The Life of David: 1 Samuel 22:1-5

Why is patience important?

Patience is a virtue, but it’s becoming an exceedingly rare quality in modern society. According to a new survey of 2,000 British adults, all of the luxuries of modern life have made most people incredibly impatient — across pretty much every aspect of their lives. Three quarters of those surveyed said they believe the dominance of digital technology, such as smartphones and on-demand TVs, are to blame for this ever growing lack of patience.

Patience is a virtue, but it’s becoming an exceedingly rare quality in modern society. According to a new survey of 2,000 British adults, all of the luxuries of modern life have made most people incredibly impatient — across pretty much every aspect of their lives. Three quarters of those surveyed said they believe the dominance of digital technology, such as smartphones and on-demand TVs, are to blame for this ever growing lack of patience.

Respondents reported becoming frustrated after just 16 seconds of waiting for a web page to load, and after 25 seconds of waiting for a traffic light to change.

Commissioned by stationery supply company BIC, the survey revealed that 38% of respondents had lost their patience while trying to take notes and keep up with a speaker during a class or work meeting.

Often times, all it takes is mere seconds of waiting for people to lose their cool. For example, respondents reported losing their temper after just 20 seconds of waiting for ink to dry on a greeting card. Additionally, it only takes 22 seconds for people to start cursing their computers or TVs if a show or movie doesn’t immediately start streaming correctly. Surveyed Brits also reported losing their cool after just 18 seconds of searching for a pen.

Do you consider yourself a patient person?

Why is patience important?

If we are going to do all God wants us to do and be all God wants us to be, we must learn to be patient. God’s timing is very different from our timing.

By this point in David’s life, the crutches have been removed, and David had to be patient before he could do and be all God had for him.

Background

David’s life drastically changed in a matter of five years. Dr. Ron Cottle explains in his book, Anointed to Reign: David’s Pathway to Rulership:

“David was called and anointed when he was seventeen. He was about twenty years old when he fought Goliath… He slipped into Adullam when he was twenty-one years old and he left the cave of Adullam at the age of twenty-eight.”

God did not change his mind in selecting David as the next king of Israel. However, David would have to be patient.

Why is it a good thing God does not get into a hurry?

After losing his position in Saul’s court, his marriage to Michal, and his friendship with Jonathan, David lost his dignity. In fear for his life he ran to the city of Gath. The king of Gath, Achish, was confused when he heard David came to their city for refuge.

What famous warrior was from Gath? (hint: he was 9’ 6” tall)

Goliath was from Gath. David was so distressed about the current events, he went to the hometown of his first enemy for protection. When it finally clicked, David acted crazy. He began to drool at the mouth and scratch the walls, hoping to get away peacefully.

How do you think David felt at this point in his life?

Story

After escaping the city of Gath, David had nowhere else to go. He went to a cave named Adullam. In the Hebrew, Adullam means, “to dangle, like a bucket at the end of a rope.” Literally, David was at the end of his rope and didn’t know what to do.

David wanted to be alone, away from everyone. David was confused, worried, and unsure of the future. While David sought solace in the cave, word got back to his family and friends.

Instead of coming to help David, they brought their problems with them. They were not there to help David. Literally, these people were in distressed, in debt, and discontent.

Distressed- they were under pressure and great stress.

In debt- they could not pay the bills, which had high interest from various creditors.

Discontent- they were bitter in their soul for they had been mistreated.

If you were David, what would you do with this group?

Instead of ignoring these problematic people, we read David became captain over them. The word captain denotes “a person who would get in the field, who got wet when his men got wet, or got muddy when his men got muddy, it is a military term.”

David had the proper perspective on these men. Instead of being annoyed by them, he had compassion on them. David realized God had great plans for his life. He knew he would not be in the Cave of Adullam forever.

God promised he would be king over Israel, not king over Adullam. Therefore, David purposed in his heart to learn all God wanted him to learn while he was in the cave.

Dr. Ron Cottle teaches, “Adullam is not for living; it is for learning.”

If we intend to do all God wants us to do, we have to learn what He wants us to learn in each season. Though Adullam was a place of confusion, God used it to develop David’s character, courage, and compassion.

David wrote three Psalms while in Adullam. There is a progression in each of the Psalms, let’s look at them together.

Psalm 142 NKJV

A Contemplation Of David. A Prayer When He Was in the Cave. 1 I cry out to the Lord with my voice; With my voice to the Lord I make my supplication. 2 I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble. 3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk They have secretly set a snare for me. 4 Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul. 5 I cried out to You, O Lord: I said, “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 stronger than I. 7 Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name; The righteous shall surround me, For You shall deal bountifully with me.”

Psalm 57 NKJV

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” a Michtam of David When He Fled from Saul into the Cave. 1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. 2 I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. 3 He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth. 4 My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men Who are set on fire, Whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth. 6 They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down; They have dug a pit before me; Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah 7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise. 8 Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. 10 For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds. 11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth.

Psalms

Psalm 34 NKJV

A Psalm of David When He Pretended Madness Before Abimelech, Who Drove Him Away, and He Departed. 1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. 10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. 11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. 21 Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. 22 The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

Though David could not see it at the time, the 400 men who joined him in the cave, eventually became, “David’s Mighty Men.” They were the men who joined David in battle when he became king. Had David given up on them or became impatient with them, he would not have had a support system to help in the future.

Application

There are times in our Christian experience where we know God has a future for us, we know His plans are better than ours, but we feel like we are stuck in a cave.

Then to make matter worse, when we are at our lowest, those who should help us come and make and make our problems grow. When this occurs, it is vital that we trust God and ask Him to give us the proper perspective.

Who has ever felt like you were in the cave?

What lessons can we learn in the cave?

Why does God allow us to go through difficult times?

What happens if we grow impatient and quit when times get hard?

God sees what we do not see, we have to trust Him, even when we do not understand. He could be using our cave experience to prepare us for our destiny.

The cave is not a place for living, it is a place of learning. It is in the cave that God reroutes our lives, teaches us to trust Him, and prepares us for our future. If we are to do all God wants us to do, the cave is an unavoidable pitstop.

Challenge

If you are in the cave, ask the Lord to give you proper perspective.

If you have been in the cave and got out, think of what lessons God taught you.

If you have never been in the cave, ask the Lord to prepare you and help you in all He has.

If you are surrounded by people who are distressed, in debt, and discontent, ask the Lord to give you compassion to help them as He sees fit.

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