I must admit that I felt really puzzled, the first time I read this passage in preparation to preach it to all of you. It struck me as a really weird passage of Scripture. I honestly could not get past David’s seeming stupidity as he sought refuge with Israel’s greatest enemies.

We also have to remember the fact that the Philistines were one of David’s greatest enemies too. David had been fighting against these guys and defeating them on the battlefield for the last few years since his defeat of the big bully, Goliath.

So, at first glance, I thought that maybe David had lost his mind – that even though he pretends to be insane (v. 13) – maybe he really was going insane! Who in their right mind, runs from one enemy, right into the arms of another enemy, believing that they will find safety and refuge and shelter from a different enemy? Sounds like insanity to me!

Webster’s dictionary describes insanity as, “a severely disordered state of mind… unsoundness of mind or a lack of the ability to understand… extreme folly or unreasonableness… something utterly foolish or unreasonable… senseless conduct”.2 Does not this description seem to fit David’s behavior in our passage today?

I am also sure we have all heard the saying that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Interestingly, David does not just look for refuge among his enemies this one time, he does it again later in the story too (CH. 27, 29). Who does this? Who in their right mind actually thinks that they will find safety, and refuge, and even salvation from one enemy as they cozy up in the arms of another enemy? This would be like trying to escape the snare of pornography by cozying up with a prostitute!

Can you see why I began to think that maybe David was actually insane and not just pretending to be insane? If part of the definition of the word “insanity” is “extreme folly… unreasonableness… something utterly foolish… senseless conduct”, we might be right to diagnose David with truly being insane! Look at some of the details of the passage with me for a few minutes as we think about David’s seemingly insane state of mind.

10And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” 12And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. 14Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” 22:1David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam.

#1: ACHISH THE KING OF GATH (VV. 10 – 11)

The first thing I notice in the passage is that David runs to Achish, the king of Gath (v. 10). You might remember in our study last week, that David went to the priests at Nob for physical and spiritual nourishment and that he noticed an enemy in the camp in the person of “Doeg the Edomite” and that he also strapped up as he armed himself with none other than the sword of the big bully, Goliath (21:1 – 9).

And now, David runs to the city of Gath – the hometown of the big bully, Goliath – with nothing but the clothes on his back, some loaves of bread, the image of Doeg in his mind, and the sword of Goliath strapped to his side. Sounds like insanity to me! 

If David truly thought that he could enter the city of the giant whom he had miraculously killed with a slingshot a few years ago, with the very sword of that slain enemy strapped to his side and go unnoticed by anyone… well let us just say that David is not thinking clearly at all; he is being unreasonable.

The phrase that states that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” really does not apply here very well at all, because the Philistines were not just Saul’s enemy, they were David’s enemy too. David is looking for refuge and safety and salvation from his own enemies because his other enemy, Saul, is seeking to kill him for no good reason other than his own insane jealousy and hatred of David.

It does not seem to take very long for king Achish’s servants to figure out just who David actually is. They rightly identify David as “the king of the land” who has been immortalized in song and dance as the people of Israel celebrated his accomplishments on the battlefield as he “struck down… his ten thousands” of the Philistines (v. 11). 

Something to note here is that the king’s servants rightly identify David as “the king of the land” (v. 11) while it seems that David himself has forgotten his own identity as he behaves in ways that are unbecoming of a king who has been anointed and chosen by God to rule the land and to rid it of his enemies. Is not this exactly what you and I do when we forget our identity in Christ as we run into the arms of Satan, Sin, and Death for refuge from our own experiences of human suffering?

David’s suffering was certainly unbelievable here. The man who once called him his own son, Saul, had tried to murder David on various occasions, had spread lies about David, and he was now hot on David’s trail with his murderous rage completely unchecked. 

That suffering is what seems to be the motivating factor behind David’s insane behavior as he tried to find refuge in the one place he thought Saul would never look for him. But in doing this, David seems to be acting out of his suffering in ways that seem insane to us. Forget your identity in Christ and you will do insane things to find refuge, safety, and salvation.

#2: PRETENDING TO BE INSANE (VV. 12 – 13)

The second thing I notice is that once David is recognized, he pretends to be insane in a desperate attempt to escape the enemy whose arms he has found himself wrapped up in. Can you imagine the sense of desperation David would have felt once he realized his cover was blown? I am sure you know what it feels like to have your cover blown and to no longer be able to hide out in the enemy’s arms.

When David heard the words of the king’s servants as they rightly identified him as “the king of the land” (v. 11) who had been defeating them on the battlefield for the last few years, he became “much afraid” (v. 12) and he “changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard” (v. 13).

