Was it God's will for David to leave Israel and move to Philistia? The text does not say, but there are indications that lead me to believe that he should not have done this even though he must have felt almost forced to do so. First, there is the statement that David consulted with himself, but he had previously asked God for guidance in prayer (cf. 23:2, 4). Second, David said he believed he would die if he remained in Israel. Yet Samuel had anointed him as Israel's next king (16:13), Jonathan had said twice that David would be king (18:4; 23:17), as had Saul (24:20; 26:25), and so had Abigail (25:30). Saul's most recent statement about this occurs in the verse immediately preceding verse one. Third, the name of God does not appear in this chapter suggesting that David did not get his guidance from the Lord. David's faith in God's ability to keep him safe seems to have lapsed temporarily. The stress and strain of his hide-and-seek existence with no end in view seem to have worn on David. In addition, he had another wife to take care of now (25:42). This led him to seek refuge from Saul in Philistia again (cf. 21:10-15). This was only a weakness in trust, however, not disobedience to the revealed will of God.
Why would David have been welcome in Philistia? Probably Achish and the other Philistine lords rejoiced to see the rift that existed between David and Saul.
"Without David, Saul lacked military leadership sufficient to eliminate the Philistine threat; without Saul, David lacked a power base from which to operate."268
"Secondly, Achish realized that as soon as David did attack his own people, he would lose for ever the possibility of changing sides."269
Consequently Achish was willing for David and his men to live in Philistia apparently as mercenaries (cf. 2 Sam. 10:6; 15-18-22). Gath stood about 27 miles west-northwest of Ziph. David's move was a fairly major relocation of his forces and his family (v. 3); he evidently planned to stay in Philistia until God disposed of Saul. Since David now enjoyed Philistine protection, Saul no longer searched for him. Saul would have had to take on the Philistines to get to David, and Saul did not want to do that. David must have looked like the frustrated leader of an ineffective coup d'étatto Achish. Anyone who was the enemy of Saul was the friend of Achish. David pretended to be more of a servant to Achish than he really was (v. 5).
Ziklag evidently stood on the southwestern edge of Philistia about 27 miles south-southwest of Gerar, but its exact site is not certain.270It continued under Israelite control from the time David moved there until David incorporated it into his kingdom. This town became David's headquarters until he moved to Hebron 16 months later (v. 7; cf. 2 Sam. 1:1). In Ziklag David could come and go without constant observation by the Philistines who lived mainly to the north of Ziklag.
