CAVE OF ADULLAMWhere light & hope arise

Hope of David Series

Prepared by Philip TanDec 2011

version: 1.0

Purpose of a Cave Experience

Understand the

circumstances of King David

1 Samuel 2110 That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. 11 But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances:    “‘Saul has slain his thousands,    and David his tens of thousands’?”  12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath.

1 Samuel 22 1 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. 2 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.

Cave of Adullam

Cave mentality

• Cave is a lifestyle, mindset, phase or an experience we faced because of

–Fear–Rejection–Downcast–Abandonment–Disappointment

These are dangerous symptoms of hopelessness Hopelessness will attract you to cave of darkness

Cave of Adullam

King David’s Cave

• King David was a great king, great psalmist, great warrior YET…he has fear like many of us..

• Fear & doubt drove King David to a Cave called Adullam

• King David seems to have ‘lost’ direction of his life

Cave of Adullam

• Adullam means

Refuge

– A place of escape..– A time of relief.. – A temporary location of pseudo security..

Cave of Adullam

• Cave of Adullam was not far from the place where David defeated Goliath

How is it David who had great faith and bravery once in the hills of Judah now run for his life to a

place of refuge?

Cave of Adullam

• King David’s fear SHIFTED his perception and worldview to a paradigm of the flesh

• Instead of GOD as his REFUGE, King David ran to a man made REFUGE

Cave of Adullam

Revealing a Divine Purpose

• Nonetheless, GOD used the fear of King David for a great purpose

• David’s presence attracted 400 men all of which were - in distress, in debt & discontented

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See the divine arrangement when others knew about King David’s hiding place..

– He attracted his brothers– He attracted his relatives– He attracted the marginal and dregs of society

Cave of Adullam

Understand who are those attracted to the

presence of King David

• His brothers – those who were closed to him, knew him well

• His relatives – those who were indirectly associated to him

• The rest from society -Distress, in debt, discontented

Cave of Adullam

Understand Hopelessness

• Distress

Those with personal crisis, troubled relationship, inability to cope with pressures of life,…

• In Debt

Those who became slave to the things of the world i.e financial debt

• Discontented

Those who experienced failures, sink into bitterness, harboured anger, entangled with dissatisfaction,..

Cave of Adullam

Becoming the Light of Christ

• King David became LIGHT in the midst of darkness

• He gathered the hopelessness of man and led them to a place of HOPE

• God positioned Him to became CAPTAIN over these 400 once thought to be hopeless souls!

Cave of Adullam

So CAN YOU

• God can use you to become His LIGHT of HOPE

• God can place you to a place to shift the focus from darkness to His marvellous light through you

• His Spirit will draw many to your presence.. Those close to you, those who are associated with you, those will hear about your ability to give hope to them

• You can lead many to the ultimate Hope in Christ Jesus in the midst of darkness

Cave of Adullam

King David a type of Messiah, foreshadowing the coming King of Kings

King David is a reference of HOPE

King Jesus is the reality of HOPE

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The Parallels between King Jesus and King David(King Jesus understands your Cave experience)

• King David entered into a hiding Cave of Adullam• King Jesus entered into the darkness of this world

• King David attracted to the hopeless souls• King Jesus came to save lost souls, the sick, ..

• King David expressed his loneliness and inner pain to the Lord• King Jesus experienced the agony of pain & suffering of the flesh

• King David became Captain & Leader over 400 men• King Jesus became Captain of our souls, He leads us in this life

to victory..

Cave of Adullam

Your Cave Experience

• When you are in your Cave of Adullam, cry and

reach out to the Lord. It is a place of intimacy, transparency, abandonment and quiet confidence

• God wants to strip away the layers of our false

insecurity only to be clothed by the security of His

Son’s salvation – the refuge of eternal life & hope

Cave of Adullam

Adullam is a place of discovery & closeness

• Humbling of Self : Psalm 57:1 shows David humbling himself asking for mercy from His MakerBe merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! (Psalm 57:1)

 • Total dependency on God

Psalm 57:2 shows David desperate heart I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me. • Recognize our inadequacy

Psalm 57:4,6 shows David perception of his circumstances: My soul is among lions . . . they have prepared a net for my steps.

 • Recognition of Who God is Psalm 57:5,9,11 shows David’s praises to the LORD:

I will praise You, O LORD, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations …Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth.

Cave of Adullam

May our Cry to the Lord be like

that of David

Psalm 142:1-4 reads A Contemplation of David. A prayer when he was in the cave. It describes David’s discouraged heart: I cry out to the LORD with my voice; with my voice to the LORD I make my supplication. I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk they have secretly set a snare for me. Look on my right hand and see, for there is no one who acknowledges me; refuge has failed me; no one cares for my soul.

Cave of Adullam

We are called to be more than a king ..

 1st Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness (Cave) into his wonderful light.

Cave of Adullam

Quick Recap ..Understand the

Spiritual Process behind ‘Cave of Adullam’

• God allows..

- circumstances to have a seemingly upper hand over you• God isolates...

- you with jealously to Himself because you need to align with

His kingdom order• God processes & refines..

- your heart, thoughts & inner motives to be in line with His• God develops & changes..

- your heart to embrace His purpose & the Father’s will to become a light• God positions & releases

- you from your cave to a place of leadership of hope

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Applications

• Can you identify your circumstances to that of King David?

Describe & share

• What do you usually do when you’re in distress? Share

• How can you become a model of hope to those who are seeking for one?

• How can you reach out to those who are hopeless, troubled, rejected, disappointed…?