So, the man whom I think we have rightly diagnosed as behaving in an insane fashion, now begins to pretend to be insane so that he can escape the enemy he sought refuge with. The image here is almost comical! The king’s servants have him in their hands and David starts scratching and clawing on the doors of the gate and slobbering all over himself. 

On the one hand, I want to give David some credit for his ability to manage the crisis he created for himself with his own insanity. On the other hand, I have to just shake my head in wonder and confusion. What are we supposed to learn from David here? What does God want to teach us as we observe David’s literal insanity and now his fake insanity? 

Maybe this should be a reminder that it actually is insane to look anywhere other than to the Lord for our refuge and safety and salvation. Maybe we should learn that when we run from one enemy, straight into the arms of another enemy – instead of to the Lord – that our insanity will become a public spectacle for others to behold. This leads me to the third portion of our passage.

#3: A MADMAN IN MY PRESENCE? (VV. 14 – 15)

The third thing I notice in our passage, is that when David pretends to be insane, the king, Achish, responds with disgust because his servants have brought a madman into his presence (vv. 14 – 15). Achish even acknowledges that there is no shortage of madmen in his kingdom and that he has no desire to bring another madman into his house (v. 15).3King Achish is not relating to David as though David is the anointed, and chosen king of Israel who has been called by God to lead the nation; he is relating to him as though he is a madman, as though David is in fact insane.

Make no mistake about it friends, when you run to the enemy for refuge, for safety, and for salvation, you are not only pretending to be insane, you are in fact behaving insanely, and those who see you in your insane state of mind will not relate to you as the blood bought believer you really are – if you really are a blood bought believer.

IS DAVID ACTUALLY INSANE? (V. 12)

So, we come back now to the question I was asking all week – is David actually insane? And what are we to learn from David’s moment of insanity? I think we would agree that David definitely had a moment of insanity. We might call this episode of David’s life, a time where he gave into temporary insanity; he became insane, temporarily, for a moment and he got himself into hot water as he tried to hide from one enemy in the arms of another enemy.

I think we would agree that when we fail to live like the blood bought believers we claim to be, that the consequences can be deadly. I think it makes sense too, that when we begin to seek refuge in the enemy camp, it ruins our testimony – similar to king Achish relating to David as a madman instead of an anointed, called-by-God, chosen, king. We would do well to remember to live and to behave like the blood bought sons and daughters we really are, if we have trusted in Christ.

All of these things we are learning are good and appropriate to hold onto. But I think we would do well to dig a little deeper for a few minutes. Think about this, David was a mighty man of God who did miraculous things as he trusted God to work in and through him. We have witnessed those things throughout our study. The question I ask now is, why! Why did David give into this moment of temporary insanity?

I think the answer can be seen in verse 12 where we read that “David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.” Did you catch that? David was so afraid that he felt it deep down in the darkest valleys of his own heart. Interestingly, one commentator notes that this is the only place that the author of First and Second Samuelrefers to David’s fear; the author does not mention David being afraid anywhere else in all of his writings.4

Why does the author choose to highlight David’s fear only once and only here? I think the author does this for a couple of reasons. First, as my commentary points out, we are supposed to see that the hostility against David as well as the future hostility against Jesus is a very real and a very wicked hostility.5

We cannot dismiss, downplay, ignore, excuse, or explain away the seriousness of this very real and very wicked hostility against God’s chosen King David and then subsequently against Jesus. We also should understand, according to that same commentator, that if you claim to follow Christ, then just like David, the hostility you will face will be just as real and just as wicked as it was for David in Gath and for Jesus at the cross of Calvary.6 You and I will face very real and very wicked hostility if we choose to follow Jesus.

The second reason that I think the author emphasizes David’s fear only here, is because it points us not only to the insanity that fear can produce in us, but it also shows us the insanity of fear itself. Fear does not just cause us to behave in ways that are uncharacteristic to whom God says we are. Fear in and of itself, is something that is uncharacteristic for a believer. Do not hear me wrong – we all struggle with fear at times, but fear is not something we are to be controlled by because we are called to place our full trust into the controlling hands of God and God alone no matter what the circumstances are.

Charles Spurgeon – one of my favorite preachers of all time – says that in this instance, fear had definitely filled David’s mind but it did not fill his entire mind because it is completely possible for both fear and faith to exist in the mind of the believer; even when it seems like our minds and our hearts are full of the darkness of fear, Spurgeon says that there is still a tiny sliver of light in the darkness through the moon and the stars who are held by the hand of God.7

In our darkest and most fear filled moments, where the insanity of fear seeks to take hold of us, when we are tempted to seek refuge from one enemy in the arms of another enemy, when the light reveals that we are in fact pretending to be someone we are not, just when it seems that all hope has been lost to the insanity of fear, God shows up because he alone is completely faithful!

