David

Anyway, nice to be here today. It's a beautiful Sabbath, and I just wanted to tell you about a friend of mine, as I start my sermon today with you. And I have a good friend, though, who I stay with. He and his wife, occasionally. And he's wanted this man cave for some years. So they moved to a new house, and downstairs there was a man cave already built into the house. And so when they moved in, they were very delighted. Of course, a man cave has to be appropriately outfitted with a wet bar, a pool table, a large television, surround sound speakers, and of course, that's the place where you entertain your friends and enjoy some beverages and food and maybe some television and all of that. Now, a man cave is well known, at least in our Western culture. I think a lot of men, maybe women as well for that matter, but we enjoy kind of a little place for our own. We enjoy the recreation and a little bit of space. Now, if you study anthropology, you might read about a different kind of caveman, like the Neanderthal or the pro magnum of years ago. That's a different caveman entirely. But I today want to speak about another kind of caveman.

Now, this is maybe the most unusual of all. Not a pro magnum man, not a man who has a man cave to enjoy entertaining and having friends over. But this caveman, brethren, is in the Bible. And you're very familiar with this individual. And I think he is the most unusual of all cavemen.

Actually, did you know, brethren, that sometimes we learn the best spiritual lessons while we are in a cave? What do I mean by that? Well, I'd like to talk about that today in the sermon. I'd like to talk about King David, the caveman. Because David ended up, brethren, for some amount of time in at least one, if not a series, of caves in his life.

So, the title of the sermon today is David Lessons Learned in a Cave. Well, David had been anointed, as you know, as a young man, as a teen, as future king of Israel. Samuel ordained him in spite of him being the youngest of all his brothers. And yet he spent a series of time in caves for his dwelling. Go figure, right? The future king of Israel being anointed as a very young man.

And then, if God allowed all of this, David could have whined a lot, but he didn't. Remember the time he fought Goliath? And much to the amazement of the Philistines, he won. Actually, God won. God made that battle possible and the victory possible. David's also called a man after God's own heart. And yet David, brethren, spent time in caves. And I'd like to go through that story today with you. I think there's a lot of lessons for us today as we talk about David, his life, and especially during the time that he found himself literally in caves.

Now, David hit rock bottom, perhaps, after, in fact, his father-in-law, King Saul, fired him from his job of being the main musician and guardian for the king. He actually, for a time, of course, could not even see his wife. He lost his best friend, Jonathan. He never could see Jonathan. And then King Saul put out the FBI, the Secret Service, ICE, the CIA, and yeah, the local sheriff's department was all hunting for David.

And he was a man on the run, quite literally. All the way from Dan up north, all the way down to Beersheba, to the south in the Dead Sea, and over to Joppa. He was the most wanted man in ancient Israel. Well, he was still very young, and he was going to be the future king of Israel.

But David was not ready to rule. And he had to go through some training, and God put him through some training, and I'd like to cover that story with you today. Well, turn with me, brother, to 1 Samuel 17 and verse 43. 1 Samuel 17. I just love this story of David and Goliath. Back in the day in the Dells at the feast some years ago, I actually went over to Lumberyard, and I bought a 10-foot long pole. And I went up on stage, and this is on Youth Day at the feast in Wisconsin Dells some years ago, and I had this 10-foot pole next to me.

And I said, this is approximately the size of Goliath in terms of his height. And I talked to the teens that day in the pre-teens, and I said, how would you like to meet up with a guy about 10 feet tall? And yet you're taking him on in battle, you and him. And that's what we're going to read here in 1 Samuel 17, verse 43. So the Philistine said to David, or Goliath, am I a dog that you come with me with sticks, and the Philistines cursed David by his gods?

And the Philistine said to David, come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field. And then David said to the Philistine, you come to me with a sword and with the spear and with the javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defiled. And this day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camps of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, and all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

Now, brethren, he wasn't there with the slingshot. Now, back as a lad I made a few slingshots, and I never heard anybody with him because of whatever I was aiming at, it never came close. And that's just how it works. So he picks up, I think it was three stones in the brook.

He wasn't sure if he needed one, two, or three. But David was sure that's all he needed. And he didn't come with armor. Remember, the armor was well larger than he needed, and he sluffs that off, and he goes into battle, not with his armor, not with a fancy military part of equipment. He goes to the enemy here, Goliath, in God's name. That's all we need, brethren. We don't need more than God. We don't need defenses. We don't need armor.

We don't need a fancy military machine behind us any more than David did. We just need God. And that's all we need. You know, God is a majority of one always, isn't he? He's always the majority. So here this young man, a teenager, walking into this valley of death, we might call it, as far as the assembly was concerned, verse 47, And this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save a sword or spear for the battle as the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands.

And so it was when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, and David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistines. I just love that verse. What's a little different about it? Verse 48, brethren. David hurried and ran toward the army. I don't know about you, but I'd be burning rubber backwards. How fast can I get out of this valley? How can I go back to my dad's sheep here?

