Have you ever felt like you were living your life in a cave? Perhaps emotionally, or even spiritually? At times, we may feel quite dark, lonely, depressed, or spiritually deflated. Personal weaknesses can bury us in guilt, and illness or bereavement can leave us feeling isolated. Relationships, family, finances, jobs and ecclesial challenges can overwhelm us.
At times, the cave has been ‘home’ to the writer. Times when we want to curl up in a dark corner, retract from those around us, and shut down. Times when the future becomes bleak, and we feel like giving up. Times when we may question how, or if, God is working in our life. While in the cave, we may conclude that we are alone in our circumstances, nobody cares, and no one can relate.
During these miserable periods, it is encouraging to contemplate the experiences of the faithful in Hebrews 11. Men and women, young and old, they all experienced highs and lows throughout their spiritual journeys. We are inspired when we recall their moments of victory, when they “stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens” (Heb 11:33-34).
Yet, we often forget, “others were tortured… had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented.” (Heb 11:35-37).
Verse 38 concludes their struggles with an intriguing statement: “they wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth”. Many of God’s faithful also endured the darkness of caves — physically, emotionally, and spiritually. If life’s challenges engulf us, we are not alone. Rather, we can take heart that we are in the best of company and “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (Heb 12:1), many of whom also survived overwhelming challenges in a cave.
In dens and caves of the Earth
This short phrase begs the reader to thumb the pages of Scripture for individuals who spent time in a cave. When we do, a sizeable list emerges: Lot and his two daughters lived in a cave after fleeing Sodom (Gen 19:30) and many of the patriarchs were buried in the Cave of Machpelah including Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah and Jacob (Gen 49:30-31). The Israelites hid in caves and dens to escape the Midianites (Jdgs 6:2) and Philistines (1Sam 13:6); Obadiah hid 100 faithful prophets from Jezebel in a cave (1Kgs 18:4); and Elijah sought refuge in a cave at Sinai while he battled fear, depression and loneliness amidst a period of intense apostasy (1Kgs 19:9-10).
We could certainly add those who spent time in ‘pseudo-caves’ such as Joseph in the dungeon, Daniel in the lion’s den, Jeremiah in the miry cistern, Legion who abode in the tombs, Lazarus in a sepulchre, and even Paul and Silas in the Philippian prison.
Desperate, life threatening, circumstances drove many of these individuals to the cave. Others sought the cave on their own volition. In each case, however, it is encouraging to recognize that the cave became a temporary source of refuge and respite, followed eventually by God’s rescue and deliverance. Thus, Scripture highlights many faithful who “wandered in dens and caves of the earth”, but also demonstrates how these faithful ultimately ‘rejoiced in God’s salvation’ (Psa 20:5).
Psalms from the cave
Our list of examples omits another individual who spent significant time in a cave. We know this from Psalm 57, which begins: “To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave”. Further research reveals that David also wrote Psalm 142 while he was in the cave. It commences: “A Maschil of David; A prayer when he was in the cave”. In both Psalms, the Spirit conveys David’s feelings and experiences while enduring time in a cave. It is upon these two magnificent Psalms that our studies are focussed. When explored, they furnish the reader with a rich reward of instruction and comfort for dealing with our personal caves.
Initially, we might ask, “When did David spend time in a cave”? ‘The cave’ proves to be a historical key by which the details of Psalm 57 and 142 can be unlocked. For almost five years, David and his men scuttled over the terrain of southern Israel. During this flight, David sought refuge with his troops in two caves: the first was the Cave of Adullam (1Sam 22:1), while the second was the Cave of En-gedi (1Sam 24:1-3). Both are located in Judah, south of Jerusalem. The fertile land surrounding Adullam, on the western flanks of the Judean Hills, is pierced with numerous limestone caverns, some of which are interconnected and large enough to hold 200 or 300 men. En-gedi (Hb. spring of the goat-kid) is situated on the eastern edge of the Judean Hills, in close proximity to a refreshing spring, amidst the scorched wasteland of the Dead Sea valley.
In both instances, David is desperate to escape the relentless pursuit and fiery violence of Saul. Although the caves provided asylum, the distress and anxiety that David suffered are evident when he laments “my spirit was overwhelmed within me” (Psa 142:3). In the Hebrew, ‘overwhelmed’ means to shroud or clothe with darkness and languishing. Numbing despair completely engulfed David. He had no permanent place to live; he struggled for food and water, and felt rejected by an entire nation.
David equates the experiences in the cave to being trapped in a dungeon, and pleads: “Bring my soul out of prison” (Psa 142:7). Elsewhere, he mourns “there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul” (Psa 142:4 ESV). Though Psalm 57 contains a level of confidence and hope exceeding that of Psalm 142, David’s despondency is still evident when he complains “my soul is in the midst of lions”, and “my soul was bowed down” (Psa 57:4,6 ESV).
At times, David’s misery may parallel our own. We may find ourselves in desperate circumstances, trapped in an emotional and spiritual prison, where no one seems to notice or care about us.
