In 1 Samuel 22:2, a rag tag bunch of 400 men come to David. They are obviously outcasts and losers. These were angry, disaffected young men (you’ve probably seen the type – they are common today as well). These men are in distress, in debt, and discontent. We are not told if their suffering is due to their own sin or due to the oppressive Saulide administration. In reality, it was probably a mix of both. They came to David in the cave of Adullam because they were desperate.
Later, in 2 Samuel 23:8ff, we find that many of these men eventually became great warriors and leaders in their own right. Some of them became David’s inner circle, known as “David’s mighty men.” They were no longer outcasts; they were powerful, noble, and heroic.
What accounts for the transformation of these angry young men into a glorious band of brothers? The text does not tell us all we might like to know, but two things we *are* told stand out.
First, they submitted to David as their captain/commander (1 Samuel 22:2). In order for men to mature, they have to humble themselves before a leader. These men were willing to follow David. They learned how to be loyal to David. They sacrificed for David. They learned to obey David’s orders. Because they learned how to follow, they became leaders themselves. David rubbed off on them. They became conformed to their captain’s image the same way a student becomes like his teacher. If today’s angry young men are going to grow and mature in wisdom and gravitas, they’re going to have to submit themselves to leaders. They’re going to have to respect authority. They’re going to have to find captains they can follow. They’re going to have to seek out and receive mentoring. Men who refuse to submit to anyone, men who refuse to learn from others, men who think they know everything, men who think of themselves as victims, will never attain maturity. The way to greatness is humility. The way to leadership is submission. The way to nobility is sacrifice. The way to heroism is service. Mighty men are not just forged on the battlefield, they are forged as they learn to submit.
Second, my hunch is that psalm singing was transformative in the lives of these 400 men as well. During David’s time of wandering in the wilderness and living in the cave of Adullam with these men, he wrote at least seven psalms (7, 34, 54, 56, 52, 57, 142). I’m sure he taught these psalms to those 400 men. If you look carefully at these “cave psalms,” you will find they include themes like patiently waiting for God to act, entrusting oneself to the Lord for vindication, relying on the Lord’s goodness even when he seems distant, and calling on the Lord for strength and wisdom in difficult circumstances. I wouldn’t be surprised if those 400 men became a psalm-singing choir under David’s leadership. We know David was a great musician, so it would be surprising if he did not use the gift of music to form and shape these men who came to him. David certainly didn’t write those psalms just for his own private, personal use. He wrote them because he knew he was the Lord’s anointed, a public figure, who would be expected to teach and train the people of God in the way of faithfulness. It seems very likely David used these psalms to transform those 400 angry young men into mature warriors. No doubt the psalms can have the same effect on angry young men in our day, if only someone is willing to lead them in psalm-singing and they are willing to learn. The psalms turn struggling, despondent men into wise, heroic leaders. The psalms are transformative.
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