What am I, 15, 16? Who do I think I am? He ran toward the Philistines. Now that's a pretty different attitude, isn't it, for this caveman? That shows faith. That shows real trust as a young man, as a teenager. So no one can tell us, brethren, teens don't have faith. All we need is to understand God deals with youth. He works with youth. When they're very young, very young, God calls them, opens their minds to the truth. Verse 49, David put his hand in his bag and took on a stone, and he slung it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone. That's the unique thing.

Because God was doing this and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out, just like it was stated earlier, and drew it out of his sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistine saw that their champion was dead, they fled. Now that, brethren, was a dramatic flair, not just for the gore, but it was to show the Philistines this champion is dead. I mean, maybe it had been knocked unconscious there. They didn't know. But when you do that, that shows this individual is deceased. And then, of course, they left the scene as fast as they could. Verse 52.

Of course, once the Israelites understood what was happening, they pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance to the valley. That's an amazing story, brethren. It really did happen. And that shows you the faith of this young man. And a stirring example it is of faith in action. Well, chapter 18, let's go on in verse 1. Now, when he had finished speaking—this is after David had met Saul the second time and understood a little bit more about him— so when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Saul took him that day and would not let him go home to his father's house anymore. And then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul.

And he took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.

So David went wherever Saul sent him and behaved wisely. And Saul sent him over the men of war, and he accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants. So he set him over all of these men.

In verse 16, it happened when they were coming home that when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistines, the women came out and they danced. They thought that was amazing. This young man, really still probably a teenager, if not a young adult, had done all these wonderful deeds.

A little bit later in the same chapter, let's just run down to... Let's pick it up in verse 14. One thing that we are reminded here several times, David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord is with him. You know, brethren, things are going good right now. One thing about David, brethren, that you read when you go through these scriptures is, David behaved himself wisely even when times were bad. It's very easy to kind of put on a front when things are good. And here he is being promoted, and promoted as a very young person.

But God honored his wisdom. But when things are going bad later on in David's life, he still behaved himself wisely. That really differentiates a mature individual from someone who is less mature. This is phenomenal. Verse 14, he behaved wisely in all his ways. And verse 15, therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him, because all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. Then Saul said to David, well, here's my older daughter, Merib, and I will give her to you as a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord's battles.

For Saul thought, let my hand not be against him, let the hand of the Philistines be against him.

Well, he was setting up his future son-in-law for death. Well, I'll elevate you, David. I'll give you one of my daughters here. But then, of course, I really expect you to die in battle someday. Right? That's how he cared for his future son-in-law.

And verse 18, so David said to Saul, Who am I that what is my life or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king? It wasn't said, well, it's about time they found out me and how good I am. He said, who am I? I'm a sheep herder son.

I'm just a common young guy. Verse 19, but it happened at the time when Merib, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David. Guess what? She was given to Adriel, somebody else. Now, Michael, verse 20, Saul's daughter loved David, and they told Saul, Saul, and the thing pleased him. I mean, she loved David. And so Saul said, verse 21, I will give her to him that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines might be against him. Therefore Saul said to David a second time, You shall be my son-in-law today. And Saul commanded his servants, communicated with David secretly, and said, Look, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become the king's son-in-law. Again, he was setting David up. Oh, you're just one of my favorite people, David. Oh, I just really like you. You just like family. Oh, you are family. And it was nothing but a pack of lies. Verse 23, Saul's servant spoke these words in the hearing of David, and David said, Does it seem to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing I am a poor and lightly esteemed man? He never varied from that humility. Well, at times, I should say, later on, you know, the big head got to David. Sometimes he did, and he was severely punished. But for the most part, rather than David, he was a humble man, and he really put gone first. He said, Who am I? So let's drop down further down to verse 28. Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and that Michael, David's daughter, loved him, and Saul was more afraid of David, and so Saul became David's enemy continually. Then the princes of the Philistines went out to war, and so it was whenever they went out that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed. Well, David wasn't worried about impressing man. He was worried or concerned about impressing God. You know, God will take care of man if we are, first of all, concerned about God. Things will take care of itself. That was David's approach, and he was greatly blessed for that. We drop now into chapter 19, verse 1. Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants that they should kill David, but Jonathan's son highly delighted greatly in David. And so Jonathan told David, saying, My father, Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore, please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide.

Really a sad story, isn't it? He's newly wedded, and then his father-in-law is out to kill him. Verse 3, I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And then what I observe, I will tell you. So Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, because his works have been very good toward you.

Well, again, I speak so much of David's character. Even when the father-in-law was out to kill him, David spoke well of his father-in-law with respect. And that's so unlike human nature, because somebody doesn't like us, we can sure not like them quickly. And we start to grouse a lot. Well, David wasn't that kind of man in terms of character. He respected the office of his father-in-law and really continued to serve him as best he could, even to this very precarious situation.

And you really have to feel for Jonathan. He loved David, and then, of course, he loved his father. But his father was mad with anger and rage. I mean, that's a tough situation. So he spoke up to his father and said, Dad, he doesn't hold any grudges against you.

He's respectful. He's kind and considerate. You're the crazy man here. You know, David is well-respected. He's supportive of you. Come on. Down in verse 8, there was war again, and David went and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a mighty blow, and they fled from him. Now, the distressing spirit from the Lord came upon Saul as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing music with his hand.

