IN THE CAVE OF ADULLAM Having departed from Gath, David came to the cave of ‘Adullam’; where, “Evertone in distress, everyone in debt, and everyone discontented, because of the corruption of Saul’s reign, found in David a refuge, and a commander; those who, in Saul’s sight, were counted as dangerous refugees, attached themselves to David, to become later on, men of valor, in the service of the new kingdom. Their attachment to David inflamed Saul’ hatred, and incited him to kill all the priests in the city of Nob - except for ‘Abiathar’ the son of Achimelech - who offered David bread and a sword, unaware of the situation between Saul and him. 1- David in the cave of Adullam 1 – 4. 2- David goes to Judah 5. 3- Saul kills the priests of Nob 6 – 22. 4- Abiathar the priest saved 23. 1- DAVID IN THE CAVE OF ADULLAM It was difficult for David who saved his people of their enemies, to stay away from his country, as an outlaw, especially after God allowed the people of Gath to conspire to kill him. He started to head toward Judah, albeit in some fear. He came to a cave, not far from the old Canaanite city of ‘Adullam,’ where he hid, until joined by his parents and brothers, beside many of those afflicted, to find in him their refuge. ‘Adullam’1 is a Hebrew word, meaning (refuge), where the Canaanites dwelt in the days of Jacob (Genesis 38: 1, 2); one of the cities that became a portion for the tribe of Judah; between ‘Jarmuth’ and ‘Socoh’ (Joshua 15: 35). Some believe it to be the new ‘Ein-El-Maa’; formerly known as ‘Eid-El-Maa,’ 12 miles south-west of Bethlehem, in the valley of Elah, where there are still about 15 huge caves, one of which is that of ‘Kreton’ valley close to Bethlehem, in which David and his men dwelt (160 meters long). Some believe that the situation of David in the cave, and after that in the forest of ‘Hereth’ (1 Samuel 22: 5), symbolize that of the Lord of glory, as He came, incarnated, to the (cave) of this world: a- Saul - the rejected king - was reigning over the people; a symbol of the ruler of this world - the devil - who reigned on the hearts of many (John 14: 30). b- The reign of David was concealed, despite being anointed with the holy oil; and the kingdom of Jesus the, Lord of glory, is likewise concealed in the hearts, not recognized except by those who believe in Him and submit to Him. c- Around the king, all those in distress, everyone in debt, and everyone discontented, were gathered; In the same way, around the Lord Christ, all the afflicted, the sinners, the tax-collectors, and adulterers, gathered together, to find in him a fulfillment to their debt, a renewal of their nature, and the sweetness of intimacy. d- The hope of those gathered together around David, was to see him reign as a king.so are we, looking forward to the coming of the Lord to reign forever. e- As David embraced Abiathar the son of Achimelech who came to him to tell his bitter story; Likewise, the Lord of glory receives every soul that escapes to take refuge in him, to keep it safe (1 Samuel 22: 23). 1 Westminster Dict. Of the Bible, p 18. 2 f- David came to hide in the cave; and the Lord Christ the Word of God came hidden in His Manhood (humanity). When David escaped from Saul to the cave of Adullam, he wrote a golden psalm (57), in which he says:“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. I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up” (Psalm 57: 1 - 3). David fled from the face of Saul to hide in a cave; and this was a symbol of what the Lord Christ did, as said by St. Augustine: [What does hiding in a cave mean?... It means hiding in earth; as whoever flees to a cave, covers himself with earth to become inconspicuous. As to Jesus, He carried earth... received a body taken from earth; in which he hid His Deity; “For had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2: 8)... Jesus did that to flee from the face of the evil one (symbolized by Saul) in a cave. We can understand a cave as a place underground. Positively, as confirmed to all, His body of Jesus was placed in a tomb hewn in a rock. That tomb was the cave to which he fled from the face of (Saul). The Jews persecuted Him even after His body was placed in a cave... Even after He died on the cross, they stabbed Him with a spear (John 19: 34). But when He was placed in a cave, they could do nothing more to the body; and as the Lord was risen without harm or corruption from that place, he fled to from the face of (Saul), symbolizing the evil one, He proclaimed Himself to His elects (the apostles), who touched Him after His resurrection, and believed (Luke 24: 39), realizing that (Saul’s) persecution had not benefited the (persecutors) 1]. St. Jerome says: [The cave symbolizes the world; its dim light can not be compared to the light of the coming world; Nevertheless, by the coming of the Lord to the world, He brought to it light, being Himself the Light]. [As David entered the cave fleeing from the face of Saul; the Lord came to the world and took on Himself its afflictions2]. I wish we likewise, having our souls embittered under the reign of Saul, namely, having fallen under the authority of the Devil, take refuge in the Son of David, hidden in the cave; He who came to our world to give it light by the glory of His hidden deity, to grant us the inner enlightenment, in place of the darkness, to offer us the new life, instead of the death that reigned over us. Let us resort to our Christ, who came to the cave of our nature, to