Two Trips To Achish

1 Samuel 21:12 And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

1 Samuel 29:9 And Achish answered David and said, “I know that you are as blameless in my sight as an angel of God. …

Achish was the King Of Gath, one of the cities of the Philistines. David makes two trips to this city, with drastically different results. The first time, David was afraid of him and left. The second time, he not only stayed, he greatly impressed King Achish.

Some say it was a different Achish the second time, some say it was the same. Either way, it was the same name both times. Achish means two things I will blacken, and only a man.

Battles seek to bruise, beat, and blacken us. To cause us to see how frail, finite, and fragile we are. While it is true we are all of those things, at our best state, we are dust. Yet when we like David look to God, we see His power, His infinity, and His might.

The first time David was with the Philistines, he ran. The second time they said he had been like an Angel of God. The Scripture records, during the second stay with them, he faced a great battle at Ziklag, his family being taken. David said bring me the Ephod, he called on God, and he recovered all. God made the difference in the first and second trip to Achish.

This world tries to make us so black and blue we can’t see clearly. Yet God will help, heal, and deliver us when we call on Him. When we look to Him, we will come out victorious, His light reflecting through us to others.