And then Saul sought to pin David to the wall of the spear, but he slipped away from Saul's presence, and he drove the spear into the wall, so David fled and escaped that night. Unbelievable. You know, we sometimes have all of these jokes about the in-laws and the out-laws. I'll tell you, Saul was an outlaw and then some. Here's a man who had a demon, and in a demonic rage, tried to assassinate David that night.

And then, verse 11, Saul also sent messengers to David's house to watch him. That's why I say, he started to send out the FBI and ICE and all the rest of them, and to kill him in the morning. Michael, David's wife, told him, saying, if you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed. You know, I know my dad. I know what he's like when he gets into these rages.

So here she's a very brave lady. She lets David down through a window, and he went and fled and escaped. I mean, he couldn't go out the front door. There were the guards, so he goes out the back window with her help. So a very brave lady here. Verse 13, Michael took an image and laid it in bed and put a cover of goat's hair for his head and covered it with clothes. It sounds like a grade B movie here, doesn't it? You know, does that really fool people? Verse 14, so when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, oh, he's sick.

And then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, well, bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him. I don't care if he's sick or not. Take him in bed. And when the messengers had come there, there was the image in the bed with a cover of goat's hair for his head. And then Saul said to Michael, why have you deceived me like this and sent my enemy away so that he has escaped? And she answered Saul, well, he said to me, let me go.

Why should I kill you? I mean, it's just, again, a very respectful attitude. And David fled, verse 18, and went to Samuel. You know, that's in Ramah and told him all that Saul had done. And he and Samuel went and stayed in North. You know, that would be the logical thing because here's the prophet that anointed David some years earlier. And you'd naturally go to the prophet and say, Samuel, look, things are out of hand here. I don't know what's going on, but I respected this king.

And I'm under God's rule, but I come to you as prophet. What do we do? What are we going to be doing from now on with this situation?

So the story continues to unfold here in chapter 20. And he fled from there and went in verse 1, chapter 20, and said to Jonathan, what have I done? What is my iniquity and what is my sin before your father that he seeks my life? You know, brethren, here David is without reproach. It's not his problem, but he's saying, maybe there is something wrong with me. After all, do I have something that I've said or my character? Have I done something, Jonathan? You know, help me out. Well, it wasn't anything like that. So Jonathan said in verse 2, no, by no means. You shall not die. Indeed, my father will do nothing, either great nor small, without first telling me. So I'm going to help you. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so. So they took an oath and said, your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes. And he said, let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death. So Jonathan said to David, whatever you desire, I will do it for you. So they had this pact, this covenant between the two. And that's how God helped David to get through this very tumultuous series of situations. Let's just drop down to verse 30. And verse 30, please. Well, a little while later, Saul's anger was aroused against Jonathan. Of course, he turns on his son now and said, you son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse for your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness for as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established nor your kingdom. Now therefore, send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die. In other words, Jonathan, you'll never ascend to the throne as my heir. You're not going to do that, Jonathan. Jonathan, as long as this friend of yours lives, you're never going to become king of Israel. He pulled out all the stops. Jonathan was maybe tempted, but not really tempted to the point of giving in. What a fine man Jonathan was. He's why I think one of the unsung heroes of this entire story. God used him multiple times to serve the future king, his friend, David.

Verse 32, Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, Why should he be killed? What has he done? Now this time Saul cast a spirit hymn to kill him, for which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David. Well, now he's on his son, and God protected him from death. Verse 41, as soon as the lad had gone, David arose from the place toward the south and fell on the ground and bowed down three times, and they kissed one another and they wept together. But David more so, and Jonathan said to David, Well, go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, May the Lord be between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever. And so he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city. Now there was much emotion in that. They wept. But David more. Why? Because his friend had almost rather than put his life on the stake or on the line to help David. You can't do anything more than that for somebody. Put your life up there. And that really is very humbling and moving to David. And he wept much. I don't think they saw each other after this. Maybe somebody said, well, he actually did, but if they did, it was very briefly. But they really said, look, may God bless our descendants. Because we're absolutely the closest friends, and we want God to work this out. And God did. Of course, eventually David ascended to the throne because he was anointed for that position. And Jonathan never did become king. Never did. But that wasn't his ego. That wasn't his thing. He wanted to serve God. He wanted to serve his friend. Well, again, David is not ready at this point, brethren, to assume being king of Israel. He was still young. He had a lot of training yet to go through before God allowed him that opportunity. And he escaped the king. He escaped that. He had to leave his best friend behind. Actually, brethren, he left his wife behind. I mean, there was a 24-7 guard on Michael after this, so if he was going to go see her, it was sure death. He gave up his father-in-law, his jobs. He gave up his friend. He gave up his wife. And yet he had been ordained eventually to be the future king of Israel. David easily could have wondered, why has God forsaken me? I have trusted him. I face down this big bully. God blessed that. And yet here I find myself without family and friends and a job. And I've got every big law enforcement agency in the land of Israel after me. Brethren, does it get any worse than that? Yes. We're going to read on here and see that, in fact, it gets worse. There's more coming up. Chapter 21 and verse 1. Chapter 21 and verse 1, David came to Nob and a Himmelak the priest. And Himmelak was afraid when he met David and said to him, Why are you alone and no one is with you? Well, David, of course, had been appointed kind of like the general of the army and the assistant to King Saul. But of course, he didn't know other events that had taken place. So David said to Himmelak, The priest, the king has ordered me on some business and said to me, Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you or what I have commanded you.