take away our fear, to find Him close to us, dwelling in our midst to renew our nature in Him, and to sanctify and glorify it by the splendor of His glory. Let us join the Son of David in the cave, to find, gathered around Him, the afflicted and embittered souls; That is the way to the Kingdom and the glory, to share with those who suffer, their sufferings; to accept dwelling in the dark cave, to enter through it into the splendor of the inner kingdom. There is no salvation outside the narrow door and the rugged way, unless our Christ passes through them. Finally, David transformed all those energies, that seemed lost and opposed, into valuable assets for the edification of his new kingdom, after the destruction of that of Saul. Let us then, come to the Son of David in the cave, with our energies, that we sometimes consider to be destructive to us - our emotions, feelings, and capabilities - for Him to receive, and to sanctify by His Holy Spirit, to turn them into constructive energies to the account of His new kingdom. 1 On Ps. 57. 2 On Ps. Hom. 52. 3 The men who gathered together under David’s command, were about 400 men, a number that carries an allegoric meaning: the figure 100 refers to the consummation of the number of believers; while the figure 4, refers to the four corners of the world, and to the flesh taken from earth (4 corners). It is as though, that, as we encounter our incarnate Christ in the cave, the world as well as the flesh, would transform into a blessing for us; so that we see in the world, and in the flesh, nothing but goodness; as they are the good creation of God. St., Clement of Alexandria says: [God loves every thing He created]; [God does not hate anything, and does not harbor animosity against anything]. 2- DAVID GOES TO THE LAND OF JUDAH “Then the prophet Gad said to David, ‘Do not stay in the stronghold; Depart and go to the land of Judah. So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth”(1 Samuel 22: 5). This is the first time we hear of the prophet Gad: here, and until the end of David’s days, when the latter carried out a census of the people (2 Samuel 24: 11 - 15). He helped to organize the musical service in the house of the Lord (2 Chronicles 29: 25); and was one of the historians who wrote a record of the events that happened during David’s reign (1 Chronicles 29: 29). It seems that Gad was one of the students of the prophet Samuel in the school of prophets; and that Samuel instructed David to have Gad, the prophet or seer, as his companion. Here he was advising David not to stay in the stronghold, that was in Moab, but to go to the land of Judah, where he would encounter troubles, for the sake of the people of God. That proved to be, both for his own good, and for the edification of the people of God; as he saved the inhabitants of ‘Keilah’ from the Philistines (1 Samuel 23: 1, 2); and defended the cities of Judah (1 Samuel 27: 8 - 11). By that he became famous, and gained the trust of the people of Judah; and when Saul died, he was there, ready to succeed him. The call was to depart from the stronghold and to go to the rugged forest of ‘Hereth’ south-west of Bethlehem. It is a call to forsake the safe human strongholds, and accept the rugged way of the cross - that of the kingdom and glory. St. John Chrysostom says: [Suffering is our teacher; We do not bring it on ourselves, but we courageously bear it, if we have to face it; as it is a source of much goodness1]. [Do not covet a life, that is free of afflictions; as that, is not for your own good2]. 3- SAUL KILLS THE PRIESTS OF NOB As David and his men returned to Judea, news of their return went around, and became very popular among the masses, something that stirred Saul’s envy anew. He was very depressed, feeling that David’s only interest was to destroy his kingdom, and that all those around him, were interested in nothing but to betray him for the sake of a reward; Even his own son and the heir of his throne was standing against him. As Saul dwelt in Gibeah under a tamarisk tree in Ramah {not in the city of Ramah itself, but on a height there] with his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing around him; He started to rebuke them, saying: “Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds?” (1 Samuel 22: 7). 1 In Acts. PG 60: 302. 2 In ps. PG 55: 317. 4 These words revealed how unwise Saul had been; Although he was a king over all Israel, he chose his whole court, as well as his highest officers from his tribe alone; hence he said to them: “Hear now, you Benjamites”. That is a painful portrait that reveals a selfish leadership, that cares only for itself, and not for the whole people. What a difference from the prophet Moses, who chose Joshua as his disciple and heir of his leadership, and not one of his own children. How beautiful are the words of St. John Chrysostom, whose heart selfishlessly harbored fatherhood for all: [Your congregation is my crown; Every one of you - in my sight - equals the whole city1]. Saul, for his lack of faith, probably feared to surround himself with non- Benjamites, lest someone would rob the kingdom from him and his descendants after him. There is no doubt that such behavior had created much bitterness in the hearts of the elders of the other tribes. Because of envy, Saul could not even utter David’s name, but called him “the son of Jesse”; and because of his greed and love of vain glory, he intended to convince his servants that the son of Jesse