PSALM 5 - PRAYER : THEOLOGICAL AND EXPERIENTIAL

 

This Psalm, like so many other Psalms, is a prayer of David. And like so many of these personal prayers of David they were collected and compiled into this “hymnbook of Israel“.  This happened under the direction and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so that generations to come would find heavenly wisdom, counsel and comfort in these words.

Jesus regarded the Psalms as inspired, for in them He, the Greater Son of David, would find the fulfilment of His life and ministry:

“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms  must be fulfilled.” (Lk. 24:44)

In the NT we are encouraged to sing “Psalms, Hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in our hearts to God.” (Col. 3:16)

 A reason why the Psalms remain so popular is that many people find their own experiences reflected in them.

Many of these Psalms were sung, directed by a choirmaster, and as in this case, also accompanied by flutes (In Psalm 4 – stringed instruments).  Singing the Word is one of the most wonderful tools for our collective worship of God, and a great aid to scripture memorization.

 So, what is this Psalm all about?

1.      5:1-3 –  A Prayer – a pouring out of the soul

2.  5:4-12 - A Prayer undergirded by Theological Convictions and Practical Experience

 1.      5:1-3 It is a Prayer – A pouring out of the soul.

“Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch”.

 (i) it teaches us  something about  the biblical forms in which prayer may be expressed. David speaks   here of…   

a. my words

b. my groaning

c. my crying

These are all forms of prayer. Sometimes prayer is words - an outpouring of our souls in words, such as we find here. At other times prayer is simply wordless groaning. Ex. 6:5 I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves;

Rom.8:26 “…The Spirit  helps us in our weakness. For we  do not know what to pray for  as we ought, but the Spirit himself  intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words…)  or crying  (see examples  in Ex 3:7 “ I have surely seen  the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry…”  so also in Ex 3:9 ;8:12; 14:10;15:25; 17:4 etc). Hannah, the mother of Samuel did both.  She prayed to the Lord in words (1 Sam 1:10,11)  and then she prayed in her heart  with groans  (1 Sam 1:12-13).  In both forms she poured out her soul before the Lord (1 Sam.  1:15)

 (ii) it is forceful, demanding, bold, and yet  not arrogant.  Give ear … consider, give attention ….This is a prayer of holy boldness. When last did you pray like this?  Such prayer is based upon an intimate knowledge of the character of God and of the promises  of His Word. David knows the God to whom he prays: “my King and my God, for to you do I pray“.

 (iii) the timing of this prayer:  “O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice  for you (lit. “I arrange or set in order “ – and the object must be  inferred from the context. Hence  another translation: “I direct my prayer to you”) … and watch”. He comes to His King and God with his sacrifice of prayer in the morning.  According to C.H.  Spurgeon, “an hour in the morning is worth two in the evening“[1].  Prayer takes concentration and alertness. The morning is best for this.

Surely our earliest thoughts should rise to heaven, our earliest words should speak to God. Happy the life when every day begins with Him! The First should have our first employ. (Matthew Henry)

We find here a form of prayer which is rarely used and heard in our churches: A prayer of holy confidence and therefore of strong argumentation.  I want to quote something that C.H. Spurgeon had said in a sermon (entitled “Order and Argument in Prayer” - preached on the Lord’s Day, July 5^th 1866 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle): 

“The best prayers I have ever heard in our prayer meetings have been those which have been fullest of argument. Sometimes my soul has been fairly melted down where I have listened to the brethren who have come before God feeling the mercy to be really needed, and that they must have it, for they first pleaded with God to give it for this reason, and then for a second, and then for a third and then for a fourth and a fifth until they have awakened the fervency of the entire assembly “[2].

This form of prayer is one that we should desire to see among us.   From the testimony of Scripture we find  that God  is pleased to answer  strong, believing  and urgent prayer, because it  comes from a believing, trusting, earnest, expectant heart. We hardly hear passionate prayer like this in our church prayer meetings.  Let us take hold of God and ask Him to give us hearts like that.

Why is this kind of prayer so rare  among modern  Christians?

Firstly, it may sound too much like the modern ‘name it and claim it’  brand of Christianity,  by which  healings  and prosperity are   demanded  from heaven. We are intensely suspicious of anything that is loud and demanding. However, we must be careful not to engage in knee jerk reactions, and thus to lose a biblical boldness in prayer. Our enemy is very crafty in this area. There is a holy boldness with which we may come to God (see James  5:13-18)  and by which we may expect great things from God.