And I have directed my young men to such and such a place. Now therefore, what have you on hand? And give me five loaves of bread in my hand or whatever can be found. Well, brother, that actually was not true, was it?

Saul had tried to kill David. Saul knew that David was off the payroll. Everyone that under Saul's command and job, job-wise and payroll-wise was after him. This was not true. David was showing some, what do we call it, stress.

It wasn't perfect. God doesn't work through perfect people. Now David was stressed. I dare say he was very lonely. He was maxed out in terms of what he could take, or at least about to be there. So he is not being forthright with the priest. Wrong. And brother, there's going to be some severe consequences for this lie. God did not take that lightly.

So that's setting up some events. Verse 7, Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day when David was telling a Himmelak that story. Detained before the Lord and his name was Doag the Edomite and the chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul. Now that's not a good thing. He was really part of a job corps, we might say, for King Saul. And David said to a Himmelak, is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither sword or my weapons with me because the king's business required haste.

Well, of course, again, that isn't true. So the priest said, the sword of Goliath the Philistine whom you killed in the valley of Eloh, well, there it is. It's wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. And if you will take it, take it. For there is no other except the one here. It's kind of like there was a museum, right? Museum piece. And David said, there is none like it. Give it to me. Well, David arose and fled that day from before Saul and went to Aschus, the king of Gath.

Now, what is Gath? None other than where Goliath was from. Bad choice, right? He's right in the thick of things. So the servants of Aschus said to him, oh, king, is this not David, the king of the land? Did he not sling of him to one another? Or sing to him? I say sling. Sing to him and to one another.

And Danseus sang, Saul has slain his thousands, and David has ten thousands. And so David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Aschus, the king of Gath. So he understood now this was a wrong move. And, brethren, it started when he lied to the priest. Now, again, it just shows David was not perfect. We don't identify with so-called perfect people, do we?

I mean, how can we identify with a perfect person? None of us are. I don't. So you think, oh, there's some weaknesses there. There's some human nature there. Well, God deals with that. He deals with all of us. So David was showing some weaknesses, some stress. I understand why. I've been through a lot. So this was not a good move by David.

Verse 13, so he changed his behavior before them. Pretended madness in their hands scratched on the doors of the gates and let his saliva fall down on his beard. This is a sad story coming from the champion in the valley with Goliath with one sling rocked to the forehead as a teenager.

And now, brethren, he's feigning madness. What a contrast. Again, it just shows David is not perfect. He's still going through some training. But this was the low spot in David's life to this point. It was a sad day. Verse 14, the nation said to his servants, look, you see the man is insane. He put on a pretty good act. Why have you brought him to me? Why do I have a madman in front of me? Even if it is David.

Have I need a madman? There's some sarcasm here. That you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence. Shall this fellow come into my house? Why is he even here? Get rid of him. That's exactly what they did. Well, chapter 22, verse 1, David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adulam. We're going to leave it right there. We'll pick it up in just a few minutes. We'll pick it right there. But look, here he is, brother, in the wilderness, outside of Gath, in the cave. And it's a series of caves, we understand, in Adulam. Not necessarily one, but a series. Brother, how far David has fallen. And we now know David as the caveman.

These were his cave months. I don't know how long he spent there, multiple times. But it was a far cry removed from what he was, some months and years before. Everything David might have leaned upon, brother, to this point in his life was now taken away from him. Think about it. His wife, his position, working for the very king, his relationship with his father-in-law.

He was a man on the run, the most wanted man in Israel, by far. His dear friend, Jonathan, he cannot see anymore. Again, and then he's feigning madness in order to escape. And that had to work on David's conscience. Why have I done that, of all things? I know God loves me. I know God cares for me. And here I am feigning that I'm crazy. And the spit is flowing down my beard. Have you ever done something, brother, and you're just absolutely ashamed of it?

That's where David was. What have I done? Where's my faith? Well, David was there. Now, instead of a throne, David was ruling from a cave. And, brother, that's how God prepares his future rulers. He doesn't start with a throne. He starts with caves. He starts with life. He starts with reality.

And he sure was doing that with King David. And he could have had this, woe is me, why me, Lord, approach. I know, because I've had it numerous times in my life. And I've never had anybody come after me with a javelin. I've never had to give up my wife. I've never had to do a lot that David had gone through.

I've never faced a Goliath like that. And yet, sometimes, you say, why me, Lord? Haven't I served you and obeyed you? Kept the Sabbath, the holy days? Yes. And David could have cycled through his mind, brother, for weeks at a time. What has gone on here? Why is God allowing this to be? Well, such is the fate, brother, and a future kings and priests. Before we ever can rule and serve, we have to have some time in the cave. There are going to be times in our lives where God will knock the crutches out from underneath us.