was going to deprive them of their fields, their vineyards, and their high positions... In that he was following the lead of the evil one, who entices humanity to evil, through material things and worldly dignities. Saul was so obsessed, to assume treason in all his servants, Accusing them, he says: “All of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who reveals to me that my son had made a covenant with the son of Jesse; and there is not one of you who is sorry for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie on the wait, as it is this day” (1 Samuel 22: 8) When man looses his relationship with God, the Source of peace, he sees all people around him as enemies; he flees in seven roads with nobody after him... It is his inner thoughts that chase him and scatter his energies. While he, who enjoys peace with God, would harbor peace in his heart, and peace with his fellow men, and would not fear even his opponents. Doeg the Edomite, trying to justify himself and his colleagues, as they all were terrified to be killed by Saul, put the responsibility on the high priest, saying:“I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. And he inquired of the Lord for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine” (1 Samuel 22: 9, 10) Although he said the truth, he distorted it by cutting it short; He did not mention the conversation between Ahimelech and David; and portrayed Ahimelech as a traitor to Saul. He should have mentioned that Ahimelech assumed that David was on an important errand for the king; and that he intended by what he did to be of service to Saul himself. Then the king sent for Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were in Nob, to have them all killed; The same thing ‘Haman’ did, when he, in revenge against ‘Mordecai,’ intended to have all the Jewish people killed together with him (Esther 3: 6). Saul spoke to Ahimelech in an insulting way, saying: “Hear now, son of Ahitub...”, although the priest addressed him with respect and reverence, saying: “Here I am my Lord” Ahimelech countered the accusation against him, saying: a- He did not deny that he provided David with bread and a sword, and asked the Lord for him; yet he so did, because of what he knew of David’s faithfulness, his . 1 الحب الرعوي، ص 678 5 relationship as a son-in-law to the king, and his position and dignity in the royal court; saying: “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, who goes at your bidding, and is honorable in your house?” (1 Samuel 22: 14). A question, by which he intended to defend himself. yet at the same time, that implied a reproach to Saul, who was known to be unstable, in both his friendship and animosity, defying every reason. b- That he knew nothing of what happened between Saul and David, little or much. Saul had nothing to answer him; but he as usual, in haste, and without consulting anyone, issued his unjust verdict: “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house” (1 Samuel 22: 16). He ordered the guards to execute his verdict; but they would not lift their hands to strike the priests of the Lord. But Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests, and killed on that day 85 men who wore a linen ephod; then went to their city - Nob - and struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen, donkeys and sheep; a horrible scene, that tainted Saul’s history forever. Saul did not devastate a city of the enemy, but one of his people’s own... That is what sin does in the life of man; it destroys his inner life, corrupts his energies and capabilities; and turns him into an enemy and opponent, even to himself. Anyway, God’s words, concerning the household of Eli the high priest, were now realized (1 Samuel 2: 31); as Ahimelech and the priests, descendants of Eli were killed. 4- ABIATHAR THE PRIEST SAVED It seems that Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, did not go to Saul with his father and relatives, but stayed to guard the tabernacle; and when he heard of what happened to his folks, he escaped and fled to David, before the arrival of Doeg the Edomite (1 Samuel 22: 20). When Abiathar told David what happened, David’s response was: “I have caused the death of all the persons of your father’s house. Stay with me, do not fear, for he who seeks my life seeks your life; but with me you shall be safe” (1 Samuel 22: 23) One of David’s pious attributes was admitting his fault, and putting the blame on himself rather than on others. He could have said that he did not know of the presence of Doeg the Edomite, when he went to Ahimelech; and that he did not expect that Saul would dare to kill the Lord’s priests...; He could have condemned both Saul and Doeg for their violence...; But David with humility said: “I have caused the death of all the persons of your father’s house” How sweet it is for man to say by his own tongue and the depths of his heart: “I did wrong”. There is nothing more noble than to put the blame on oneself; and there is nothing worse than putting it on others. So David condemned himself and tried to make it up for Abiathar, by embracing and protecting him; So he became to him, both a prophet and a priest. The saintly fathers - by biblical thought - cared to train the believers on condemning themselves and not others. If man does not dare to blame himself; he would not hesitate to blame even God Himself. Abbot Dorotheos of Gaza1 1 On Renunciation.
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