Are you feeling lost or broken, much like David did while hiding in the cave of Adullam? It’s easy to question our purpose when life gets tough, but remember, God can still use you powerfully in these broken places. Just as David found refuge and strength in his dark times, we too can discover that our struggles are not in vain. Join Pastor Marty Baker as he explores the depths of 1 Samuel 22, reminding us that our cave experiences can be transformative. In moments of isolation and despair, God often shapes us, preparing us for greater things ahead. Embrace the waiting and trust in His plan, for even in our darkest hours, God’s light can shine through us, leading others to hope and healing.
Have you ever emotionally and spiritually bottomed out because of some unwise decisions you made in haste? Perhaps you are there right now. If so, I know how you feel: lonely, shell-shocked, afraid, worried, hopeless, and useless. You might even feel as if there is no way you can get your life back on a positive, upward track because of the negative unintended consequences your selfish decisions have brought.
David knew all of these feelings well. Cut off from the prophet Samuel, his best friend Jonathan, and his lovely wife Michal, instead of turning to and trusting God in the furnace heated by the jealousy of King Saul, he illogically fled to Gath to attempt to hide among his enemy. It didn’t go well for him. Philistine citizenry instantly spotted the slayer of Goliath, their former military champion. Not long after they identified David, his life descended into darkness as he played a fool to save his own skin. Sad. The man who had courageously taken on Goliath with a slingshot and five smooth stones, coupled with a truckload of faith in the living God, now jettisoned his faith and self-respect.
David did something you might consider at this low point in his life. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, he turned slowly back to the only one who could help him: God. Psalms 34 and 56[1], which he wrote later, as we learned in our last study, recount how he went from being on his knees before God to standing and being ready to be used of God again. Maybe it’s time for you to get on your knees and humble yourself before the nail-scarred feet of your Lord, who does love and desire the best for you.
Coming back from a terrible spiritual mistake was far from instantaneous for David. It never is. Usually, it is a slow process as God sees your repentance and then sovereignly and silently moves to reposition you for greater things. We see this truth played out on the pages of First Samuel 22.
The Rebuilding (1 Sam. 22:1-4)
God started the rebuilding of his repentant saint and future king in a most unpredictable place:
1 So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father’s household heard of it, they went down there to him. (1 Sam. 22)
This must have been some kind of cave since it had a name: Adullam. Scholars say it was located in the hill country of Judah about twenty miles southwest of Jerusalem, and some ten miles southeast of Gath. David was on his home turf again, but the fear of Saul’s wrath drove him to hide in this dark, dank cave.
Caves are lonely places. There is minimal light, a fair share of dirt and dust, ample bugs and critters, and perpetual, deafening silence. These are all the ingredients needed for God to strip a saint down, get their attention, and begin to reshape them as they turn to Him in their helpless state. Later, David wrote Psalms 57 and 142 to recount and memorialize how that cave was a good thing in his life.
1 For the choir director; set to Al-tashheth. A Mikhtam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave . Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in Thee; and in the shadow of Thy wings I will take refuge, until destruction passes by. 2 I will cry to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for me. 3 He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth. 4 My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. 5 Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Thy glory be above all the earth. 6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; They dug a pit before me; they themselves have fallen into the midst of it. Selah.
7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises! 8 Awake, my glory; Awake, harp and lyre, I will awaken the dawn! 9 I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to Thee among the nations. 10 For Thy lovingkindness is great to the heavens, and Thy truth to the clouds. 11 Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Thy glory be above all the earth. (Psalm 57)
In that cave, David went from being self-reliant to being God dependent, from being arrogant and foolish to being humble and wise, from being hopeless to being hopeful that God was with Him and desirous of using him again.
Remember to highlight David’s statement in verse 2, where he cries to “God who accomplishes all things for me.” Years earlier, God told David through the prophet Samuel that he would one day be king over Israel. After the Gath debacle, David must have wondered how this divine purpose could ever be fulfilled in his messed-up life; however, now that life circumstances have stripped him down and brought him back to God, he knows nothing will ever thwart what God purposed for his life. What was true for David is also true for you. As you sit in your version of a cave right now, you might think God is done with you, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Call out to Him like David did, and I’m sure He’ll answer and then show you what He wants you to do for Him.