The physical things. Maybe that job. Maybe that situation that we so much cherish in our lives. Sometimes these crutches, brother, need to be removed. Number one, we allow people and things in our life to become substitutes for God. People and things can be substitutes for God. And I'm not saying David had these as substitutes for God, but David was tried in them, for sure. David was being tested about it. And these situations, brother, where we put anything before God is an idol. And it can be people. It can be anything.

But God is first. God has to come first. So David questioned, no doubt, his thought process about, Is God really first in me, or have I taken some things for granted here? And is God allowing me to go through a little bit more growth? Another thing that God, I think, is concerned about, as he was with David, is We tend to go from one thing to another in search of lasting relief or satisfaction. We go from one thing to the other in terms of relief or satisfaction. Our world, brethren, is filled with that.

And God just wants to make sure we're not just searching for a relief or satisfaction in a wrong way. He is everything to us. David had nothing virtually other than his health and his life at this point. So God was severely testing him, no doubt. And yet I think David came to these principles and these conclusions. What? Where is God? Am I sure he's still number one? He was when I took on Goliath. He was when I was serving Saul. But God was just re-emphasizing these very major principles with him.

God really, brethren, is going to eliminate the rivals in our life, if you will. Rivals. Wouldn't be for David a job. He didn't have one, wasn't. His best friend didn't have one. Wasn't even his wife. He couldn't see her. Et cetera. It wasn't even pride because his pride, rather, was drooling at the mouth in front of many men who were taunting him and laughing at him. He thought, who do I think I am? Where goes my pride?

The once killer of their hero now is babbling in front of them. He had bottomed out. Now, this is the caveman that is not in the basement with the big surround sound and big TV screen. This is the caveman, David, being tested in this part of his life. You know, David is never alone. God is in that cave. It's when God gets us alone, stripped of all our worldly supports and this and that issue, that in fact God does his best work.

God does his best work when we're in a cave. Does that make sense? David had no place to run. He had bottomed out. He faced God. There's actually three Psalms that David wrote while he was in the cave or caves. Three Psalms. We're not turning to Psalm 142, but that's clearly one of the cave Psalms. Psalm 57 he wrote in a cave during that period of time, but we will turn to the third one, and that's Psalm 34. So please turn with me to Psalm 34 and verse 1.

It's really interesting. God notes kind of like a background to what David, where he was, as he wrote some of these Psalms, and Psalm 34 was clearly written during this period of time.

So we get the background. Notice the very preface, the Psalm of David, Psalm 34, when he pretended madness before a bimalek who drove him away and he departed. All right, now this is after you've lost your pride. And what was David's attitude as he's coming through this? Well, we're going to read about that. Verse 1, I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord, and the humble shall hear of it and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears. Now, can we say that David did that at that time when he feigned madness? No, he didn't. But he learned to do that a bit better. And he wrote about that in a song. And I picture David in one of these caves in Agilim with his stringed instrument. He had created this song, and he's strumming away, singing these words, all by as lonesome. It's therapeutic. It's what he's learned. It's encouraging him.

Now, verse 5 says, they looked to him, and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. That's saying, oh, I sought God, and he accepts me, even though I feigned madness, and even though I lied to the priest, God has accepted me back. God has forgiven me. I can sing praises to his name.

One of the worst things, I think, rather than about sin, or any discouraging time is, God has forsaken me. I've blown it this time that God must be really upset this with me. This is how David fought that. You know, he didn't run from God, other than going to a cave. And then he faced God. He says, you know, God, you love me. I can't. I'll give you. I can't outrun you.

You're there. Now, verse 6 says, this poor man cried out, and the Lord hurt him and saved him out of all his troubles. Who do you think that's referring to? Who's the poor man? Well, that's David. He's really browbeaten. Again, when this happened, after he had feigned madness. So he says, I was kind of a pathetic little hulk there for a while.

But God has saved me. Verse 7, the angel of the Lord encamps around all those who fear him and delivers them.

O taste and see, the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in him. O fear the Lord, you his saints. There is no want to those who fear him.

The young lions lack and suffer hunger, but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Isn't that therapeutic? You write a song, you sing it. Now, I couldn't write a song that saved my life, I don't think. But you can certainly pray about it. You can certainly thank God through your prayer for this. Notice verse 19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous. Well, he acknowledged it's been a tough patch.

You know, those last six months or a couple of years, they've been really tough. But before that, they've been really good. Now he's in a rough patch. But he says, God's near to those of a broken heart, and save such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all. He guards all his bones, and not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. And the Lord redeems the soul of the servants, and none of those who trust in him shall be condemned. What a good lesson! What an encouraging lesson through the series of weeks, if not months, in these caves. That's the encouraging part. God accepts us back. God transforms us. Sometimes the best part of our life, brethren, is in those cave times, those tougher times. God always prepares us, brethren, for whatever we have, whatever he has in mind for us in the kingdom, he's preparing us.

David could not be keen before he learned these lessons, or reiterated the lesson of some of these things.

And then he became a much better keen through these things. It was really David's spiritual boot camp. It was really his spiritual boot camp, these cave months.

So that's an interesting psalm. You can read the other two, Psalm 142 and Psalm 57.

