The Cave of Adullam

A brief side trip to the Cave of Adullam… And why, you ask, are we visiting this forlorn spot? Well, the answer should be obvious: because that’s where (pre-King) David was hiding out. But…but…we’re studying 1 Peter, aren’t we?? Exactly! I see I have some splainin’ to do… We’re doing this because this is what you do when you do good Bible study… • Look at 1 Pet. 3:10-12 • Peter quotes from Ps. 34; it’s very possible (in my

opinion, fwiw) that from 2:3 through at least 3:17 (if not the entire letter) it was informing Peter’s thought

A brief side trip to the Cave of Adullam… This entire section of Peter’s letter appears to be something of an exposition of Psalm 34. • So…good Bible students that we are, we need to

see what it was that captured Peter’s thought. • And more importantly, why the Holy Spirit

moved Peter to look back at this Psalm as he wrote to encourage his suffering readers.

To start our little side trip this week… • First, let’s read Psalm 34 • What’s the first thing you (should) notice? • David gives us a clue to the circumstances that

prompted him to write this psalm.

A brief side trip to the Cave of Adullam… To start our little side trip this week… • Notice the title he gives this psalm—this is one of

only 14 psalms that are linked to events in David’s life. Some of those are rather non-specific; this one, however, is quite specific.

• And so, we need to head back to 1 Samuel 21. Setting the stage for Psalm 34 – • David tells us he wrote this song about the time

then “he changed his behavior (NIV: “he pretended to be insane”) before Abimelech, so that he drove him (David) out, and he went away.”

• Interesting question: was David right, or wrong?

A brief side trip to the Cave of Adullam… Setting the stage for Psalm 34 – • David was fleeing from his enemy, King Saul.

Ok, but why was he fleeing? • We have to go back a bit further…look at 1 Sam.

18:30…here’s the issue. Now look at 19:1. Saul was jealous. The only possible response? Kill David, of course.

• Let’s follow the story on a bit—see 19:8-10, 11-12, 18. 20:1-3, 30-33, 41-42.

And that brings us to 1 Sam. 21, the subject of Ps. 34. Let’s read 1 Sam. 21…

A brief side trip to the Cave of Adullam… Setting the stage for Psalm 34 – • While he was fleeing from King Saul, David’s

situation was so desperate that he left Israel and fled to the western coastal area occupied by the Philistines (never great friends of Israel).

• He sought asylum with Achish, king of Gath, one of the five principal cities of the Philistines. One wonders why David went there…you wouldn’t think he would exactly be welcomed in Gath.

• Remember, David, as a boy, had humiliated the people of Gath by killing their greatest warrior, Goliath. Now he shows up with Goliath’s sword.

A brief side trip to the Cave of Adullam… Setting the stage for Psalm 34 – • v. 12 tells us that David “was much afraid of

Achish the king of Gath.” So much so that he “pretended to be insane in their hands,” v. 13.

• This was not the bold, confident, trusting David who a few years before had triumphed over the warrior Goliath.

• King Achish apparently took David’s act at face value and assumed he was insane…

• …and David fled from Gath to a cave, the cave of Adullam (1 Sam. 22:1-2). Best guess on location is about halfway between Gath & Bethlehem.

A brief side trip to the Cave of Adullam… Setting the stage for Psalm 34 – This was an extremely low point in David’s life… • King Saul was trying to kill him. • He had just parted from his dearest friend,

Jonathan, in ch. 20, after Jonathan confirms his father’s intent to kill David.

• David had no army, no armor, no friends, no food, and no place to go. He had nothing, he was alone, and he was afraid.

• Notice how David describes himself in Ps. 34:6, “This poor man…”

What Psalm 34 says… The main point: David has experienced the Lord’s gracious deliverance, and he exalts the Lord and encourages His people to be faithful to Him and thus be assured of His deliverance as well. A brief outline: • David’s testimony of praise to the Lord – v. 1-6 • David’s call to fear the Lord – v. 7-14 • David’s encouragement to trust the Lord – v. 15-22 Abimelech…or Achish? Some in the OT had more than 1 name: Jerubbaal/Gideon (Judg. 6:32), Jedidiah/ Solomon (2 Sam. 12:25), Mattaniah/Zedekiah (2 Ki. 24:7). Many think Abimelech was a dynastic title of Philistine kings (Gen. 20:2, 26:1).

David’s testimony of praise to the Lord – v. 1-6 What is on David’s mind first as he responds to the Lord’s gracious deliverance? • “bless” • “praise” • “boast” • “magnify” • “exalt” What is the reason for all of this exuberant praise? • Notice vs. 4 & 6—they are parallel expressions

(i.e., they are saying the same thing with different words) – I sought, He answered, He delivered; I cried, He heard, He saved.

David’s testimony of praise to the Lord – v. 1-6 Do you think you have given God enough praise? When will you be done? How much is enough? • David’s response: “I will bless the Lord at all

times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” • Notice what God’s will is in 1 Thess. 5:18. David doesn’t come across looking all that great in 1 Sam. 21-22…maybe a lack of trust/faith, deliberate deception, etc. And every time he thought about this situation he would have been reminded of his own sin, failures, weakness, shortcomings… • …but what he does here is express pure joy at the

Lord’s triumph. His boast is “in the Lord” – v. 2.