Secondly, we do not hear such prayer because we know God and His Word (the promises of God) so little. Therefore we lack confidence in speaking to God. We are not sure what to say, or what to ask. We have no “words to take with us“ (Hosea 14:2).  We need the confidence expressed in 1 John 5:14. This confidence is well expressed in what follows in Psalm 5:4 etc.

2.       5:4 - It is a Prayer undergirded by Theological Convictions and Practical Experience.

 

Why did David begin with this urgent plea in the first 3 verses?  David’s life was always threatened by enemies, both without and within. If it was not an external threat from the enemies of Israel, it was a threat from within i.e. from the house of Saul, and sadly, even members of his own family (e.g. Absalom). There is nothing that strengthens our prayer life as much as needing to depend upon God for survival.  So, David’s theology of prayer was formed in two ways: (i)                 Through his objective  knowledge of the Word of God  (ii)   Through the subjective experience of the truth of God’s Word.

 In prayer David always kept in mind these twin realities:

(i)                 the ever present  reality of wickedness (evil) around us  and

(ii)               the righteousness imputed to him by God.

 Concerning these, David’s theology is clearly expressed in prayer:

Concerning the wicked (5:4-6). 

David reminds himself, “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.” He saw them as people unable to stand in the presence of God. His was a holy presence, a just presence, a sin-hating presence, a fearful presence, and that is how David looked on them. Furthermore, concerning the wicked, David has this to say (5:9), “For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue. He reminds himself of the fact that the wicked possess no real truth. Their destiny is self- destructive. Their speech is deceptive and consists of lying.

Before we admire the world in which we live and which we love so often more than the God who made us, let us remind ourselves of what God thinks of this world (5:4-6) and what the reality and destiny  of such people is.

The most difficult aspect of David’s prayer concerning the wicked is found in 5:10: “Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.”

This is called imprecatory prayer[3]. Imprecatory prayers are prayers that curse the enemies of God in no uncertain terms. This is not as a result of David feeling threatened or assaulted himself. He is praying this because he is zealous for his God. These rebellious people are continually insulting the God who made them.  Such people have ultimately no one   left to appeal for them, because they have insulted the Only One who can save them. Him they have rejected. They ultimately get what they desire and deserve.

 

Concerning the righteous, David was encouraged by the love and the righteousness  he had received from God: (5:7 - 8a) 

“But I, through the  abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you. Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me”.

David knew God’s steadfast (covenantal) love. He knew the fear of the Lord. He knew  the righteousness  of God   (imputed to him) upon which he stood – despite the fact that his enemies kept on accusing him of  all sorts of things, even  that God had forsaken him (3:1,2). An understanding of the  righteousness of Christ,  imputed to a believer, is a wonderful  help  when we  are overcome by the fear and intimidation of  the world of enemies  within and without  (the world, the flesh and the devil).

In this regard the house of God  (regular public worship) had a major role to play in David’s life. (5:7b)  “ …I will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you”.

The  result of a heart set free is  “joy”  (5:11,12),  “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy,  and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favour as with a shield.”

When Martin Luther was summoned to the papal court at Worms in Germany, one of the cardinals mocked him. “Where would you find shelter when all the world was gathered against you, if your patron, the Frederik, Elector of Saxony, should desert  you?”  Luther said, “I’ll be safe under the shield of heaven.” And it is true for us who trust in Jesus. Greater is He that protects us than all the forces that oppose us.

 SUMMARY

This is the nature and experience of true prayer. This is the theology of David’s prayer. And it is rooted in David’s practical experience of God’s steadfast love.  It is not an unsure,  doubting …“I wonder if God is able …” mindset. 

David knows the God to whom he directs His prayer. David knows God’s views on the wicked and the righteous. And therefore verses 1-3, the introductory bold prayer, is based on theological certainties and experience.  May we learn to pray like this!  To that end we must make it our goal to get to know God, both theologically and  experientially. 

That will certainly embolden   and strengthen our prayer life. Amen.

---

[1] C.H. Spurgeon : Treasures of David , p. 46

[2] A sermon  on Job 23:3,4 , entitled  “Order and Argument in Prayer “

[3] See my exposition on Psalm 69 : Psalms that curse

PSALM 4 : Is God Really There When We Need Him?