But all written during the cave time.

Let's go back. We said we would. But let's go back to 1 Samuel and pick the story up again.

And finish verse 1.

Chapter 22 and verse 1, please.

Alright, so 1 Samuel 22 and verse 1. So read it again.

David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adulam.

Well, then he wrote these three psalms, if not others. David grew. David was there by himself, meditated, prayed, thought a lot about his relationship with God, why things had happened, and how God loved him.

Then notice what happens.

So when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they heard where he was, they went down there to him.

Now, you need family. David needed his brothers. Now, these were the guys that remember were insisting some months and years ago, actually, or years earlier, well, who are you, David? You're just the one in the family. And now they realized David needed them.

David needed them in his father's house. They flocked to see their brother, and they went to him, and they loved him. They were a part of that experience now with David.

It says in verse 2, who else came? Well, we need family. We need family. Everyone, verse 2, who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them, and there were about 400 men with him.

Now, it's not appropriate, brother, to say misery loves company.

But David had learned things from the time he feigned madness, from the time he lied to the priest to this point. David wasn't ready to rule anyone yet until he learned some lessons, more lessons than what he knew as a younger man. Then, when he learned those lessons, God allowed others to come to him. He had changed. David wasn't probably somewhat bitter. He had gotten over that. Because remember the Psalm we just heard? That wasn't a bitter Psalm. That wasn't, Woe is me, God! Woe is me! And now the chorus, woe is me, God!

Aren't you glad I don't have special music today? But, brother, that could have been the special music if David hadn't learned some things. A bitter song wasn't bitter. You and I read it. So God then changes him, and these people are flowing to him. He's ready to teach. He's ready to be a good example, a positive example. If the bitterness was there, I think it was. It's gone. Was the negativity there? I think it was. It's gone. Was the woe is me? And I think it was there. It was gone. God didn't allow David to lead until he learned those things.

Now he had learned those things, or deepened those lessons, if you will. Now he's ready to lead. He's ready to serve. He's a different young man than he was a year or two before. These cave months were very important to David's future. He needed that. So we see the transition.

He's alone. He's changing. He's growing. The family comes, and now 400. Now these people were in debt. They were discontented, and they were in distress. I don't know if David was in debt, but he sure was discontented and in distress.

And you know, we could also sing here, David was an empathetic person. He was, oh, come on! I'm the giant killer. Come on, get a grip. You know, you have little faith. I killed this ten-foot guy when I was 16 years of age. What have you done? You know, as long as you kind of have that, maybe have that attitude, I don't know. I'm not judging David. I'm just saying, brethren, that he had some transformational time here. And these people flocked to him. He had to be a positive man, because they weren't going to follow a discontented man who had nothing to offer them.

They were already discouraged. They were in distress. They were discontented. And they needed hope. They needed somebody to, frankly, rally around. And he was that kind of man now. So he starts off with his family. He then, God adds, 400. It's interesting, too, these people had gone through so much, because, of course, Saul's reign was terrible. Terribly abusive. Taxes. All kinds of hurts and political intrigue.

And they were flowing to David now, and he was the one to lead them. Let's turn to verse 3, this very next verse. Then David went from there to Ms. Paugh, Moab, and said to the king of Moab, Please let my father and my mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.

So David wasn't sure of his future, what would happen. Specifics. But he said, I want to take care of my family. I want to take care of my parents. Now, why Moab? Well, because Ruth was a great-grandmother to David's father, Jesse.

He was, partially, a Moabite through Ruth. So there were strong family ties there, and a part of the extended family, some generations before, that was a logical place, for him to deliver his parents for safe keeping and comfort in their older years. So he honored his parents. Verse 4, He brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him, all the time that David was in the stronghold.

And then verse 5, Now the prophet Gad said to David, Do not stay in the stronghold, depart, and go to the land of Judah. So he goes right back, so David departed and went into the forest of Hereth. Now, this again, brother, is not the logical step, because this is back in the Sulls territory.

Moab, being to the east across Jordan River, was at least somewhat out of the territory. Now he's back in. And this is according to what he was told to do by the prophet Gad. So verse 6 tells us, again, His extended hierarchy of spies in the land, heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered. Now Saul was staying in Gibeah under the Tamris tree in Ramah with this spear in his hand, and all his servants standing about him.

Then Saul said to the servants who stood with him, Here now you bet the benjaminites, will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? And all of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who reveals to me that my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse. And there is not one of you who is sorry or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in wait, as to this day.

Of course, that wasn't the truth, but his extreme attitude was saying this, and so he's saying, Look, who else can buy you off? David can't do this. I own the land, and I'm going to do this for you. And then answered Doag. He bit, and the edomite, remember him earlier? He was hearing what David was telling him, and so he sat over the servants of Saul and said, I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to the Himmelek, the son of Hittim.

And he inquired of the Lord for him, giving him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath, the Philistine. And so the king sent to call Himmelek the priest. Now, this is one of the status events, brethren, in David's life, because the Himmelek had no clue what was going on. He believed David, and now the king is calling him in there, and he asked him, in verse 13, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, and that you have given him bread and the sword? Which, in fact, he had, but under a story, a lie.