How did David deal with the cave experiences of his life? Psalm 57 and 142 serve more purpose than to simply validate or characterize the dark challenges he wrestled. Instead, the Spirit seeks to share solutions that David used to extract himself from these dark moments. It is uplifting to meditate on these and realize there is a way through our trials.
We will consider seven solutions in total. Though none may be considered mind-bending or revolutionary, ultimately, they are means and methods that God has set before us to help illuminate the darkness. They are critical if we are to survive the cave and understand, from God’s perspective, the meaning of their troubles. When our world collapses around us, they are easily forgotten or casually dismissed.
1) Prayer and praise
When we experience stress or distress, we often keep things to ourselves and independently try to solve our troubles. Amidst the inky blackness of the cave, we forget that God can help us and cares about us. David recognized this potential pitfall and instead exclaims, “I poured out my complaint before Him; I shewed before Him my trouble” (Psa 142:2).
David used prayer as a means of communicating his trouble to God. He poured out his feelings to the Father, and through humble supplication requested grace and mercy to help in his time of need (Heb 4:16). Prayer was also recognition of the reliance he placed on the Father to dispel his emotional turmoil and rescue him from his enemies.
In Teenagers of the Bible, Shane Kingsbury stresses the importance of prayer, particularly during our youth:
“In times of adversity and trouble, it is not unusual to try all kinds of ‘solutions’ and ‘cures’, only to find that we have ignored the greatest cure of all time: Prayer. This is particularly true of the teenage years when we have plenty of energy, and pride ourselves in achievements, frequently taking matters into our own hands – only to find ourselves more deeply mired into the problem. Then, as a last resort, we turn to prayer!”1
In Psalm 142, David appeals to God to “attend unto my cry” (Psa 142:6). The Hebrew word ‘attend’ means to prick up the ears. God gives ear to our own prayers and we are assured like David: “In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me” (Psa 86:7). Prayer is powerful, and yet, it is not an age of prayer. David, Daniel, Jeremiah, Paul and many other faithful made maximum use of prayer. It behooves us to follow their example and ensure prayer is not a sporadic communication with God. Our daily spiritual habits must be rooted in prayer — particularly so when we encounter troublesome times.
Perhaps music is a salve for our troubled times. Beyond prayer, David expresses the sentiments of his soul through song and praise. In Psalm 57:7 he reveals, “My heart is fixed, O God, … I will sing and give praise”. To this, he adds in verse 8-9 “Awake, psaltery and harp … I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations”. David’s musical skills were calming to Saul, while he stewed amidst the mental mayhem of his cave. He now uses them to lift his own spirits by expressing his love, confidence and gratitude to the Father. It was his greatest desire to pronounce the Father’s mercy and glory “among the nations”. In a uniquely similar circumstance deep in the chambers of the Philippian jail, Paul and Silas “prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them” (Acts 16:25).
While wrestling with our own dungeons, prayer, song and instrument are powerful ways to communicate with the Father and to “pour out our heart before Him” (Psa 62:8).
2) Crying
Society teaches us that ‘big boys don’t cry’. Nothing could be farther from the truth in David’s life. David did not ‘bottle up’ his emotions but poured them out unashamedly. In Psalm 142 David “cried unto the Lord”, and further requests that God “attend unto my cry” (Psa 142:1,6). The Hebrew word ‘cry’ means a shrieking or creaking from anguish or danger. It is used of Israel when they wept because of the bondage in Egypt (Exo 2:23-24) and describes a mixture of tears and desperate pleas for God’s help.
There are additional occasions when David shed tears to deal with his grief. As he and Jonathan part ways in the field, “they kissed each other and wept together – but David wept the most” (1Sam 20:41 NIV). Later, when David and his men return to Ziklag and find it destroyed with their families taken captive, “David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep” (1Sam 30:4). Twice David weeps over the loss of his children (2Sam 12:22, 18:33). Overwhelming circumstances also cause David to plead: “Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping” (Psa 39:12 NIV).
David was the king of Israel, a leader, and a mighty man of war, but he still embraced his grief and turned it loose through tears. He poured out the pain and the loss, the anger and the hurt, no matter who else heard or saw, or what they said or thought. Crying is therapeutic and is one of the emotions God has given to us to bear the pain of the cave experiences. We should not bottle up our grief and hold it inside where it will corrode our heart and soul. Unashamedly, we can relieve our feelings through tears.
Psalm 56 was penned by David to recount his capture by the Philistines in Gath (Psa 56:1; 1Sam 21), just prior to his flight to the Cave of Adullam. Here, he makes a curious request of the Father: “Thou tellest [numberest] my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle; are they not in thy book?” (Psa 56:8). What does David mean by this curious phrase ‘put my tears into your bottle’? When have we ever seen someone hunched over a bottle, attempting to capture their tears? In ancient times, however, ‘lachrimony’ was common-practice. Tears were collected in small, sealed bottles to commemorate events of particularly deep emotion. The bottle, along with its tears, acted as a record and reminder of the grief.2
A deep sensitivity of spirit was one of the characteristics God desired when He “sought Him a man after His own heart” (1Sam 13:14; Acts 13:22). Like David, we should not be afraid to shed our grief and have assurance that God is intimately aware of all our tears and wanderings.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One