Why the Cave has a place in our lives, especially when all else may be caving in…
When I was a boy, my parents took me to Mammoth Cave and I remember the impression the cold dampness and close claustrophobic feeling left on us as we descended further and further into the darkness. It was, an awesome experience, where sounds reverberated inside the caverns and the light flashed widely as it bounced off the ledges and the crevices of our ghostly environment.
And yet, there can be a certain security in the cave. The Civil war turned the inhabitants of Vicksburg into cave dwellers as Grant relentlessly shelled the city for weeks. Adolf Hitler sought the security of the Eagle’s Nest and the series caverns that laced his mountain top hide out. And it was in the Cave at Adullam where the giant killer, David, sought refuge following his departure from the house of Saul and the disastrous events surrounding the death of the priests of Nob.
Truth is, we all have baggage; we all have fears, real or imagined; and we all have failures that we carry with us from childhood; failures that remain with our spirit, and for some, failures that follow them to their graves. For King David, the death of eighty-five or more people was a reality that he would never forget. But something happened to him in that cave. David experienced forgiveness and a revival in his heart that only happens when we are pushed beyond our boundaries, pushed out of the comforts associated with the courtyard, and pushed into our own cave experience, where incidentally, we may find ourselves with people we may have never imagined shared such a familiar story. The men who joined him in the cave at Adullam were men largely forgotten and shanghaied by their king. Some might call them scoundrels and it’s likely some were less than stellar members of the community. But as one scholar has noted, the Hebrew terms describing this lot of men is neutral as it pertains to their moral position. They were outcasts from a regime that had largely spurned them. In short, they were men whose lives had been uprooted, fortunes pilfered, and characters ruined by the behavior of King Saul. And somehow, they found David, they joined him in the cave and they became the Mighty Men of Valor that we read proved so valuable to David in route to the consummation of the monarchy.
I’m intrigued with the level of growth and development that took place in that cave. There likely was tactical training for sure, men becoming more disciplined for battle and more skillful with their weapons. But more than that, its the closeness that I find compelling. These, after all, were men with histories, men with a lot to forget, and for some, plenty to forgive. And they were all there, eating and sleeping next to each other and learning to love each other while they worshipped the God whom their leader now trusted impeccably. And the benefits need not be limited to the cave alone. The men with whom I cycled with to Baltimore over seven days were great men but not perfect men. We each brought strengths and weaknesses to the team, and each of us had our moments where, anger, immaturity, and anxiety surfaced for all to see. But what made our time together unique and unforgettable was the worship we enjoyed together, the fellowship we shared together and the times when we prayed together.
The beauty of the cave experience lies in the times of prayer, the refreshment of the spirit and the revival of our calling– that only takes place when we shed our pride and perfections and meet one another on the common plane of shared burden and similar sins.
Here’s a thought. We all need the Cave of Adullam and in that sanctuary of authentic need we receive the blessing of being heard and the greater benefit of connecting with someone who understands our need and through prayer is willing and able to help us.
Have you guessed where I think this works best? You should have because its the local church and it the time of prayer, confession, and intercession that already has been built into most church calendars. In fact, it’s proven its worth over time as the perfect shelter for bruised souls, tattered lives, and tired minds. Funny thing, though, we seem to have time for games, time for programs, and time for trips, but little time to pray and to share the security and sanctity of the cave. I’m not sure whether that means we think the world not that hard, or that we think ourselves that good- Neither is correct.
MJC.
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