27:1 Seeking a permanent and secure hiding place, David decides to hide within the land of the Philistines. Passionate as he is for God, David has moments when discouragement and fear command our actions more than we allow faith to. Yet God can weave any situation for good and he is therefore capable of dealing with our imperfect nature and decision, Genesis 50:20.
27:2-4 David brings his family and men to Gath. Because he is out of the land of Israel, Saul terminates his pursuit of David. Saul is desperate to keep the kingdom of Israel, if David is out of the region, Saul is content to let him stay there.
27:5-7 David is the same man in Gath as he was in Israel; he does not seek to rule a kingdom. He earns the king's favor by serving in the military (even though David is actually commanded by God, not the king) and then requests land. The king grants David Ziklag for his family to dwell, and for a year and four months, that's precisely what they do. From a more isolated place, David is able to run his life and actions according to God rather than Gath.
We can observe that David is a humble, agreeable, and dutiful person. Because of that, no matter where he is, people genuinely like and respect him. Still, David is not the way he is to gain favor with people but to obey God. And that distinction makes all the difference.
27:8-10 Ironically, David continues to do God's work as he dwells within Philistine land. We see that even though David made the decision to dwell here out of discouragement, God is still able to utilize him as a tool. God has turned the desperate situation into a productive one. David is working the job from inside the region. As God always taught him to, David is completely destroying corrupt cities - all of the same regions God sent him to destroy when he lived in Israel. The king of Gath is none the wiser.
Within enemy land, David has obtained from God through this Philistine king, a safe home and respected position. God wants us to understand that He can and will turn every situation for good for His children. He has zero limitations or barriers.
27:11 Because David decimated the corrupt cities entirely, his attacks against Philistines remained a secret. This would be a precarious situation... if David were not protected by God. But David continues to allow God to orchestrate the details of his life and therefore David is in no danger. David continues to serve righteousness, even when it is not easy; even when he is surrounded by corruption.
27:12 The Philistine king mistakes David's humility for dedication to this new region. He trusts David has separated himself from Israel.
