Now it happened, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, "Take note! David [is] in the Wilderness of En Gedi." ... 3 So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there [was] a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. (David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.) ... 7 So David restrained his servants with [these] words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on [his] way. 1Sa 24:1, 3, 7 NKJV
To the Chief Musician. Set to "Do Not Destroy." A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave. Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until [these] calamities have passed by. 2 I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs [all things] for me. - Psa 57:1-2 NKJV
Sometimes we feel trapped in life. Calamities and difficulties seem to have a way of crowding in around us. Sometimes these restrictions are caused by our own doing. These are particularly difficult to bear. Sinful choices, foolish conclusions can all restrict our existence and negatively impact our lives. Less freedom, more complexities. Sometimes, however, as in this text, the restrictions are not at all caused by ourselves and are clearly the consequences of someone or something else. The young David knew this so very well. The early years of David were characterized by running. The young boy who was anointed to be the next king, well, his beginnings were anything but kingly. In fact, they were downright difficult. You see, Saul was in hot pursuit of the man David. Due to jealousy, rage, and a severed relationship with God, Saul lived his life in a fit of rage. His life revolved around seeking to eliminate the young David.
This unyielding pursuit of David is most evident in this text. Now it happened when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told to him, saying, "Take note! David [is] in the Wilderness of En Gedi." Here we learn that Saul in pursuit of David was called away to fight the Philistines, then after fighting the Philistines, returned with three thousand men to pursue David once again. Think about that the only reason he originally let up on his pursuit was the intrusion of the Philistines who were invading the land. For we read in the text, But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!" 28 Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called that place the Rock of Escape. This man was in fact consumed.
Now David was in the recesses of the Cave, trapped if you will when Saul and his men were on the outskirts of the same. For David and his men, this was the chance they were looking for to finally kill Saul and set his reign in order. In fact, listen to the text, "Look, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and [someone] urged [me] to kill you. But [my eye] spared you, and I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he [is] the LORD's anointed.' David would have none of that. David could have killed him, you know he was so close to Saul that he cut a small patch from his robe. (It is worth mentioning that as he did his heart smote him with a strong sense of conviction and regret). Trust is what compelled David. Trust in the mercy of God is what would be his shelter and protection.
David did not depend on the cave to keep him safe. He did not depend on his men to keep him safe. No, David had a strong and compelling faith in the God who would shelter him under his wing. Listen to our text, Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until [these] calamities have passed by. If David had put his trust in anything else but the Lord God Almighty, he may have been tempted to listen to the men around him and took “matters in his own hands” He did not. God was his shelter and God would cause these calamities to pass and God would perform all things for him. Faith in God is what shelters us, not the caves we find refuge in. we must anchor our hope during periods of confinement in the mercy and goodness of God. If we do, our calamities will in fact pass, and God will bring us to our destiny.
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