Surely and slowly, God picked David up, dressed his spiritual and emotional wounds, and positioned him for greater things. I don’t know how word got out about David’s location, but somehow it did, and when it did, people made their way to the massive cave called Adullam. The first arrivals were David’s family, according to verse 1. They came because they were logically on the hit list since King Saul wanted David dead. Funny how things had changed with the brothers. Previously, they didn’t want David to engage Goliath. They even questioned his motives, thinking he prided himself on making a name for himself (1 Sam. 17:28). Now they knew He was a true warrior who relied on the living God, hence they had no problem following him. Don’t tell me that living the Christian life, like David did, can’t mend family issues.
After the family arrived, others trickled into the confines of the cave:
2 And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him. (1 Sam. 22)
Three words describe the new arrivals. They were distressed, in debt, and discontented. Why did they feel this way? The answer is simple: they lived with a paranoid, unpredictable, arrogant, and power-hungry tyrannical king named Saul. Despotic rulers always destroy the lives of those they are supposed to care for. Saul was everything God’s king was not supposed to be, and the nation suffered because of his sinful inadequacies.
Interestingly enough, it was from these 400 societal rejects that God helped David build a premier fighting force. Eventually, their number increased to 600 (1 Sam. 23:13; 25:13; 30:9). If you want to read about their prowess on the battlefield, check out 2 Samuel 23:8-39 and 1 Chronicles 11:10-41. From this motley group of men, David built an army that would eventually serve as the core of his military when he became Israel’s rightful king. God’s ways are certainly not our ways. He takes the lesser and makes it the greater. He takes the unknown people and makes them known. He takes the powerless and insignificant and makes them robust and significant.
Note to self: When God begins to reorient your life after you’ve been humbled and repented, realize you won’t move onward and upward without others. Put differently, prepare for God to bring unsuspecting people into your life, people you never dreamt you’d hang out with, but who would help you realize God’s purpose for your life.
Knowing that the times were about to get rougher, David wisely made sure his aged parents were protected:
3 And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.” (1 Sam. 22)
Why did David take his folks to Moab, who were Israel’s ancient enemy? David had Moabite blood running through his veins from his great-grandmother, Ruth (Ruth 4:18-22). Hence, he knew he could trust these kinsfolk to protect his parents from the wrath of King Saul. Wise move.
From Moab, David took his troops to “the stronghold.”
4 Then he left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. (1 Sam. 22)
The Hebrew for fortress is mesuda (מְצוּדָה). It is quite possible this desert fortress was the ancient version of what King Herod later called Masada. David could easily protect himself and his men from this mountain and engage Saul if need be. God’s purpose was unfolding before David, and this fortress temporarily provided security for the would-be king of Israel. Yet, it wouldn’t last, for God had other plans.
The Revelation (1 Sam. 22:5)
At some point, God moved the prophet Gad to give David a revelatory word in the fortress:
5 And the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth. (1 Sam. 22)
When you rebel against God’s will for your life, your prayer life suffers. Concerning this truth, the Psalmist states, “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18). Once David came clean of his sin in the cave of Abdullam, God then moved to give Him wisdom and understanding about what he should do as God’s leader. Despite what David might have thought, staying in the fortress wasn’t optimal. Moving to the dense forest of Hereth near the cave of Adullam was a better and wiser strategic option.
The prophet’s arrival was a clear sign that God’s hand of blessing rested firmly on David’s broad shoulders. Initially, King Saul enjoyed the presence of Samuel, but that didn’t last because of his evil, godless behavior. Now, David has the divine blessing of the prophet Gad. His presence gave evidence that God stood with the future king and was desirous of keeping him safe and secure so he could fulfill His prophesied purposes as Israel’s next and greatest king.
The same applies to you, even though you are not destined to be a king. You are a child of God, and, as such, the heavenly Father will also give you wisdom and insight regarding where you should go after you humble yourself, like David did, before Him. Look and listen; you will know when He has given you direction for your future.
The Christian life has its share of cave experiences because we all struggle, at times, with being obedient to the Lord. In that cave, God strips us down and challenges us to confess our sin and to call upon Him. In that cave, God reorients our lives and repositions us to be fast-tracked to accomplish His calling on our lives. I’ve been in that cave a time or two, and I’ve lived to see God do jaw-dropping things in my life. If you are in the cave right now, expect similar things, such as those that occurred in David’s life and mine.
