Was David doing God's will or sinning?

[Peairtach]

In I Samuel 27 David allies himself with Achish, king of Gath, a Philistine, because he is afraid that Saul will otherwise get him.

He also makes raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites, leaving neither man nor woman alive and taking their livestock and loot. While doing this he would spin a tale to Achish of his raids against the Israelites.

Was David doing what was right? Is this why God called him a man of blood that was not fit to build His house?

And the number of the days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months.Now David and his men went up and made raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt. And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive, but would take away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and come back to Achish. (I Sam 27:7-9, ESV)

And David would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring news to Gath, thinking, "lest they should tell about us and say, 'So David has done.'" Such was his custom all the while he lived in the country of the Philistines. (I Sam 27:11)

 

[MW]

Was David doing what was right?

No, David fell into the fear of man. I. The passion of fear, 1-4. He consults the most deceitful thing in the world -- his heart. He was walking by sight rather than faith; consulted the law of averages rather than the law of the Lord. A better informed David penned the words of Ps. 37:3-6, which would have been the best course to follow in this instance. II. The perversion of fear, 5-10. David made himself a servant of sinners. He also gave some validity to Saul's false accusations against him. Yet, even in this confusing situation, God still used him to extend the borders of Israel. David was blessed in spite of himself. Success is no indication that he was acting in a right manner. III. The prison of fear, 11-28:2. David is alienated from his people and is gaining Achish's confidence under false pretences. His masquerade would eventually lead him to the field of battle against his own king. A gracious providence intervening to save him in spite of himself is his only hope.

On the question of being a man of blood, I think this would have been true regardless of David's actions on these occasions.

 

[puritanpilgrim]

I think he was sinning for two reasons. I asked one of my elders about this passage two weeks ago because I found it disturbing as we read it during family worship. I think he was sinning for not trusting God and aligning himself with a pagan. God had already protected from many Philistine battles and Goliath. Additionally, he didn't attack the pagans around them to clear the land for God's people. Instead, he found himself away from the comforts and provisions of home and just raided them like a pirate.