For the director of music. To the tune of ‘Do Not Destroy’. Of David. A miktam. When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him.
Deliver me from my enemies, O God;
be my fortress against those who are attacking me.
Deliver me from evildoers
and save me from those who are after my blood.See how they lie in wait for me!
Fierce men conspire against me
for no offence or sin of mine, Lord.
I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me.
Arise to help me; look on my plight!
You, Lord God Almighty,
you who are the God of Israel,
rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
show no mercy to wicked traitors.They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,
and prowl about the city.
See what they spew from their mouths –
the words from their lips are sharp as swords,
and they think, ‘Who can hear us?’
But you laugh at them, Lord;
you scoff at all those nations.You are my strength, I watch for you;
you, God, are my fortress,
my God on whom I can rely.God will go before me
and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
But do not kill them, Lord our shield,
or my people will forget.
In your might uproot them
and bring them down.
For the sins of their mouths,
for the words of their lips,
let them be caught in their pride.
For the curses and lies they utter,
consume them in your wrath,
consume them till they are no more.
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
that God rules over Jacob.They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,
and prowl about the city.
They wander about for food
and howl if not satisfied.
But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
(Ps. 59:1-17 NIV)
you, God, are my fortress,
my God on whom I can rely.
The Psalmist calls upon God to deliver and protect him from the enemies. We wonder at times why the Psalmists have so many enemies. He probably didn’t have any more than we have today, it is just that he is aware of the enemy. We have to read these Psalms through the revelation given in the NT. Our enemies are the world, the flesh and the devil. We have been rocked to sleep by what seems like a mild, passive warfare of our enemies. If only we could see the landscape as clearly as the Psalmist then we would be on a higher level of alert, given that there is a clear and present danger of attack on all three of these battle fronts. The Psalmist can help us see the danger, and also help us feel the sense of urgency and the great need for the Lord to deliver and protect us.
The Psalmist says that he has neither sinned nor given offence that would provide any reason for these fierce men to plot against him. The Psalmist has found himself suffering injustice. He calls God to arise. The problem that the Psalmist feels is that there no sign that God is doing anything to help. He asks God to look upon his dilemma. The Psalmist calls God, ‘Lord God Almighty’. God is the God of hosts, the leader of the armies of heaven. When we come to God in prayer this is an appeal to the highest court. There is no one greater, no one with whom God needs to consult to arrive at a decision. God is the God of His people. This strong prayer of imprecation is exactly that – prayer. When we see someone breaking the law and causing great wickedness, we can come to God and ask God to bring to an end their reign of terror. The Apostle Paul in his unconverted days was doing a great injustice to the Christians. He persecuted them and was intent on being the chief thug, the militant wing of the Sanhedrin. The Christians may well have prayed ‘bring him down’. That is exactly what God did. Paul was struck down on the Road to Damascus. His injustice was brought to an end, but God changed His life and employed Paul in the work of the Kingdom of God. God may at other times have the person removed from a place of authority, or may well bring the person’s life to an end. We do not dictate exactly how God delivers but we pray ‘Your Kingdom come.’
The gross evil of these wicked men is evident as they boast of what they can do. They think that God does not see what they do, that they are a law onto themselves. They spew vile words from their mouths, that cut like swords. Like in Psalm 2, the Psalmist speaks of how the Lord in Heaven laughs at the arrogance of the people. Recall how Pilate boasted to the Lord what he had power to do. The Lord answered that he had no power other than what the God of heaven would permit him.
The Psalmist expresses his trust in the Lord. The Lord is his strength, and he will wait for God’s time. God is a fortress and we can rely on Him. The Psalmist wants the enemy removed in such a way that the people will see it and believe, that they will courage through the intervention of the Lord. We so easily forget how the Lord has kept us safe. Let them be caught because of their lies, their pride and the curses that they have uttered.
When God’s rule and authority are imposed upon the enemies of God’s people, then all will know that our God reigns.
The enemy comes in the evening, but the Psalmist will sing of the Lord’s strength and love in the morning. The Lord is our fortress and refuge in times of trouble. We can rely on our Lord.
Prayer
Lord awaken us to the spiritual battle that wages war against our souls. The devil’s tactic is to make us unaware of the danger around us. Lord deliver us from the evil around us and within us. Each time we learn that the Psalmist comes to You for help. Help us to learn the importance of prayer and may we only go forward in Your strength. Sovereign Lord be pleased to hear our prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.