And have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me to lie in wait, as in this day. Now, that was not true. So Himmelek answered the king and said, And who among all your servants is as faithful as David? Who is the king's son-in-law, who goes at your bidding, and is honorable in your house? Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me, let not the king impute anything to a servant, or anything into the house of my father, for your servant knew nothing of all of this, little or much.

Now, all of that was the truth from the heart. This man had no clue what David was telling him, and the intrigue behind it. And the king, verse 16, said, You shall surely die, Himmelek, you and all your father's house. And the guards, in verse 17, wouldn't do it. No, no, this is the priest. Who's going to strike down the priest? They knew better. This was God's priest. No, no, you don't do that. So they all refused.

The king, which took an amazing amount of courage. And verse 18, the king said to Doag, Well, you turn and kill the priest. So he did. Eighty-five men. And, in fact, the city of the priest's knob, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, and children and nursing infants. Isn't that one of the saddest stories, brethren, in all the Bible? This is why David had to really do a gut check. Because it started with him.

Remember that? Does it lie? And if he had told the priest, he said, Look, I'm on the run. And I come to you for protection. We're under, under God. You're under God. Help me. God would have blessed him, but he lied. He had to give me that sword.

And I'm under the kings of orders. Just left town really quickly. It didn't happen. It didn't turn out well at all. So David, rather, had this to cope with. I mean, it's real life for David. And he did cope with it in the cave. He went through it. God healed him emotionally.

Inside out, right? He didn't fluff through it and say, Oh, well, you know what happens? He really took ownership. And he learned much. He learned much. So those are the facts. God is very clear about this part of his life. The instructions here. What happened to this priest and the families. A very, very sad story. But David worked through it.

He repented. And God forgave him. And he went on. Well, it's really interesting, too. Remember earlier Saul was reluctant to kill the enemies of the Lord when he was commanded to by Samuel. That's over in 1 Samuel 15. He refused to follow Samuel's instructions. Now he's killing innocent people. That's Saul for you. He's just a man that's clearly off the deep end. This is part of the reason I think when David wrote Psalm 52 later in his life, it was such a deep Psalm repentance.

He really struck the cord there. Let's turn to 1 Chronicles 12. 1 Chronicles 12 and verse 1. Now this, of course, is later in the story. 1 Chronicles 12 and verse 1. Now these were the men who came to David at Zilek while he was still a refuge from Saul, the son of Kish. Well, I say much later, a little bit later. And they were among the mighty men and helpers in the war, armed with bows using both right and left hands and hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow, and they were a benjim, were a benjim and Saul's brethren.

Now this is kind of interesting because they didn't have love for another benjimite, and that was Saul. Usually the tribes stuck together, but here they did not respect Saul. And so even those skilled people, the tribe benjim, went over to David because he did err in their respect. And verse 8. Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of Valor, men trained for battle who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains.

God was assembling a troop. Verse 14. And these were the sons of Gad, captains of the army, the least was over a hundred, and the greatest was over a thousand. And they're mentioned here. Notice in verse 16, some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold, and David went out to meet them and answered and said to them, If you have come peaceably to me, to help me, my heart will be united with you.

But if to betray me or to my enemies, since there is no wrong in my hands, the God of my father is looking and bring judgment. You know, that's a very fair situation. You know, he's not...he's saying, Look, if you come in peace, you know who I am, fair enough. But if you're not coming in peace, and you don't respect me, then God be our judge. And that's a fair thing, isn't it, brother? God be our judge. We don't know all there is to know.

So David's saying, Look, I don't know your heart, and I'm not judging you. I'm just saying, God judges you. You know what's in your heart. You know who I am. And let God be the judge. That's a very fair approach. Sometimes we just don't know. And so, David, in this case, said, Look, I frankly don't know you.

You could do me a lot of damage if you're against me. But I trust God, and God will work this out. Let's just have God as our judge. Fair enough. Fair enough. Verse 18, then the Spirit came upon Meshai, chief of the captains, and he said, We are yours, O David. We are on your side, O king of Jesse. Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers, for your God helps you. So David received them and made them captains of the troops. So right away they responded, and they were unified in that regard.

Let's go down to verse 38. And all these men of war who could keep ranks came to Hebron. You know, keeping ranks is interesting. It doesn't mean they march in a straight order. You know what it means? They didn't run in battle. They did not run. This is the kind you want. You know, when it's tough, this is the kind of person you want. Because once they break rank, there's gas. That's dangerous, because you don't know if someone's going to come from this side or this flank or behind you, because they maybe have left you.

And you can't go all points of the compass at the same time. You say, can I depend on you? Can I depend on you? Can I depend on you? Because you can depend on me when we're in the thick of it. That's what it means not to break ranks. That's the kind of person you need, not only in a physical battle, but a spiritual battle. People who hang together and say, I've got your back.

Well, that's interesting. He says... Let me get to verse 38. Could keep ranks, and they came to Hebron with a loyal heart to make David king over all of Israel. Well, this, of course, is a little bit later. And all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king.

