The Cave of Adullam III
A Place of Fruitfulness

by Ric Vargas

e have been considering the Lord's work in a day of transition. We have looked at the cave of Adullam as a place of death and as a gathering place. Now we’ll see that it ultimately became a place of fruitfulness. This cave was also a womb, a place where new life was being formed and from which it would be birthed. Like a womb, it would be a place hidden from the eyes and the hands of men. The life that was growing and developing within was going to be that which would be born of the Spirit and not of the flesh. The fruit that would eventually be brought forth from this womb - and I believe is yet to be birthed in a people - is revealed in the story found in 2 Sam.23:13-17.

We first observe that the Philistines appeared to have the upper hand and were exerting great influence over God's people. The enemy was encamped in the valley of Rephaim or ‘giants’. This made them appear stronger and larger in the eyes of God’s people. They had also established a garrison in Bethlehem, which means ‘the house of bread'. Bethlehem is located 6 miles from Jerusalem, showing how deep into the land the enemy had exerted its influence. How similar this is to our own day. We, too, live in a day when the enemy seems to have the upper hand in many of God's dear children’s lives. Access to the house of bread, the place where one might be truly fed, seems impossible to find. For the house of bread is not only the place where man is fed or where man’s needs are met. It is the place where God is also satisfied, where God and man sit down and are satisfied as they eat together. The Bread of Heaven, who was to be born in Bethlehem, satisfies the longing of both God and man.

It was this dark hour that caused David to long for a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate. The quiet travail of David’s heart was clearly a cry for more than just a drink of water. He was longing for recovery, longing for renewed access to his home. This well was ‘by the gate’. We have come to understand that it was at the gate of the city where authority was exercised and judgments were made. It was to be a local expression of the throne of God. David was longing for the overthrow of the Philistines so that a proper functioning of authority and the recovery of fellowship might again be realized.

"This cave was also a womb, a place where new life was being formed and from which it would be birthed."

David’s quiet longing and travail was heard by three of his men. Though many people had gathered around him in recent years, David’s cry was heard by only three. The number three, in the Scriptures, is associated with witness and testimony. These three men were a living testimony in their day to the worthiness of David to be loved, served, and obeyed. The response of these three helps us understand what it means to truly hear. We have confused revelation with hearing in our day. Biblical hearing always produces a ‘doing of the Word’, a proper response to that which has been declared. We see this in the letters to the churches in Revelation. There we read again and again, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” The Lord is clearly looking for a proper response to that which he has declared to each church. He is not merely hoping for spiritual perception to be exercised, but rather for obedience to His Word that produces an overcoming life.

These three men responded in love, for David had not commanded, merely expressed his desire. It is this selfless love that is the ultimate fruit of Adullam’s womb; it is the seed of David’s travail. Remember, this story took place during the harvest season. The fruit the husbandman had been waiting for was coming forth; the sons of God the earth was travailing for were being born. These were not the kind of sons we have seen and heard in our generation; mere caricatures, humorous, yet a sad depiction of the true Son. No, these were true sons that bore the image of the One who declared that He is love! The scriptures reveal to us in Gal. 5:22 that the fruit of the Spirit is love. This love reveals itself through its wonderful hues of glory: joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. The love in their hearts had cast out all fear of the enemy and the uncertainty of their own future. Their only desire was to satisfy the longing of David’s heart. How short we fall in devotion to our greater David. Is He not far more worthy than our feeble excuses, our lack of service, or our reluctance to give all? How we need in this day to recover that kind of devotion, as mentioned in Acts 15:26, declaring Paul and Barnabas “men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We close these thoughts with a passage from Micah 1:15b. “He shall come unto Adullam, the glory of Israel.” The fruit, which this dark, lonely cave has brought forth, became the glory of Israel. It is this fruit which has drawn Him to such a place. O, may we be as David’s three men! Let the cry from our Savior’s lips on Calvary, “I thirst”, fill our hearts until we, too, become a drink offering poured out unto Him!