What is Ziklag?

David fled to Ziklag to escape King Saul, only to lose everything when the Amalekites raided the city and took his family. In a moment of total defeat, he “strengthened himself in the Lord” (1 Samuel 30:6 ), receiving God’s power to rise and fight despite crushing circumstances.

It’s a powerful story of God’s strength but gets even better when we dive beneath the surface and see that Ziklag was actually a Philistine town at the time. That’s right, the same Philistines David fought and demonstrated unwavering faith when he challenged Goliath. 

David knew he was God’s choice to be king after Saul but was blinded by fear which drove him to seek refuge with the very enemy he once defeated. Even David, a mighty warrior, was not immune to fear.

David went on to rescue his family and become king, but his reign started with a deep awareness of his weakness and God's undeniable strength thanks to Ziklag.

- Dan DeFilippo