Then verse 38, they were with David. They were three days eating and drinking, and his brethren had prepared for them. And then, moreover, verse 40, those who were near to them, as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphthalai, were bringing food on donkeys and camels and mules and oxen, provisions of flour and cakes of figs and cakes of raisins and wine and oil and oxen and sheep, abundantly, for there was joy in Israel.

They're going to have bigger potluck than we are today, right after church. But, you know, that's a wonderful thing. God brought them together. But this man was ready by that time. He wasn't just somewhat experienced, somewhat trained. Now, the caveman years had done a lot of good for David. He'd really come through things. So that's almost the end of the story, as God now has given him that kingship.

Let's turn to 2 Samuel 22. 2 Samuel 22. There's just a little bit more, brethren, and then we'll conclude here. 2 Samuel 22 and verse 1. 2 Samuel 22 and verse 1. Okay, verse 1. Now, David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord had delivered them from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said, so again, this is a song. Notice what the song contained. He said, the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer. Why do you think David focused on a rock? Because he sure was familiar with caves.

He sure was familiar with rocks. He probably spent a lot of days just looking at all those rocks in that cave or series of caves and meditating about his life as he wrote some of those songs. So I think, brethren, it's clear to me that David is really reflecting on those big, powerful mountains or hills and caves that he dwelt in that were really his house, his dwelling place, for quite a while as God now is teaching him many lessons.

And then he gives the analogy, which is very well known in Scripture, including right here. The Lord is my rock. My fortress, my deliverer, the God of my strength, verse 3, in whom I will trust my shield and my horn and my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my Savior. You shall have to save me from violence.

You saved me from violence. Now, he is saying, just like this cave is a fortress, I think about what I've done and what I want to do. God, you're my fortress. You're my shield. And then he continues over in verse 19. Verse 19, They confronted me in the day of my calamity, and the Lord was my support.

Again, we talked about knocking out the supports, where not people or things get in place between us and God. We said that earlier. Well, he said, the Lord is my support. Not that we can't and need, we do need people. That's not the point. We're just saying we have to put God before anybody, because he is our big support. And brethren, help us. And family, help us, yes. But it's not that we don't have God as number one.

Then he says in verse 20, He also brought me out into a broad place. He delivered me because he delighted in me. That's pretty hard for David, I think, to realize God didn't love him after some of the things he did. Right? Because sin does that. We think, I'm just as disgusted with it. Why does he even answer my prayer today? Just disgusting. Well, we repent, and God accepts us back.

He forgives. He forgets. God moves on. But he says, God, you brought me to that broad place. I like to think of David in some of these small caves and thinking, boy, is this a small place.

I used to live in a lot bigger places. And he's thinking now, God brings me to this beautiful, wonderful area where he has room to maneuver and live and dwell with God, live with God. But, you know, a cave is a very small little place, generally. We've been in some of these larger caves and Meramec caverns, is it? And the big one in Texas, I forget now. They can be quite large. But we've been in caves that you have to hunker down in, and they finally close up. Is anyone claustrophobic other than me?

Oh, my. It's scary, isn't it? I have dreams, occasionally, that I'm in a place and I get stuck and I can't get out. Then I wake up. I just am claustrophobic, too, to be honest. I'm glad we have a big hall today. But, you know, David is saying, those walls came in on me, pretty snug.

And, God, I want a joyful place. I want a happy place. I want a big place. He said, bring me to that. And God did. Okay, verse 32. Who is God except the Lord? Who is a rock except our God? Who is my strength and my power? He makes my way perfect. And then down to verse 47. The Lord lives, blessed is the rock. The Lord lives, blessed is the rock. Let God be exalted, the rock of my salvation. All really fascinating. Well, let's hand brethren to Hebrews 13 and verse 38, please.

So, I like to think, brethren, some of those scriptures, that analogy was at least hastened by David's cave months and time spent there and lessons learned. And so, David wrote much about the rock, Jesus Christ, the rock. And then God, the Father, the rock.

Hebrews 13 and verse 30. I appreciate your attending this today. And I certainly appreciate being here as well and sharing the Sabbath with all of you. Hebrews 11 and verse 38. Hebrews 11 and verse 38. We'll just kind of break into the thought here. Of course, at the end of what we call a faith chapter, of whom the world was not worthy.

They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. I like to think David was part of that. There were other cave dwellers in the Bible. But certainly, I think David could be included as one of the main ones. So, brethren, that's part of faith building is the time spent in the cave. Let me just give you four short lessons I think David learned in the cave. Number one, David learned that even when he was not faithful to God, God remained faithful to him.

Even when David was not faithful to God, God remained faithful to him. And the second thing I think David may have learned is, well, we know this. When God is all you have, he's all you need. When God is all you have, he's all you need. I think David learned that, too. Number three, God is greater than any challenge we may face. God is greater than any challenge we may face.

And number four, we can trust God no matter how dark things may get. We can trust God no matter how dark things may get. So, David the caveman, and I think, brethren, we all spend our time in caves, but there's wonderful hope and help and encouragement and lessons learned as we prepare for kingship and priesthood service in God's wonderful plan.

Well, have a happy Sabbath. Good to see all of you. My pleasure for greeting all of you and being here with you today.