The Rejected King: How David’s Humiliation Foreshadows the Rejection of Yahushua
Bible Study | 1 Samuel
Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John
What Is Foreshadowing in the Bible?
Foreshadowing is a biblical pattern where earlier events, people, or images symbolically point forward to a greater spiritual fulfillment, especially in the life and mission of Yahushua the Messiah.
Think of it this way—everything in the Old Testament points us to the New Testament, and everything in the New Testament points to the Old. If it doesn’t, then you know it’s a false gospel, and not from Yahweh.
These shadows are not coincidences or literary devices. They are intentional signposts placed by Yahweh to declare the end from the beginning.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, foreshadowing often takes the form of a prophetic figure—someone whose life prefigures the Messiah’s suffering, mission, or glory. David, the shepherd-king, is one of the clearest examples of this pattern. His early rejection, isolation, and misunderstood anointing reveal much about the hidden identity and suffering of Yahushua before His glory was made manifest.
One of the most overlooked yet powerful examples of foreshadowing in David’s life is found in 1 Samuel 21–22, where David flees into enemy territory, is called insane, and gathers the broken in the Cave of Adullam. These events directly mirror Yahushua’s own rejection by His family and His gathering of outcasts into the Kingdom of Heaven.
1 Samuel 21:10–15 – David Pretends to Be Insane in Gath
“Then David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,
‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”
(1 Samuel 21:10–15, ESV)
This scene may seem like a moment of weakness or desperation, but it is a prophetic image of the Messiah to come. David, although already anointed as king, is misunderstood, mocked, and cast aside. He is called mad by rulers who cannot see the truth of who he is.
The people in Gath say, “Is not this David, the king of the land?” They unwittingly speak truth. David is the true king, but not yet enthroned. In the same way, many in Yahushua’s time recognized His power but rejected His authority because of their own assumptions.
Mark 3:21 – Yahushua Is Accused of Madness by His Own Family
“And when His family heard it, they went out to seize Him, for they were saying, “He is out of His mind.”
(Mark 3:21)
Just like David, Yahushua was called insane. But here, the accusation did not come from enemies—it came from His own family. They could not comprehend His ministry, His calling, or His divine origin.
They tried to restrain Him.
Let that settle for a moment.
Mary—the woman many exalt as a faultless, ever-understanding mother—was among those who tried to seize the Messiah and declared Him out of His mind.
Not simply unconvinced.
Not confused.
They believed He had lost His mind.
They weren’t opposing false doctrine. They were opposing truth itself—because it didn’t fit the mold they expected.
David pretended to be mad to survive.
Yahushua, by contrast, was called mad for speaking the truth.
And this wasn’t a misunderstanding by strangers. It was His family. The ones who should have known Him best.
This rejection wasn’t accidental—it was part of the prophetic pattern. The anointed king is always misunderstood before he is revealed.
“But how could Mary doubt? How is it even possible that Mary did not believe? ”
John 6:42 – “Is Not This Jesus, the Son of Joseph?”
They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
(John 6:42)
The rejection of Yahushua by His own people echoes the rejection of David.
In both cases, people stumbled over what they thought they knew. They saw the flesh and could not perceive the anointing. They saw the son of Jesse or the son of Joseph and dismissed the divine identity standing before them.
These parallels are not incidental. They are intentional revelations of how the true King would be treated when He came to His own.
Joseph with the Child and the Flowering Rod
Alonso Miguel de Tovar, (1678–1752)
1 Samuel 22:1–2 – The Cave of Adullam and the Gathering of the Broken
“David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.”
(1 Samuel 22:1–2)
David at the Cave of Adullam
| Giovanni Maldura
This is where David’s hidden kingdom begins. Not in a palace. Not in a place of power. But in a cave, with the discontent, the weary, and the desperate.
Yahushua does the same.
“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 5:3)
Christ Healing the Sick
Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich, 1742
Just as David gathered a remnant of broken men, Yahushua gathers the weak, the outcast, and the hungry. This is how the true Kingdom begins—in humility, hiddenness, and spiritual hunger.
The Prophetic Pattern: David and Yahushua
The Kingdom in Exile
David’s reign began in obscurity. He was the rightful king, but he was not yet recognized. He lived in exile, on the run, while Yahweh was preparing a people around him.
Yahushua’s kingdom also begins this way. His throne is not of this world. His followers are not the elite. His glory is not understood by the rulers of the age. As Paul later writes (ironically), “Had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:8).
But Yahushua, like David, is gathering a people in caves, in houses, and in the wilderness.
Personal Reflection
Have you ever been misunderstood, dismissed, or called foolish for following the ways of Yahweh?
Have you ever felt like you were in a cave, hidden, waiting on Yahweh to reveal His purpose?
David’s journey reminds us that rejection is often the mark of anointing. And Yahushua’s life proves that true kingship often begins in obscurity and suffering.
The cave may feel like exile—but it is the birthplace of the Kingdom.
Prayer
Father,
You reveal Your glory not in palaces but in caves.
You choose the rejected and gather the broken.
Open our eyes to see Yahushua in the patterns of Scripture.
Help us recognize Your anointed even when the world calls them mad.
Strengthen us in the wilderness and form us into Your people,
under the reign of the true King of Israel—Yahushua the Messiah.
Amen + Amen!!
Share Your Faith
If you’ve been rejected, misunderstood, or pushed aside because of your faith, know that you are not alone. Yahweh is building a Kingdom with people like us. Share your story. Your testimony may be the encouragement someone else needs in their own wilderness. May Yahweh bless you and yours abundantly!
In Yahushua’s Name, Amen + Amen!!
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