 

The title of this Psalm: “To the chief Musician (Choirmaster) on Neginoth (stringed instruments). A Psalm of David.”

The title, “To the chief Musician,” occurs at the beginning of 53 Psalms, and at the close of Habakkuk 3:19. The Psalm is probably to be sung under his direction.

David was clearly in distress when he penned these words. It is the opinion of a number  of commentators that this Psalm is probably linked to  Psalm 3   which is subtitled “ A Psalm  of David, when he fled from Absalom his son” – along with Psalms 5 ,6 and 7.  

In Psalm 3 we saw that this situation, involving a palace revolt,   led by his son Absalom must have induced a lot of emotional pain in David.  You can read all about it in 2 Samuel 15-18. Whether it was this situation or other trials we do not know, but we do know that David was accustomed to conflict and trouble. We cannot exclude the trouble which he had experienced when persecuted by king Saul - from 1 Samuel 15 until the end of the book.  So, we don’t know what the exact situation in Psalm 4 is. It doesn’t matter. The question remains the same: 

Is God able to help you when you have come to your wit’s end? 

The testimony of David’s life is one of many, severe and kind providences.  Note then (Behold!) the  kindness and the severity of God... (Rom. 11:22).  God withheld His hands at time from David, and made him to see his end, and how fleeting his life was (Ps 39:4). At other times  this same God brought him out of many  difficult situations.

Thank God for the  Psalms, in which he pours out his heart  concerning these experiences,  for in  his experiences we  often find a mirror of our own soul.  

OUTLINE

4:1     :  David pleads with God for help.

4:2-5 :  He  addresses  his enemies

4:6-8 :  He contrasts  their  cynicism  with his  confidence in the keeping power of God.

4:1 David pleads with God for help. “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!”

David is distressed. That distress clearly relates to the men – the opponents in 4:2. This is not an uncommon experience for a believer. In my dealing with people I have  heard it frequently said, “ the more committed I want to be to the Lord, the more  spiritual responsibility I bear, the more opposition  I get and the more I  feel the heat !” The apostle Paul concurs. He once wrote to Timothy and said, “Indeed,  all who desire to live a godly life  in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”  (2 Tim 3:12). Paul said that to Timothy, based on his own experience and  indeed  upon the word of our Lord Jesus Himself : Jn 15:18-21: 18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Please take note how David responds to all of this in the first verse:

1.      David speaks first to God before he addresses the men (4:2) that give him grief. When trouble comes, God’s children must learn to run home!  Spurgeon says: “He who dares to face his Maker will not tremble before the sons of men.”

2.      He knows his status before God. David addresses God as “God of my righteousness” – i.e. the God who has declared me righteous. God had chosen David in eternity and in time He justified him by the merits of His greater Son – Jesus the Son of David!

3.      David remembers God’s past dealings with him: “You have given me relief when I was in distress.”  There were many times when David had been surrounded by his enemies and by armies, and every time God had delivered him.   (see his testimony in Psalm 37:25)

4.      On the knowledge of God’s past dealings, David bases his prayer: “Be gracious to me and hear my prayer”. David knows that God is really there when he needs Him.  His theology of God verified by his experience of God’s faithful dealings with Him in the past have taught him that.  So, David appeals again to the grace and mercy of God. God loves to be merciful and gracious to those who call on Him in their hour of need.

 

2. 4:2- 5   David  addresses his enemies

4: 2 David now turns from God to men – the footnote says “men of rank “ – i.e. powerful men. “O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah

Here is the irony. Even though they are formidable men, great men, they are foolish men. 

·         Saul foolishly failed to see that he was forsaken by God, and that David was anointed to be the true king. He refused to give up on his throne, even when he knew that God had abandoned him.

·         Absalom, son of the king foolishly failed to see that in usurping his father’s throne he was really usurping God. In the end he was sadly killed, adding even more grief to his father! 

 

In regard to his enemies then David tells them that they love vain words and seek after lies. They can’t and won’t see the truth about him. They fabricate stories about him, and so he asks them, “how long do you intend to go on with this“? David is getting exasperated. Can’t you  see?

 

SELAH ! He solemnly pauses and inserts a Selah.

4:3 But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.  "But know." Fools will not learn, and therefore they must be told the same thing, again and again. This is what they must hear: that the godly are  chosen of God, and  therefore  set apart  from the rest  of  mankind.