Also, anticipate that the Devil is always on the prowl, seeking to defame and destroy what God is attempting to accomplish. Do not be shocked when you see the Dragon turn up the heat as you draw closer to God. This is precisely what happened in David’s life. I call the next tragic episode . . .
The Ruination (1 Sam. 22:6-19)
Whenever you have a scheming, power-hungry, ruthless, and paranoid leader, expect folks of like mind to be drawn to his inner circle.
6 Then Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him. (1 Sam. 22)
Here we learn that King Saul received good intel from his spies on David’s whereabouts. This probably denotes David’s presence at Masada, which dovetails with the prophet’s counsel for David to take his soldiers to the forest of Hereth.
King Saul is pictured here sitting under a tamarisk tree with a spear in his hand. This is an ominous sign for this spear was used previously in failed attempts to kill David (1 Sam. 18:10-11; 19:9-10) and later Jonathan (1 Sam. 20:33). Saul looked powerful, but in reality, he was powerless to stop God’s purposes regarding David. The tamarisk tree underscores this spiritual truth. Abraham planted this tree in Beersheba to solidify his covenant with Abimelech, and to also demonstrate Israel’s right to this part of the Promised Land (Gen. 21). This tree is also known for enduring harsh weather conditions because its tap root can go down some 100 feet. As Saul enjoyed its shade, he had no idea that the tree stood as a living lesson that no matter what harsh conditions he brought to David’s life, David would survive the heat because God was with him. That heat, unfortunately, was about to be turned on high by Saul.
Looking at his servants and troops, Saul pontificated in his paranoia:
7 And Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Hear now, O Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse also give to all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? (1 Sam. 22)
Or in other words, David can’t bless you like I can since I am the king. So, be loyal to Saul, and He will give you perks. What an abuse of the office of the king. A godly king’s servants serve him because of his character, not for what he can do to grease their palms. But Saul wasn’t a godly king. Far from it.
With his next breath, Saul revealed his absolute paranoia of David’s rise to power:
8 “For all of you have conspired against me so that there is no one who discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in ambush, as it is this day.” (1 Sam. 22)
David could trust everyone around him, while Saul could trust no one because paranoia ruled over him. What is a paranoid person like?
- They distort facts
- Their thinking is irrational
- They are convinced everyone is out to get them
- They are frequently on the defense
- They constantly assess personal threats
This was King Saul.
Sensing it was time to make his move to solidify his power with Saul, Doeg the Edomite, whom we encountered in the last chapter when he just happened to witness the High Priest giving David food, water, and a weapon, loyally stepped forward with some damaging intel about traitors in Israel:
9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing by the servants of Saul, answered and said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.(1 Sam. 22)
Doeg’s testimony was true, but it didn’t last. With the next breath, he lied:
10 “And he inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” (1 Sam. 22)
The High Priest did give David food and a sword, but he didn’t consult the Urim and the Thummim to ascertain God’s will for the fugitive. He threw this lie to build a stronger case against the “untrustworthy” High Priest. What Doeg failed to mention, however, was that David had said he was on a secret mission for King Saul. Based on this truth, Ahimelech wasn’t out of order in assisting David.
Incensed that the High Priest would defy him, Saul commanded for him, his family, and all priests be brought immediately before him for a quick trial to get to the bottom of this insurrection:
11 Then the king sent someone to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s household, the priests who were in Nob; and all of them came to the king. (1 Sam. 22)
Once everyone was assembled, Saul opened the hastily called kangaroo court. He didn’t care about facts at all. He just wanted his pound of flesh.
12 And Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” (1 Sam. 22)
Saul, acting like a judge, leveled the charges against Ahimelech. As he did this, notice he didn’t even call him by name. How rude, but that was Saul.
13 Saul then said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise up against me by lying in ambush as it is this day?” (1 Sam. 22)
The High Priest quickly defended his actions by first reminding Saul of David’s track record of loyalty to the king.
14 Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, even the king’s son-in-law, who is captain over your guard, and is honored in your house? (1 Sam. 22)
These facts, sadly, meant nothing to the bloodthirsty and paranoid Saul. The High Priest continued his rock-solid defense:
15 “Did I just begin to inquire of God for him today? Far be it from me! Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any of the household of my father, for your servant knows nothing at all of this whole affair.” (1 Sam. 22)
Ahimelech bravely refuted Doeg’s false claim that he had used the Urim and the Thummin to isolate a word from God for David. That never happened.
