Sermon Tone Analysis

*The cave of Adullum.*

*[P]* *1 Samuel 22:1-2*/ //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.

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./

We all know the story of David *[P]* – those are the stories we heard in Sunday School.

Even leaving out their spiritual value, they are just great drama: violence and military campaigns, political intrigue and plots, sex, interplay of human relationships, betrayal, family tensions – it has it all.

We all know the story of David the after-thought, the youngest by far and despised.

Yet God chose Him and called him – this insignificant and rejected one was going to be king *[P]*.

Remember Samuel the prophet coming to anoint him?

That verse we know so well: [*1 Samuel 16:7*/ //But יְהוָה said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature,/ (referring to Eliab, the eldest)/ because I have rejected him.

For God does not see what man sees, for a man looks on the outward appearance, but יְהוָה looks on the heart.”/]

He was anointed *[P]*, the Messiah, that is what “Messiah” means – he was Divinely appointed to office.

And, of course, we all know that David came to be a type, a picture or symbol, of the Messiah *[P]* – the Anointed One who was going to come.

That is Jesus, isn’t it?

He came from David’s line!

That is what the Bible does; it uses real people and their life to be prophetic pictures of what God is going to do.

Yet another thing that only works if God is in absolute sovereign control of all that takes place.

For instance, we all are familiar with Abraham offering his only son Isaac as a sacrifice being a picture of God sacrificing His only Son.

Real people are given the privilege of acting out in their actual lives what God is going to do in the future.

As David was anointed king, so too, One from His line would be God’s anointed King, who is going to rule: [*Psalm 145:13*/ //Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations./]

Hallelujah!

Of course David wasn’t a precise picture, he sinned, Jesus would not commit adultery; but still David’s life is a shadow picture of the Messiah.

David was going to be king!

Jesus is going to be king!

But it didn’t happen straight away.

There was already a king *[P]* – now David was a man after God’s own heart; but Saul, he stood head and shoulders above everyone else – he is the epitome of man *[P]* - impressive in stature, military hero, politically conniving, jealous and paranoiac.

Here we are at the point of a change of dynasty!

From the king that the people demanded, to the king יְהוָה delighted in.

Saul came at the end of the era of the Judges *[P]*.

After that came the reign of David – which pictures the coming reign of Jesus, the Messiah.

In our family Bible time we have been doing the walk-through the Bible summary – their summary of Judges was: “/cycles/”.

The nation would go away from God, disaster would come, they would turn back to Him and He would send a deliverer and there would be spiritual revival – for 5 minutes!

The people would abandon יְהוָה and the cycle would start again.

Now, I believe Jesus’ return as King is imminent!

We are just before that, we are in the period of the judges *[P]* – look at church history and you will see it is cycles – the church becomes corrupt and worldly, then a new move, a revival, a great man of God turns people back to God, often a new denomination results; but then the cycle repeats, the life dissipates and again the church needs reviving.

Just as in the time of the judges, [*Judges 21:25*/ //In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes./].

There was no ruler, people doing their own thing, the people ruling according to their opinion – we call it “democracy”.

Today every man does what seems good in his own eyes.

Man is determined to rule.

And Saul was determined to hold on to the kingdom at any cost and he saw David as a threat.

David had shown nothing but loyalty, he was an amazing asset in the army.

He served Saul faithfully – Saul had departed from יְהוָה rebelled; and He sent an evil spirit that tormented him.

Only David could calm the insanity that overcame him.

Yet despite all this, even although he was son-in-law, Saul was determined to kill David and pursued him all over the country.

David was on the run!

He fled the country, even there he was under threat, so he fled to a cave – the only place where he could find refuge, the cave of Adullam.

*[P]* [*1 Samuel 22:1-2*/ //So David departed from there /(“there”, being Gath)/ 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./

/Everyone who was in distress,/ /and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him/ (those chased by creditors, those with problems, those unhappy with the present regime, the complainers, came – what a bunch of malcontents and misfits)/; and he became captain over them.

Now there were about four hundred men with him/.]

Down in verses 4 & 5 it refers to this cave as “/the stronghold/”.

It was later that David found refuge in another cave at En Gedi – the one where Saul came in and he cut a bit off of his robe.

David fled to Adullam, but others came to him there – the rejects of society.

Now I have some fancy Bible software and it gives me pictures of the cave of Adullam *[P]*.

But this seems a trifle lush and green; this old black and white photo *[P]* is more like the territory.

It was in the wilderness.

Away from people barren and deserted.

This *[P]* is the region that it was in.

Here is Judah *[P]*, with the Dead sea *[P]* to the east.

Here is Jerusalem *[P]*, which was a Jebusite town at that time, Saul’s capital being at Gibeah *[P]*.

To the south was Hebron *[P]* and Lachish *[P]* – and in between was the cave of Adullam *[P]*, in the hill country of Judea.

The site has been discovered about 2 miles south of the scene of David’s triumph over Goliath, and about 13 miles west from Bethlehem.

At this place is a hill some 500 feet high pierced with numerous caverns, some of which are large enough to hold 200 or 300 men.

Here are a couple of images from someone who recently went to the alleged site: the entrance *[P]*; and from the inside *[P]*.

Not comfortable.

You are away from people and civilization, roughing it; but safe.

You have found a place of refuge!

Adullam means: “/a sealed off place/.”

There were these ones who had fled, for whatever reason, and they were sealed off from those who were after them.

Sealed off from their enemy but not cut off from God – there in the cave David cried out to God, and we have his prayers preserved: *[P]* [*Psalm 142*/ //Maskil// of David, when he was in the cave.

A Prayer.

I cry aloud with my voice to יְהוָה; I make supplication with my voice to יְהוָה.

I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him.

/(it is a prayer, an audible cry to יְהוָה *[P]*.

He wasn’t happy about his situation, it was a complaint, he was in trouble *[P]*, overwhelmed by it) /When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path.

In the way where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.

Look to the right and see; for there is no one who regards me; there is no escape for me; no one cares for my soul.

I cried out to You, O יְהוָה; I said, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living./

(He finds his refuge *[P]*, not in the cave but in יְהוָה)/ “Give heed to my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.

/(he is honest, tells it like it is, it is really a bit of “woe is me”, self pity) /“Bring my soul out of prison, So that I may give thanks to Your Name; the righteous will surround me, for You will deal bountifully with me.” /(but that self pity is transformed into praise *[P]*, the problems are real but יְהוָה is his refuge and deliverer)] It is exactly the same in *[P]* [*Psalm 57*/ //For the choir director; set to 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 You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by /(again the refuge in יְהוָה *[P]*)/.

I will cry to God Most High /(again the cry to God *[P]*)/, to God who accomplishes all things for me.

He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me.

Selah.

God will send forth His loving-kindness and His truth.

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 /(again, he is in deep trouble *[P]*)/.

Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be above all the earth.

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.

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!

Awake, my glory!

Awake, harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn.

I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations.

For Your loving-kindness is great to the heavens and Your truth to the clouds.

Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Your glory be above all the earth./

(again the self-pity is transformed into praise *[P]*)].

That is what happens in the cave.

So David found a place of refuge in the cave, and that refuge was in יְהוָה.

Then people found David in the cave.

All these malcontents, outcasts and misfits came to him – it made me think of us at Tedder ave! It’s not good form to insult the congregation.