(ii)             He who chose us for Himself will surely hear our prayer. David was king by divine decree. In the same way we   who are God’s children are His responsibility. No weapon formed against us can stand. When our enemies fight against us, they fight against God. If we think of both Saul and Absalom then we know that they were fighting a futile battles against David. Sadly anger is one word short of ‘danger’. It is a wind that blows out the candle of the mind  and extinguishes  reason. That is why David makes the following  statement

4:4 Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah. 

There are two ways to read this: 

(i)                 From David’s perspective - One of the greatest temptations when we are tested is to become angry beyond reason with our enemies. Anger is one letter short of danger. Unrestrained anger causes us to lose our head, and when we do this we can make grave mistakes.

(ii)               (this is more likely)…  or it can be read from the  perspective of David who speaks  to his enemies  about their unreasonable anger, counseling them to be silent and to think  about their  angry accusations.  

 

The Selah follows again!  Pause and think about this , he says .

4:5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD

If David is speaking to his enemies here, then he would be calling them to repentance and trust in the Lord, followed by the appropriate animal sacrifices that were required when sincere repentance was shown. In the NT where animal are no longer required as  guilt offerings, our sincere repentance  would be  accompanied by a true forsaking of sin, by putting off everything that hinders,  and all the while trusting  the  sacrifice of our Lord Jesus  to cleanse us from all sin.  All this shows that David has a spiritual concern for his enemies. So must we!

3. 4:6-8 :  He contrasts  their  cynicism  with his  confidence in the keeping power of God.

4:6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!”  We live in a cynical world in which many want to see rather than to believe. Jesus’ many opponents were like that.  We all fall into this trap at times. We tend to measure our success by our prosperity and outward results – and we very easily think that God has forsaken us when for a moment God removes all that opens and shuts from us in order to test us.  It is in such times that we think that God is not there for us. People must have looked at David at times when he had to flee, and they would have said, “Where is your God?” He seemed forsaken, but when we look at the testimony of Scripture we must ask,

·         Was Joseph forsaken in Egypt?

·         Was Daniel forsaken in the lion’s den?

·         Was David ever ultimately forsaken in his kingly career? No! He died as king of Israel! 

·         Was Jesus ultimately forsaken on the cross?

Again David prays in such moments, “Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!” …  and see what follows … The light of God's  face  is enough for him.  See the result in 4:7

4:7 You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.

When we have seen God’s face  again after  times of trial,   it means more than   having all the riches of the world at our disposal.  Spurgeon says,

"Christ in the heart is better than corn in the barn, or wine in the vat. Corn and wine are but fruits of the world, but the light of God's countenance is the ripe fruit of heaven…Let my granary be empty, I am yet full of blessings if Jesus Christ smiles upon me; but if I have all the world, I am poor without him.

From this follows verse 8 …

4:8 “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety”. God’s people can sleep at night because God is really there when we need Him.   If we have perspective, we have joy restored, and therefore   we will sleep well at night. God’s sense of peace in the heart is better than bolts, bars or burglar alarms in the home.  How many of our sleepless hours may  be traced to being preoccupied  with what our enemies do and say to us.

Application and Conclusion

Dear  struggling, fearful believer: Never lose sight of the Lord Jesus while reading this Psalm.

·         He is the Lord your righteousness (1a) 

·         He is your Saviour in distress (1b)

·          He hears your prayer now, and intercedes for you (1c) .

·         Let the world mock you for your Christian convictions   (2)

·         Know that by His blood He has set you apart for Himself. (3a)   and remember again that He hears your prayer when you are being sorely tempted  (3b)

·         When you are angry be careful that you do not trespass into sin. As for those that sin against you leave room for the wrath of God (Rom. 12:19). If your enemies are angry with you  pray that they  may ponder their reasons  in their own hearts (4) and repent  (5) 

·         Do not give in to the cynicism of the world – particularly when the evidence of God’s favours are not abundant. Pray that the Lord will show the light of His face again (6). Pray for the light of Christ to illuminate their dark world, and pray not for wealth, but   for the joy of the Holy Spirit.

·         Look for true joy (7)

·          Let these truths help you to sleep well! (8) (cf. also 3:5).  

God is really there when you need Him!

PSALM 3 : Peace in the Midst of the Storm

 

This Psalm which is ascribed to David also carries this important piece of information in the superscript:  “When he fled from his son Absalom”.  This event refers to 2 Samuel 15-19.

