David’s humility in the cave at En-gedi evidently touched Saul, if only momentarily, “…And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil” (I Sam. 24:16-17). This resulted in Saul suspending his activities and returning home (v. 22). David chose to return to the hold at En-gedi and, after Samuel’s death, for a brief period, resided in the wilderness of Paran (I Sam. 25:1).
David’s decision to maintain his distance from Saul resulted no doubt, from his knowledge of Saul’s character. He had come to know Saul better than Saul knew himself and realized that it would only be a matter of time before Saul revived his hostilities.
Saul — of the devil
Psalm 7:14 describes David’s perception of Saul, “Behold, he travaileth with iniquity and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.” According to the apostle John there are two kinds of people living in the ecclesia, “He that doeth righteousness” and “he that doeth sin” (I John 3:7-8); one is born of God, the other of the devil. The difference between the two stems from the attitude each has toward God’s word. John says “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him” (I Jo. 3:9). This difference was particularly marked between David and Saul.
Repeatedly Saul received instructions from Samuel. He was requested to go down to Gilgal and wait for Samuel, who would, upon arrival, offer burnt sacrifices (I Sam. 10:8). Saul was impatient and when Samuel didn’t arrive he offered the sacrifices himself (I Sam. 13:8-9). Again, Saul ignored the commandment of God to destroy the Amalekites, choosing rather to save the choice animals and preserve the life of Agag (I Sam. 15).
These and other incidents indicate Saul’s total lack of respect for God’s word. On each occasion Saul was “drawn away of his own lusts;” the seed of mischief was allowed to conceive in his heart and this in turn “brought forth falsehood.”
David born of God
By contrast, David took deliberate steps to ensure that God’s word would remain in him under the most difficult trials. He could say, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psa. 119:11). The RV renders the word “hid” as “laid up” and the Hebrew conveys the idea of storing up something. Remember that David didn’t have the convenience of carrying around a pocket Bible; he couldn’t sit down and do his daily readings at the end of the day. He was forced to rely on his memory.
His diligence during the days of opportunity allowed him to draw from his mind’s storehouse and receive comfort and encouragement. Each step was illuminated by the light of God’s word (Psa. 119:105). A moment’s reflection upon our own meager efforts ought to make us thoroughly ashamed. Despite all of our modem aids, despite our relatively comfortable lives, the Bible is sorely neglected. Paul’s advice is very clear, “Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as fools, but as wise, buying up the opportunity, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16 RV mg.).
Signs of fatigue
Ten years is a long time to be an outlaw; moving from place to place with no fixed abode and no stability. It was inevitable that signs of fatigue would begin to show. David vents his feelings in Psalm 31 where he says, “Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed” (vs. 9-10). Again in Psalm 35:17 we read, “Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction’s…”
During this period, David had attracted to himself a small group of followers. While in the cave of Adullam, 400 men gathered themselves to him (I Sam. 22:1-2) and this number eventually increased to about 600 (I Sam. 23:13). Despite these companions, David remained a lonely man — “I looked on my right hand, and behold, but there was no man that would know me. Refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul” (Psa. 142:4).
David’s loneliness, however, was compensated by the close companionship he shared with his Creator. Consider the following expressions:
“I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living” (Psa. 142:5);
“The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate” (Psa. 34:22);
“This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: 0 Lord, be not far from me” (Psa. 35:22);
“Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me” (Psa. 63:7-8).
Effectual prayer
Psalm 142 was written “in the cave” according to the title. The cave referred to was probably at En-gedi, and this would place the writing of the psalm after the incident of David cutting off Saul’s garment (I Sam. 24). The psalm is described as a prayer and its contents illustrate how David was able to cope with his loneliness. David’s strength lay in his ability to communicate with his Creator.
His prayer is not unlike that of Hezekiah, who upon receiving the letter from Sennacherib, spread it before Yahweh (II Kgs. 19:14). David says, “I cried unto the LORD with my voice, with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.” David was detailing all his problems yet it is evident from verse 3 that God already knew them — “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path,” which leads us to ask why pray in the first place? The answer is, of course, that prayer is expressed for our personal benefit.
God does not need us to tell Him our problems, He already knows. Nevertheless by spreading out our problems before Him, we show our confidence in His ability to help. Though his present circumstances looked very bleak indeed, David could look to the future with confidence. He knew that God was his refuge, that his inheritance was secure (v. 5) and he was driven by the conviction that Yahweh would eventually “deal bountifully with (him)” (v. 7).
David – A type of the Lord Jesus
Throughout this series, we have deliberately concentrated on the man David. We have attempted in simple terms to draw from the psalms his anxieties, his strengths, his concerns, and his confidence. From many of his expressions, however, it is obvious that his personal experiences during this period were a shadow of the life and work of his greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Consider the following examples:
- “But there was no man that would know me. Refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul” (Psa. 142:4). This was typical of Jesus at the end; he was a man “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3).
- “False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not” (Psa. 35:11). Again this is a clear reference to the trial of Jesus (Matt. 26:59-60).
- David makes reference to rescuing “my darling from the lions” (Psa. 35:17). This phrase links with the Messianic psalm, Psalm 22:20 — “deliver…my darling from the power of dogs.” In both passages, the term “darling” means “only one” and is an obvious reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. He was God’s only begotten, and the lion describes the ruling authorities who put him to death (cp. I Pet. 4:8 and Prov. 28:15).
- “Into thy hand I commit my spirit” (Psa. 31:5). This is quoted by Jesus on the cross in Luke 23:46.
- “O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands” (Psa. 7:3). Jesus also asked evidence of his contemporaries that he had committed any sin (Jo. 8:46).
Bearing a burden for others
These are but a sampling of the more obvious parallels that can be found during this period. There is, however, one verse which would be valuable to consider for the conclusion of this series — Psalm 7:6-7. There we read, “Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies; and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. So shall the congregation compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.” The word “lift up” is the Hebrew nacah and conveys the idea of being borne along, to carry or to take away. It is used of unmerited grace, “The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace” (Num. 6:26). The word is associated with sacrifice and the scapegoat bearing the sins of Israel away on the day of atonement (Lev. 16:22). Thus the idea of redemption is brought to the fore by its many usages.
With this in mind, we find the word nacah in Isaiah 53:4: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows,” or again in verse 12 – “…and he bare the sin of many.” David therefore recognized that salvation could only be achieved through the work of judgment, and a judgment wrought by Yahweh Himself – “lift up thyself.” Moreover the effect of that judgment would not only benefit David, but also the nation — “So shall the congregation compass thee about.” While this had a limited application in David’s life, the ultimate fulfilment could only be realized in God’s work of redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is alluded to in John 12:31-33, where Jesus says “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
For David this was the only permanent solution to his difficulties. Only God could raise Himself up a savior. Six hundred years earlier God had declared His intention, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Gen.49:10). David never lost sight of this promise; uprooted from his home, separated from those he dearly loved, hunted like a wild animal, “dwelling in caves and dens of the earth:” he found reassurance and consolation in the God he loved so much — “But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me” (Psa. 13:5-6).
How many of us could, in the face of great adversity, view God’s hand as bountiful? Here indeed was a man after God’s own heart.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One