In the Bible, Adullam is first mentioned among the cities conquered by Joshua during his conquest of the promised land. It is a site known to modern archaeologists as well. Even today the ruins of ancient fortifications can be found there atop a mounded hill and the nearby cliff faces are dotted with caves whose ceilings are charred black from all the campfires down through the millennia. In David’s time the site was likely abandoned and uninhabited, which made it an ideal hideout, and in 1 Samuel 22 we are told that David sought refuge there in the “Cave of Adullam.”
David wasn’t the only one in Israel looking for a place to hide away. An odd assortment of malcontents and ne’er-do-wells rallied to David there. This rag-tag collection of men would constitute David’s first real following.
Have you ever sought a place of refuge in a difficult season?
I hope you can listen in as we continue our study through the life of David by unpacking 1 Samuel 22.