Did Saul listen to the facts? No. Facts didn’t matter to him. The David Derangement Syndrome so controlled his thinking that no facts could alter his desire to kill anyone he thought sided with David, and nothing would change his desire to eliminate his regal opponent. So, instead of saying, “You know, Ahimelech, you are right. Thanks for setting the record straight. I see now you just thought you were assisting David, whom you wrongly thought was on a secret mission I had orchestrated,” in a rage, he exclaimed:
16 But the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s household!” (1 Sam. 22)
Did Ahimelech’s actions warrant capital punishment for himself and his entire family? No. Was it criminal to make this “judicial” decision? Yes. The Mosaic law was clear on this (Deut. 24:16), but the law meant nothing to the deranged king.
Turning to his guards, Saul commanded them to carry out his dirty work:
17 And the king said to the guards who were attending him, “Turn around and put the priests of the LORD to death, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not reveal it to me.” But the servants of the king were not willing to put forth their hands to attack the priests of the LORD. (1 Sam. 22)
Finally, we have some people with courage, backbone, and principle. There was no way they would murder innocent priests and their families. Did their inaction wake Saul out of his paranoid stupor? No.
Turning to Doeg, the Edomite, he commanded him to do what his people wouldn’t:
18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn around and attack the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned around and attacked the priests, and he killed that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. (1 Sam. 22)
When you allow people who don’t hold to your faith, traditions, and laws to reside in the halls of power, you had better prepare for atrocities to be committed all in the name of justice.
Doeg, a true anti-Semite, wasn’t satisfied with killing the priests. His hatred of the priesthood and Jews motivated him to head to Nob and ruthlessly wipe out anyone and everyone in the name of “justice.”
19 And he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants; also oxen, donkeys, and sheep, he struck with the edge of the sword. (1 Sam. 22)
From this tragedy, we learn a timeless lesson: When you repent and seek to fulfill God’s purpose with your life, expect your Adversary, the Devil, to work overtime to stop you. Expect him to motivate people to say and do terrible things to derail God’s desire to propel you and His glorious kingdom forward. Expect his people to be focused on destruction, not construction, on chaos, not peace. Expect his people to lie, deceive, and disregard the facts, all for the sake of, say, saving (their watered-down version of . . . ) democracy, when in reality they are against democracy and Christianity, which serves as the historical foundation for said democracy.
Remember, when, not if, the Devil inspires a Doeg to shut you down because God is using you, don’t fear! Why shouldn’t you fear? You should be fearless and move forward because God always spares a remnant to accomplish His purposes.
The Rescue (1 Sam. 22:20-23)
Doeg might have wiped out a chunk of the priestly line, yet God spared one priest from the line of Eli. His name? Abiathar.
20 But one son of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have brought about the death of every person in your father’s household. 23 “Stay with me, do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life; for you are safe with me.” (1 Sam. 22)
Abiathar would become David’s High Priest when he became the rightful king. So, as the future king, David now had a prophet and a priest, which is precisely what he needed to be the Lord’s king over Israel. In Psalm 57, which recounts David’s spiritual transformation in the cave of Adullam, we can’t help but look at these events and think of what he wrote in verse 2:
2 I will cry to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for me. (Psalm 57)
Nothing or no one will thwart God’s purposes to use you to advance His kingdom. David finally realized that and stood upon this truth. Will you follow his lead as you come out of your cave of Adullam? Granted, tough times might lie ahead, but the Lord of glory is not only with you. He goes before you to make the crooked path straight. This is what we learn in this powerful passage. Here is another way to describe this main motif:
God fulfills His purposes . . . despite fierce opposition . . . through broken, desperate, and repentant saints.
[1] In the Hebrew text of Psalm 34, the opening header reads: “NAB Psalm 34:1 Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him out and he went away. 2 I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be always in my mouth.” This seems confusing because Achish ruled as the king of Gath, not Abimelech. Is this a discrepancy, a problem? No. Abimelech in Hebrew is translated, “My father is king.” This is not a person’s name, but a title, something akin in Philistia to “Pharoah.” Hence, there is not textual issue here.
