Have You Been To Your Cave? Series

Have You Been to Your Cave?

Psalm 37, 142, 57 and I Samuel , 21 and 22

"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! 8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil." (Psalms. 37:7-8).

According to this Psalm, you would think the writer had learned to trust in the Lord to the point of not fretting.

(B. W. Newton says,) "God had designs other than the mere exaltation of David. He intended to allow the evil of Saul and of Israel to exhibit itself. He intended to give to David some apprehension of the character of his own heart, and to cause him to learn subjection to a greater wisdom than his own. He intended also to prove the hearts of His own people Israel; and to try how many among them would discern that the Cave of Adullam was the only true place of excellency and honour in Israel".

When David wrote the 37th Psalm, he is still learning, and there is much he needs to learn. What has happened in David's life?

After David lied to the priest Ahimelech to get bread and weapons, he headed to the teritory of the enemy, Gath in Philistia. We pick him up in 1 Samuel 21:10

1Sa 21:10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And 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'?" 12 And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So 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. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, "Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"

Do you know who was the famous person from Gath? Goliath. RECAP.....

22:1) - David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him.

David left Gath and the Philistines for a large underground cavern, situated, most probably, not far from Bethlehem.

AW Pink says, “The high favorites of Heaven are sometimes to be located in strange and unexpected places. Joseph in prison, the descendants of Abraham laboring in the brick-kilns of Egypt, Daniel in the lions’ den, Jonah in the great fish’s belly, Paul clinging to a spar in the sea, forcibly illustrate this principle.”

For David, it was the cave of Adullam. What did David do in the cave? He must have penned some Psalms, or was inspired to do so later.

Psalm 142. 1 A Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer. With my voice I cry out to the LORD; with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD. 2 I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him. 3 When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me. 4 Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul. 5 I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." 6 Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low! Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me! 7 Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name! The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.

Notice a change in disposition, speaking about God by reference “Him” to speaking to God by referencing “You”.

Psalms 57:1-3, 1 To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave. Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. 57:2 I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. 3 He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!