David's life changed the day his father, Jesse, instructed him to take food to the Israelite army and check on his brothers. They were fighting against the Philistines, and Goliath, the giant warrior, was taunting them-causing the army to run in fear.
Yet, as David arrived upon the scene, he heard this Philistine giant defying all of Israel. David, with faith in the "LORD of hosts," would strike Goliath down with a single smooth stone.
You see, though, the enemy David defeated that day-Goliath-would not be his only enemy. After David's victory over this giant enemy, the women sang, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." That anthem would spark jealousy and hatred in King Saul toward David.
David would soon find himself on the run, and in his flight, he made his way to the Cave of Adullam. Before long, his family and four hundred other men would find their way to this cave to join David.
The description of these men is far from flattering:
" All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him." (1 Samuel 22:2)
This cave served as a stronghold—a refuge for David and his men. Can you imagine what that was like? The men fighting alongside David were carrying their own burdens, yet they chose to follow him. They were distressed, in debt, and bitter in spirit. Since David was on the run, he couldn't be particular about the warriors who fought with him. They weren’t exactly the kind of men you would handpick for battle, were they?
David was running for his life from an enemy smaller than the giant he had once defeated. And yet this new enemy—King Saul—commanded an army far greater in size and prestige than David’s. In contrast, David’s own band of men paled in comparison, each with their struggles in tow.
When David was in this cave, he penned Psalm 142:
"I cry aloud to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
I pour out before him my complaint;
before him I tell my trouble."
David would discover throughout his life that prayer changes everything. Prayer would see him through battle after battle, leading him to victory. Prayer would be vital to the most important relationship he had - the one with the Lord God Almighty!
From this intimate place of prayer, David would speak prophetically:
"In Psalm 110:1 David wrote: "The LORD said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool."
It is this very writing where David pointed to the coming Messiah - Jesus Christ! The Right hand refers to a place of power, as even John saw only one throne in Heaven (Revelation 4:2-3).
The LORD (YHWH)—the covenant name of God—said to my “Lord” (Adoni), referring to the Messiah yet to come. In speaking these words, David was testifying to the One True Living God he served in the Old Testament, the I AM that I AM, who would later be fully revealed in the New Testament as Jesus Christ.
David also knew of the Shema as taught in Deuteronomy 6:4:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”
Other pertinent verses that reveal One Lord (this is a short list):
- Isaiah 9:6 –"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
- Isaiah 45:5 – “I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from Me there is no God.”
- John 1:1 – "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word "WAS" God;"
- John 1:14 – "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..."
- Matthew 1:23 – "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us."
- Colossians 2:9 – "In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."
David truly knew God, not merely about Him, but personally. Even Jesus Christ cited Psalm 110:1 as Scripture (Matthew 22:41-46, Mark 12:35-37, Luke 20:41-44), affirming it was God-breathed. Peter would also proclaim it boldly on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, connecting David's prophetic words to their ultimate fulfillment in Christ.
Although Psalm 110:1 was not written while David was in the cave, Psalm 142 and Psalm 57 were. These Psalms reveal a man who cried out to the One True Living God. This was a man who knew humility and the meaning of true service. Even in failure, he repented immediately, as expressed in Psalm 51. David's heart was fully devoted to the Lord, and from this intimate relationship, God revealed the deep and secret things that would later be fully revealed in the New Testament.
Do not fear the cave or the midnight hour when issues of life seem at their worst. These may be the very places where Jesus reveals to you the hidden treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, so that you may know that He is the LORD.
“I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel.” Isaiah 45:3
Like David and his men, you will come out in victory.
So, continue to pray and continue to trust in God. In your darkest hour, He just may reveal something significant that will serve as a spark of hope for someone else, somewhere during their journey through a dark cave.