THE PSALMS CONNECTION (Ps. 34 & 56)

This truth, that God is completely faithful, even in the midst of our greatest failures and even in the midst of our most shameful bouts with the insanity of fear, God’s faithfulness is made most visible in David’s response to this insane episode of his life once he actually escaped and found true refuge, safety, and salvation in a cave.

The last verse of our passage today in 1 Samuel 22:1 says that “David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam.” In that cave, in that cold and dark refuge where David hid from Saul and escaped the Philistines, he began to write the words of Psalms 34and 56 in their entirety. Those two Psalms are some of the sweetest spots of all of David’s poetry because they speak of his great fear and of how the Lord taught David to trust in him even when things were insanely scary.

Listen to Psalm 34 where it says, that is “Of David when he changed his behavior before Abimelech (or Achan), so that he drove him out and he went away” and then David says, 

“1I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 3Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! 

4I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. 6This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. 7The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 

8Oh taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! 10The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? 13Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. 14Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

15The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. 16The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. 21Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 22The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Can you hear how God used David’s bout with the insanity of fear from 1 Samuel 21:10 – 22:1 to deepen his trust in the Lord in this Psalm? Can you almost hear David’s repentance from his temporary insanity as he sought refuge from his enemy in the arms of his other enemy? Can you hear his identity as the chosen one of God being reestablished? Can hear his resolution to look no further than the presence of God for help, and comfort, and refuge, and salvation? That sliver of moonlight has become a bright shining sun in David’s once insanely fear-filled heart!

Listen also to Psalm 56 where it says that this Psalm is a “Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath” and then David says, 

“1Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; 2my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. 3When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 4In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

5All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil. 6They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life. 7For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

8You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in a bottle. Are they not in your book? 9Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. 10In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, 11in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

12I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. 13For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”

The insanity of fear is in David’s review mirror now. He is no longer seeking shelter from his enemy in the arms of another enemy. He is not behaving in insane ways that are out of character with who he really was as God’s chosen King. His testimony is no longer that of a madman. 

His testimony – from the dark corners of his refuge in a cave – is that of a man who knows how to trust in God amidst the crippling fear from all who opposed and tried to trample on him. He is now walking like the One True King who is to come – Jesus – as he looks forward in faith to the only One who can rescue and redeem us.

CONCLUSION…

As we conclude our time together, I am not sure where you have experienced the insanity of fear lately. I know some of you have been facing pressures at work. Others of you have been working hard to lead your families. Some of you are fighting against condemnation from Satan, temptation from Sin, and the intimidation that Death throws at you. Some of you are afraid that if someone really knew you – with all your secrets and all your failures – that no one would really love or accept you.

That fear that seeks to control you, that entices you do something stupid or foolish, that you may have given into in some insane fashion or another, that tries to coerce you into behaving in ways that are not in keeping with a blood bought believer, that fear was defeated at the cross and the empty tomb of Jesus.

Jesus faced a kind of fear that you and I will never know. He was perfect and undeserving of death. Yet in the Garden, he sweat blood because of his fear but that fear did not control him and certainly did not cause him to behave in ways that were not in keeping with his true character as the One and Only Son of God. As he hung on that cross, he asked God to forgive his enemies for their foolish insanity of crucifying him, and then he proclaimed that his work was finished before he took his final breath.

His death on that cross was sufficient to save, shield, and be the refuge for anyone who trusts in him. Even our worst enemies can find true salvation at the foot of that bloody cross. Death’s intimidation sounds like the childlike play of a Saturday morning cartoon echoing through the empty tomb where Jesus defeated Death once and for all. 

Our hope is not in this life; it is in the life to come in eternity, which hangs on a promise of Heaven with no more suffering. In Christ, the insanity of fear is dead, and your blood bought heart can beat freely in worship of the One True King who paid the price to ransom you back from the clutches of our worst enemies. – Amen!!!

1 Unless otherwise specified, all Bible references are to the English Standard Version Bible, The New Classic Reference Edition (ESV) (Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, 2001).

2 Webster’s definition of “insanity”: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insanity.

3 John, Woodhouse, 1 Samuel: Looking for a Leader, Preaching the Word Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2008), 421.

4 Ibid., 419.

5 Ibid., 423.

6 Ibid.

7 Charles, Spurgeon, NKJV Spurgeon and the Psalms, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2022), 129.