M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

David Flees to the Philistines

27 Then David said ^[a]to himself, “Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul. ^(A)There is nothing better for me than ^[b]to escape into the land of the Philistines. Saul then will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand.” ² So David arose and crossed over, he and ^(B)the six hundred men who were with him, to ^(C)Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. ³ And David lived with Achish at Gath, he and his men, ^(D)each with his household, even David with ^(E)his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s ^[c]widow. ⁴ Now it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, so he no longer searched for him.

⁵ Then David said to Achish, “If now I have found favor in your sight, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may live there; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” ⁶ So Achish gave him Ziklag that day; therefore ^(F)Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. ⁷ The number of days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was ^(G)a year and four months.

⁸ Now David and his men went up and raided ^(H)the Geshurites and the Girzites and ^(I)the Amalekites; for they were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times, as you come to ^(J)Shur even as far as the land of Egypt. ⁹ David ^[d]attacked the land and did not leave a man or a woman alive, and he ^(K)took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned and came to Achish. ¹⁰ Now Achish said, “Where have you ^(L)made a raid today?” And David said, “Against the ^[e]Negev of Judah and against the ^[f]Negev of ^(M)the Jerahmeelites and against the ^[g]Negev of ^(N)the Kenites.” ¹¹ David did not leave a man or a woman alive to bring to Gath, saying, “Otherwise they will tell about us, saying, ‘So has David done and so has been his practice all the time he has lived in the country of the Philistines.’” ¹² So Achish believed David, saying, “He has surely made himself odious among his people Israel; therefore he will become my servant forever.”

Take Care with Your Liberty

8 Now concerning ^(A)things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have ^(B)knowledge. Knowledge ^[a](C)makes arrogant, but love ^(D)edifies. ^2 (E)If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet ^(F)known as he ought to know; ³ but if anyone loves God, he ^(G)is known by Him.

⁴ Therefore concerning the eating of ^(H)things sacrificed to idols, we know that ^[b]there is ^(I)no such thing as an idol in the world, and that ^(J)there is no God but one. ⁵ For even if ^(K)there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, ⁶ yet for us ^(L)there is but one God, ^(M)the Father, ^(N)from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and ^(O)one Lord, Jesus Christ, ^(P)by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

⁷ However not all men ^(Q)have this knowledge; but ^(R)some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. ⁸ But ^(S)food will not ^[c]commend us to God; we are neither ^[d]the worse if we do not eat, nor ^[e]the better if we do eat. ⁹ But ^(T)take care that this ^[f]liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the ^(U)weak. ¹⁰ For if someone sees you, who have ^(V)knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat ^(W)things sacrificed to idols? ¹¹ For through ^(X)your knowledge he who is weak ^(Y)is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. ^12 (Z)And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin ^(AA)against Christ. ¹³ Therefore, ^(AB)if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

Idolatrous Worship Denounced

6 And the word of the Lord came to me saying, ² “Son of man, set your face toward the ^(A)mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them ³ and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord ^[a]God! Thus says the Lord ^[b]God to the mountains, the hills, the ravines and the valleys: “Behold, I Myself am going to bring a sword on you, and ^(B)I will destroy your high places. ⁴ So your ^(C)altars will become desolate and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will make your slain fall in front of your idols. ⁵ I will also lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israel in front of their idols; and I will scatter your ^(D)bones around your altars. ⁶ In all your dwellings, ^(E)cities will become waste and the high places will be desolate, that your altars may become waste and ^[c]desolate, your ^(F)idols may be broken and brought to an end, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be blotted out. ⁷ The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the Lord.

⁸ “However, I will leave a ^(G)remnant, for you will have those who ^(H)escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered among the countries. ⁹ Then those of you who escape will ^(I)remember Me among the nations to which they will be carried captive, how I have ^[d](J)been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols; and they will ^(K)loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations. ¹⁰ Then they will know that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain ^[e]that I would inflict this disaster on them.”’

¹¹ “Thus says the Lord ^[f]God, ‘Clap your hand, ^(L)stamp your foot and say, “^(M)Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, which will fall by ^(N)sword, famine and plague! ¹² He who is ^(O)far off will die by the plague, and he who is near will fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged will die by the famine. Thus will I ^(P)spend My wrath on them. ¹³ Then you will know that I am the Lord, when their ^(Q)slain are among their idols around their altars, on ^(R)every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every green tree and under every leafy oak—the places where they offered soothing aroma to all their idols. ¹⁴ So throughout all their habitations I will ^(S)stretch out My hand against them and make the land more desolate and waste than the wilderness toward Diblah; thus they will know that I am the Lord.”’”

Former Deliverances and Present Troubles.

For the choir director. A ^[a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.