There is a long prelude to this story. Having had more than one wife and so many children he was not only a poor husband but also a poor father. But it all escalated with Batsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of his top soldiers!  He took another man’s wife, and in the end he paid dearly. In, fact When the Holy Spirit finally brought conviction into David’s life by the agency of Nathan the prophet, he was broken! Shattered!   Psalm 51 was composed as a result. Although David was forgiven by God, David was informed that there would be perpetual trouble in his household. The prophet Nathan, speaking on behalf of God said: “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.”   (2 Sam. 12:10)

What followed, he could scarcely have imagined.  The first trouble came when his son Absalom (3^rd son by his wife Maacah – 2 Sam. 3:3) attempted to take the kingdom from him by force. 2 Sam.  15:6 says that, “Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel”.  The situation became so serious that David actually had to leave Jerusalem to flee across the Jordan river. It was a desperate time.  He did not know who was with him and who was against him. 

 

DIVISION:  This Psalm may be divided into four parts  

1. 3: 1- 2 David  CONFESSES  his  ANXIETY
2. 3:3 -6   He  DECLARES   his  ASSURANCE in the Lord
3.  3: 7   He  EXPRESSES    his ANGER  in imprecatory  prayer towards God 
4.  3:8   He  DECLARES  his  ASSURANCE in the Lord once more  

 

This Psalm represents a full range of emotions in human experience, particularly those arising from fear , anxiety and a sense of forsakenness. Many Psalms deal with this theme (e.g. Ps 46, 73, 77,88). As a pastor I have been  privileged to sit with many people  for whom,  from their perspective  the end had come , and what joy it is  to  help them to  lift their eyes above the circumstances … “ I lift my eyes to the hills . From where does my help come?  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” (Ps 121:1,2).  It is wonderful to “lead (them) to the rock that is higher than  (themselves) “ (Psalm  61:2) We thank God for the perspective of the Psalms! 

As we survey this Psalm we must know that it is fairly normal to experience (extreme) fluctuations in emotions. These fluctuations is  a part of our experience  as  fallen human beings.

You will note that David moves from anxiety to assurance to anger, and back to assurance.  If he had lived in our day, a modern psychologist might have classified him as bi-polar, and put him on anti-depressants. But there were no anti- depressants in those days. What does one do when one’s life is turned upside down? Where do you go?  As you   read the Psalm , note that even though David is at sea with his emotions, God is not!  The constant is God!  David has learned to go to God.

 1.  DAVID’S ANXIETY  (3: 1-2)

 1 O LORD, how many are my foes!  Many are rising against me; 2 many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah                 

Note the repetition … many, many, many…David is clearly overwhelmed and anxious. Now if you   look at  2 Samuel 15:12 you will find there that, "while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.”  There is the situation. Many enemies! “When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions”. (Shakespeare: Hamlet).  “Troubles always come in flocks. Sorrow hath a numerous family “  (Spurgeon).  When trouble piles up, the heart sinks. Anxiety!

The most damaging assault upon David’s heart and mind however occurs in 3:2: “many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God.” 

This is the most devastating blow!  If God forsakes us – if God is against us, who can be for us? This is like saying – there is no hope for David. That thought of God- forsakenness is the scariest thing to conceive of in my mind. Spurgeon comments,  

“If all the trials which come from heaven, all the temptations which ascend from hell, and all the crosses which arise from the earth, could be mixed and pressed together, they would not make a trial so terrible as that which is contained in this verse. It is the most bitter of all afflictions to be led to fear that there is no help for us in God.” [1]

 This God forsakenness is what Jesus feared most – “ My God, my God why have you forsaken me?“ This was the curse of curses!   To be deserted of His Father was worse than to be the despised of men.

 

"Selah" :  A musical pause; the precise meaning of which is not known. Some think it simply a rest, a pause in the music to reflect and consider the serious nature of what is being said.

 

Note what  this pause  brings … ASSURANCE

 

2. 3:3-6    David   DECLARES   his  ASSURANCE in the Lord

 

As David verbalizes his anxiety, and as he pauses a while to reflect, this thought is brought  to mind,

3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

All of a sudden there is perspective! 

·         The Lord is his shield! The fiery darts of the evil one assaulting his anxious mind are able to bounce off. 

