan, he
had landed right in the middle of Achish’s fire. David was very much afraid of
Achish. There he stood, all alone, surrounded by people who saw him as their
worst enemy, at the mercy of a king who could have him killed on the spot.
Praying Like Crazy
That’s what David did.
Surrounded by people who could kill him at any moment, David prayed silently
but fervently. Later he wrote down the substance of that prayer, recorded in
the Bible as Psalm 56. David said: “Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly
pursue me... When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I
praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?”
(Psalm 56:1-4).
As David prayed, he became less and less afraid and
more and more sure that God would provide a way out. He ended his prayer by
saying, “You have delivered me from death...that I may walk before God in the
light of life” (Psalm 56:13).
After David finished
praying, what happened? Well, after praying like crazy, David began to act crazy. He may have thought
to himself, “Why did I ever come to Goliath’s home town carrying Goliath’s
sword? I must have been crazy! Hmmm... Did I say crazy? Now there’s an idea!”
The Bible says that David “pretended to be insane in their presence; and while
he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the
gate and letting saliva run down his beard” (1 Samuel 21:13).
King Achish reacted when
he saw David scratching and drooling. The king scolded his assistants: How
stupid were they, to think that some poor lunatic who wandered into town was
the deadly David? “Look at the man!” Achish exclaimed. “He is insane! Why bring
him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to
carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?” (1 Samuel
21:14-15)
The king’s embarrassed
assistants sent David away, and he was only too glad to go. He went back into
Israelite territory and hid out in a cave. And before long he was no longer
alone. First his relatives came and joined up with him. Then he began to
attract people with various problems. The Bible says, “All those who were in
distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their
leader.” (See 1 Samuel 21:8-22:22) People with problems were attracted to David
and to David’s God.
God was answering David’s
prayer for help.
