God is My Refuge

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 22:2) And everyone in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered themselves to him, and he became a captain over them, and there were with him about four hundred men.

(1 Chronicles 12:17) And David went out to meet them and answered and said to them, "If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart shall be knit to you, but if to betray me to my enemies, seeing there is no wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers look and rebuke." 

After David left Gath, he escaped to a cave called Adullam.  When they heard he was there, David's family and people from his tribe came to him.  It seems that everyone who was discontented with Saul's government in one way or another, also came to David. He went out to meet all the people who had come to him and told them that if they had come to help him, his heart would be as one with theirs, but if they had come to betray him to Saul, since he had done nothing wrong against Saul, David called on God to look upon them and judge.  He became a captain over them as they desired to help him against Saul.  He gathered about four hundred men.

(18) Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, "We are yours, David, and on your side, you son of Jesse; peace, peace unto you, and peace to your helpers, for your God helps you. Then David received them and made them captains of the band.

The Holy Spirit came over Amasai, chief of the captains, and he told David that they were all on his side, and he wished peace to David and all who helped him, for he knew it was God who helped him.  David then received all the people who had come to him and made them captains of his troop.  

(Psalm 142:1) (Maschil of David, a prayer when he was in the cave) I cried to the Lord with my voice; with my voice to the Lord did I make my supplication.

It was at this time while David was dwelling in the cave that he composed this short psalm.  The word "maschil" literally meant "instructive"; therefore it seems that David intended this psalm to provide insight and impart wisdom.  It may be that David didn't assign that title until sometime after he composed it when he recalled it during times of trouble and saw it as a template of prayer.  David cried out to the Lord with his humble request.

(2) I poured out my complaint before Him; I showed before Him my trouble.

David poured out his heart before the Lord, telling Him of all his troubles.

(3) When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path. In the way where I walked have they secretly laid a snare for me.

When David was overwhelmed by his troubles, God knew exactly what was going on, better than David did.  He knew that where David went his enemies had laid traps for him.

(4) I looked on my right hand and beheld, but no man who would know me; refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

David had previously had servants at his right hand to help him, but at that time there had been no one.  His refuge in the cave had failed him because there was no way he could escape and go find help.  He felt he had no one who cared to save his life.

(5) I cried to You, O Lord. I said, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."

David's cave as a refuge had failed him, man had failed him, but he knew that God was his refuge, the only one he could count on in the land of the living.

(6) Attend to my cry for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors for they are stronger than I.

David asked that the Lord hearken to his cry because he had been brought very low in his spirit and in physical things as he was surely hungry, weak, and exhausted.  He prayed that the Lord deliver him from those who persecuted him for they were stronger (and much greater in number) than he was.

(7) Bring my soul out of prison that I may praise Your name. The righteous shall compass me about for you shall deal bountifully with me.

David prayed that the Lord bring him out of his prison there holed up in a cave that he might again be able to give God all the glory and praise His name publicly for his deliverance.  He had faith that someday the righteous would flock to him and surround him because the Lord had delivered him and blessed him so abundantly.  Interestingly, the original word "kathar" that was translated as "compass" also means "to crown."  David knew that the Lord had chosen him to be His king, and he had faith that that would come to pass.  And of course, the Lord did answer David's prayer and sent many people to the cave to help him.

Prayer for Guidance and Protection

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 22:1) David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave Adullam, and when his brethren and all his father's house heard, they went down there to him.

David departed from Gath when he had acted mad before the king of Gath, and the king threw him out.  He escaped to a cave called Adullam.  When his brothers and all his family heard he was there, they went to him.

(1 Chronicles 12:16) And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold to David.

According to the chronological order I am following that was arranged by Skip Andrews, 1 Chronicles 12 tells of the same time.  There came many people from David's tribe and from the tribe of Judah to him.  Mr. Andrews suggested that David might have written the following psalm at that time:

(Psalm 141:1) (A Psalm of David) Lord, I cry to You; make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry to You!

David cried out to the Lord.  He pleaded with the Lord to hurry as his need was urgent.  God's timing is always the best, but David usually received speedy answers from God because his faith and trust in Him was so great.  He desired a speedy answer now and asked God to hear his cry.  Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, pointed out how it seemed that so many of David's psalms began with complaints.  For one thing, he very often was in trouble, but also David's psalms were not formal writings, but actual meditations of his heart.  He spoke to God about whatever was going on in his heart and his mind.  He didn't guard his words; he was an open book who spoke to his Father and closest friend candidly.

(2) Let my prayer be set before you as incense, the lifting up of my hands the evening sacrifice.

This is a very beautiful illustration of prayer.  David desired that his prayer ascend up to the Lord as incense and that it be as acceptable.  As David lifted up his hands to heaven, he desired that God look upon those as favorably as He would the lifting up of the evening sacrifice.  Actually, David offered his body as a living sacrifice to do what God would have him do.  As Paul said in Romans 12:1, we should present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.  

(3) Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

David asked that the Lord guard his mouth, that he not speak anything rash and ill advised, but rather he would speak what the Lord would have him speak.

(4) Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies.

David prayed that the Lord keep his heart from being inclined to do anything evil.  Actually, as we are all fallen sinners, born into sin, without God we would be inclined to do evil.  David prayed that God keep him from that and from wicked men.  He prayed that he not be drawn to them by their temptations they set before him as delicacies.

(5) Let the righteous strike me, a kindness, and let him reprove me, an excellent oil which shall not break my head, for yet my prayer also is in their calamities.

David preferred the harsh reproval of righteous men to the deceitful delicacies of the wicked.  He considered the reprimand of righteous men a kindness like an excellent oil that would not harm him but help him.  He would never resent such loving counsel and would always be there for them to pray for them in their troubles, as they had been there for him.

(6) When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words, for they are sweet.

This verse is a little difficult.  Who exactly was David talking about?  I tend to think it referred to the righteous who rebuked David.  When their leaders fell, when they found themselves in their calamities, they would hear the sweet words of David's prayers as he would be there for them.  Many commentators thought it referred to David's enemies, but I don't think that is in context with the verses before and after this one.

(7) Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth as when one cuts and cleaves wood upon the earth.

David used a plural pronoun.  Does he refer to those with him or to all people who were at death's door, those who were scattered and disregarded, because Satan ruled the world?  Peter said in 1 Peter 5:8 that our adversary, the devil, roamed about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he might devour. 

(8) But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord, in You is my trust; do not leave my soul destitute.

However, David's eyes were always on the Lord, and in Him alone he put his full trust and confidence.  He asked that the Lord never leave his soul destitute and defenseless but let his soul continually be surrounded and protected by Him.

(9) Keep me from snares they have laid for me and the gins of the workers of iniquity.

David prayed that the Lord protect and keep him from the snares his enemies had laid for him and from the traps of wicked men.

(10) Let the wicked fall into their own nets while I escape.

He prayed that the wicked would fall into their own traps, that their schemes would entrap and expose them as David was able to escape.

In this psalm of David's, he desired that his request be acceptable to the Lord.  Yes, he desired protection from his enemies, but he also wished to be pure and to resist temptations to sin.  He wished to be reproved by righteous men who would help keep him on the right righteous path.  He would never resent them, but always be with them, as they were all of them prey to the evil one.