In the header we learn this was written during the time David hid out in the Cave of Adullam, referring to events in 1 Samuel 22. At least one cave in that area offers a very large inner chamber after passing through a smaller vestibule at the entrance, and other caves have surely served as fortified keeps at various times. David was seldom actually alone, virtually always having at least a few friends and supporters in his entourage. We should not imagine that he wrote this song only of his own personal need. The courtly language always assumed the man plus all those for whom he was responsible.
The reference to the type of song as al-taschit refers most likely to the title of a popular tune that translates as “you must not destroy.”
The initial cry for mercy uses words that imply someone great bending down to notice a supplicant prostrate on the ground before him. As far as David is concerned, it is not so much a cave where he hides, but his heart is focused on taking refuge in God’s divine justice. Someone is surely breathing down his neck with a lust for murder. So the sovereign God of Creation alone can finish what men may have started.
David knows his problems aren’t imaginary. Oddly enough, instead of typical Hebrew hyperbole, this poetic description of Saul’s pursuit is rather accurate. The still reigning king is no slouch in battle and his troops outnumber anything David could gather. Yet the man was driven by demons of madness, so David knows the Lord of Heaven is not in this. Rather, Jehovah is there to cover him until this blows over.
What to do when your pursuit of God’s glory gets you in hot water? Don’t stop now! David calls on God to exalt Himself in plain sight of all humanity. From the human standpoint, there is no escape for David. Yet God can make David’s enemies fall into their own trap. So David refuses to panic or surrender his commitment to God’s justice.
How does God’s man face his apparent end? By keeping the focus on God. Several modern songs were taken from these final verses. David’s message here is timeless. In dramatic imagery, David calls to his heart where God’s glory registers on his awareness, and calls for his musical skills to attend this moment of praise. Well before dawn David plans to awaken and the first order of business is singing God’s praises. Let the whole world know David owes it all to his God. Could we float up into the sky itself, we would still see but the trailing end of His glory behind Him, the power of His divine character. Let God take His rightful place before the adoring eyes of all people!