David’s testimony of praise to the Lord – v. 1-6 “The confident expressions of tried believers are a rich solace to their brethren of less experience. We ought to talk of the Lord’s goodness on purpose that others may be confirmed in their trust in a faithful God.” – Charles Spurgeon • David’s praise is not for himself; rather, he

praises the Lord and calls others in v. 3 to join him. Corporate worship/praise is the highest and best. It is what will occupy us in heaven.

• At an intensely low, scary point in David’s life, he sought to make the Lord loom larger in his thinking: “Oh, magnify the Lord with me…”

David’s testimony of praise to the Lord – v. 1-6 The things we fear are incredibly powerful motivators in our lives…what does that look like? • “Fearfulness is an enemy of the believer,” Dr.

William Barrick • David’s fears resulted from the trauma of being

pursued by King Saul, and an unknown future. • The strong Heb. word used for “fears” occurs

only here, Is. 66:4, and Prov. 10:24 in the OT. • But when he looked to the Lord, he brightened

(radiant, v. 5)…he could only look one place. The word is also used in Is. 60:4-5, like a mother’s face lighting up at the sight of a long lost child.

David’s call to fear the Lord – v. 7-14 David uses fear four times in these verses. • In vs. 7 and 9b it is descriptive: a description of

the Lord’s protection for those who fear Him (v. 7), and a description of the Lord’s provision for those who fear Him (v. 9b).

• In v. 9a and 11, the word is proscriptive: that is, it is used as an imperative (i.e., do this). All of the Lord’s set apart people are told to fear Him (v. 9a), and in v. 11 the thought is this: Come, O children…fear.”

David has replaced the fears/dread/terror of v. 4 with “fear Him” (v. 7, 9b) & “fear the Lord” (v. 9b, 11).

David’s call to fear the Lord – v. 7-14 Notice that David starts this second section of his psalm with a strong statement of the Lord’s protection of His people: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him…” (v. 7). • Does this say all believers have a guardian angel? • No. What does it say? • Think Elisha in 2 Kings 6:8-17. We’ve already seen Peter write about “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” and His beloved born again ones, “who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Pet. 1:5).

David’s call to fear the Lord – v. 7-14 David invites his people to “taste and see that the Lord is good!” (v. 8) • David’s circumstances didn’t change immediately;

it took a while. But in those circumstances he knew this: “The Lord is good!”

• So he invites his people to experience, to know, what he experiences and knows: at rock bottom, know, trust, believe, act on this–the Lord is good!

Peter (1 Pet. 2:3) and the writer of Hebrews (Heb. 6:5) both use this phrase; in both the thought is that the tasting needs to be more than just sampling. Taste, trust, that He is good…even in a cave.

David’s call to fear the Lord – v. 7-14 David writes of God’s gracious provision for His fearful little ones (v. 9-10). What’s the stuff about the young lions in here for? • “Of all the beasts, the lion is the most powerful

and least likely to lack prey and go hungry. And among the lions, though old lions may lack prey, young lions are active and successful as hunters.” – Peter Craigie

• And if even the young lions—the strongest and best—are suffering, who can have any hope? God’s people can—He will still provide.

David’s call to fear the Lord – v. 7-14 David says that those who fear the Lord… • Will be delivered from fears & troubles (v. 4, 6, 7) • Will have no lack, will be provided for (v. 9-10) So, sounding like a Jewish wisdom teacher (Prov. 4:1, 5:7, 7:24, 8:32), David seeks to teach his people what it means to fear God. • Maybe King Solomon picked up his emphasis on

the fear of God (Prov. 1:7, 9:10) from his dad. • Since it is true that “the angel of the Lord

encamps around those who fear Him,” we would do well to know what the fear of God is in very practical terms. That’s what David does here.

David’s call to fear the Lord – v. 7-14 How do we normally define the fear of God? • Usually in terms of reverence, awe, etc. But it’s interesting…that is not how David defines it. • David describes it by its fruits: “He defines it, not

by an emotion or attitude, but by action, using words later picked up by the apostle Peter to describe the essentials of a moral life.” – James Montgomery Boice. See Job 28:28; Prov. 3:7, 16:6.

• Notice that v. 13-14 describe the fear of God as shown in things that affect other people—I fear God and turn away from evil as I seek the highest good of others.

David’s encouragement to trust the Lord – v. 15-22 Notice the strong contrast between v. 15 & 16. • He goes on in the rest of this section to describe

what happens to both… • The righteous are heard and delivered (v. 17, 19). • God hears (v. 17), delivers (v. 19), & redeems (v. 22). But what about the evil (v. 16), the wicked (v. 21)? • Harsh, but right: they’re slain & condemned (v. 21).

And notice that both the righteous and the wicked suffer afflictions in this life (v. 19, 21), but the outcome is very different. • One is condemned (v. 21; John 3:18); one is not

condemned (v. 22; Rom. 8:1).

So why does Peter quote from Psalm 34? Fairly simple, really – • The best life is the obedient life. • But an obedient life does not guarantee a

trouble-free life. • Peter continually encourages his suffering

readers to stand firm in the grace of God (5:12) in the face of growing oppression & persecution.

Notice Ps. 34:18 – God will mend the broken heart and the crushed spirit…but He will not yet eradicate the forces that can break the heart and crush the spirit. In those times, trust that He is there to deliver, to heal, to save, to work for His praise alone.