·         The Lord is his glory! Someone greater than his circumstances is   here!

·         The Lord is the lifter of his head. When our head hangs down, we lose perspective. When our head is lifted we can see above the circumstances.

And again Spurgeon comments to very helpfully, “a divine trio of mercies is contained in this verse!— defence for the defenceless, glory for the despised, and joy for the  downcast.[2]

3:4  I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah

In his anxiety, David prayed- aloud (lit. with my voice). As soon as David prayed in his distress, God sent an answer from His holy hill – from heaven. This request was instantly answered, because God saw the need to preserve David at this very moment, lest he sink into  utter despair  (beyond what he could bear: 1 Cor.  10:13 -  “God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

 

Here  follows  another Selah.  Another pause for reflection …

 3:5 I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.     

This Selah leads to a long pause.  And this is the answer to David’s prayer.  In His   mercy, God gives David exactly what he needs at this stage: sleep!   One of the most terrible effects of having a distressed soul and an anxious spirit is that you struggle to sleep at night. Not David in this case! He finds his rest in God.

In Psalm 127  we  some further perspective on the connection between anxiety and  sleep: “It  is in vain that you rise up early sand go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil ; for He gives to His beloved sleep.” (v.2)

God gave David sleep! What wonderful recuperative powers are there in sleep. Once your body and mind is rested, your spirit copes much better, and your emotional resources  are  restored. See how this affects David:

3:6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Please note! Nothing has changed in terms of his situation. His enemies are still many, many, many.

So what has changed? His perspective under God has changed. Emotionally he is coping because He presently knows that God is in charge – with God for us , who can be against us ? (Rom. 8:31)

 3.  3:7   David’s Divine Anger &  Imprecatory Prayer

 7 Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.

In the beginning of the Psalm we find David fearful and anxious. Following a good sleep, perspective returns as he prays. But there is more than perspective which returns to him now.

David realizes that those that have become his enemies, and who have driven him from the throne,  where he  sat as the God ordained king, - that these  men  are actually sinning against God. He is actually now in the wrong place. He should be ruling   his people, but instead he is being chased like a dog. 

What can he do? He can pray:  “Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! “. Salvation here does not refer  to the salvation which we need to become the children of God. He refers here to the salvation from this particular situation.

What else does he pray?  For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. This type of prayer is called ‘imprecatory prayer‘. We have a number of Psalms where such prayer is used (see for instance 7:6,9;  10:15; 35:1; 55:9 etc.) There is a time when we are called to pray in such a fashion, particularly when the wicked rule a city or country.

 4.  3:8   David   DECLARES  his  ASSURANCE in the Lord once more  

 3:8 Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people! Selah

This verse contains the cherry on the top. It contains that truth that ought to make every believer jump for joy: Salvation belongs to the LORD!  Remember verse 1? There is no salvation from him in God.  That is what they say. But what does God say? What is He saying to David after his perspective has been refreshed  after physical rest  and spiritual reflection? “Salvation belongs to the LORD”;   

·         Not only that salvation by which we are made the children of God,

·         but also  the ongoing salvation, by which the LORD continues to deliver His people from Satan’s onslaughts and its  accompanying effects such as depression  (melancholy)  which comes upon us from time to time  as we consider our  ‘ hopeless’  circumstances .

 In the last sentence  the objects of  God’s salvation are plainly stated: "Your  blessing be  upon your people." God’s blessing is upon His chosen people. In this case His blessing is on His chosen king – David who is the representative of the people of God in the OT dispensation.  

 

This is followed once again by the "Selah:"

Pause to reflect and think  upon this fact,  that  although  the child of God, and the king of God are  brought under immense pressure (even sometimes due to their own fault), yet the love of God is not taken away  from us, if we truly belong to Jesus. “Your  blessing is upon your  people."

I close with Spurgeon’s comment at this point:

“Pause, my soul, at this Selah, and consider thine own interest in the salvation of God; and if by humble faith thou art enabled to see Jesus as thine by his own free gift of himself to thee, if this greatest of all blessings be upon thee, rise up and sing!

In singing this, and praying it over, we must own the satisfaction we have had in depending upon God and committing ourselves to him, and encourage ourselves, and one another to continue still hoping and quietly waiting for the salvation of the Lord. ( Matthew Henry)

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[1] C.H. Spurgeon : Treasury of David, Psalm 3

[2] ibid