1Sa 22:1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: (refuge) and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.
1Sa 22:2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
1Sa 22:3 And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.
Mizpeh tsafaw to lean forward to observe and peer into the future
He did not know what God was going to do but he knew that God was going to help him.
1Sa 22:4 And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.
Life on hold while in the cave
1Sa 22:5 And the prophet Gad (goode crowd attack overcome) said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. ( praise) Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth. (to cultivate, plow develop to work to plant seed)
Don’t stay in this holding pattern get to Judah (praise)
Psa 42:5 Why art thou cast down, (depressed) O my soul? and why art thou disquieted (great uproar and tumult) in me? Hope (expect to obtain) thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help ( yeshua something saved, that is, (abstractly) deliverance; hence aid, victory, prosperity: - deliverance, health, help (-ing), salvation, save, saving (health), welfare) of his countenance. (face favor)
When we can get into the habit of praising him before out of trust.
These men were turned into warriors and mighty men.
When we get near the anointing it will change us.
The DISTRESSED had to move on to freedom. The word distressed here literally means “someone who is oppressed, particularly oppressed by an enemy”. The hounded came to David at Adullam’s Cave, and he took them in. They had a choice to make – they could keep on running from the enemy who was pursuing them, or they could take their stand in the Cave of Adullam with David and 400 men just like themselves.
The DISCONTENTED had to find rest. People came to David who were not satisfied with the status quo of the kingdom. Not satisfied with serving under a king who was not hearing from God and was leading the nation in disobedience to the direction of the Lord through Samuel.
They came to David to find a future and a hope. That cause worth fighting for. A destiny together.
And God mightily gave them that. But, you know, life with David wasn’t all fun and games. It was difficult. I mean, apart from the very real threat of attack by Saul, just living day to day each man found that he was surrounded by 400 men distressed, in debt, and discontented. It took time for them to become an army.
Some people move from church to church because of discontentment. There may be a time that God calls you out of one place to another for a very good reason, but if it’s just a case of moving around to find the “perfect church” – guess what? Your search will never end! EVERY church is an Adullam’s Cave! Full of people who have come there because of their distress, their debt and their discontent.
It’s time to throw in your lot in the Cave of Adullam—where God’s people are, even if it isn’t perfect—and let God build an army right there.
David wrote Psalm 34 while he was here at Adullam’s Cave. On the run from mad king Saul – hold up in a cave with all these needy men coming to him. I’m sure he felt vulnerable many times, but he strengthened himself in God, and he wrote these words - Psalm 34:6-7 …
“This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The Angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”
God was with him.
