A Song in A Cave: Psalm 34

 Samuel had anointed David king of Israel and he would someday take the throne. He was now the famed hero and warrior of God's people after killing Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, the giant of Gath. He had left tending sheep in the field and now was living in the service of the current monarch, king Saul.  Saul hated and persecuted  David because of his jealousy and suspicion. David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, the great giant killer, was now on the run for his life, hunted by his own. In a lack of wisdom and faith, David ran to Achish, the king of Gath for protection from Saul. But when he got there, the Philistines said “isn’t this the guy that they sing the song about 'Saul slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?' and didn't he kill Goliath?" Oops.

David, running from his own king who wanted to kill him, ran to the king of Gath, who was no fan. The giant killer ran to the land of the giants and the bane of the Philistines ran to the Philistines. When David heard Achish ask why they allowed David into the city, David lost all strength and courage. He started acting like a crazy man, making marks on the door and drooling in his beard. The King said he had all the crazy men he needed in his political cabinet as it was, so why did the bring him another? So they kicked him out and David, now humbled and humiliated, escaped to the cave Adullam. David wasn't alone in the cave. Robin Hood had his band of merry-men, but David has his band of melancholy-men. Misery loves company, as the saying goes and David attracted quite a band of un-merry men. 1 Samuel 22:2  "And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men."

            According to the introduction of Psalm 34 , this was when David wrote the psalm. None of us can relate to the specifics of this account, but we can relate to how David and his band feel. He had the promises from God of a future inheritance. He believed God, but his faith wavered because everything was going against him. The anointed king was living in a cave. He was a man after God’s own heart, but faltered and acted the fool in the presence of his enemies. He was without strength and all that he had done seemed to have backfired.  David cried out in prayer and God answered and strengthen him. As he wrote Psalm 34, I imagine he looked at the downtrodden, the distressed, the debtors, and the discontented. He provided for us words of comfort and grace because we belong in that group too. Christian, Psalm 34 is for us. In our weakness, Christ is strong.