Majesty

 

The amount of time we spend with Jesus--meditating on His Word and His majesty, seeking His face--establishes our fruitfulness in the kingdom.  --Charles Stanley

A pastor and his wife went camping in the mountains.  In the middle of the night the woman whispers, "Honey, are you awake?"  The young man says, "Yes. I am just lying here staring at the stars, feeling the cool breeze, and enjoying the mountain air."  His wife asks, "What do you think it all means?"  The young pastor says, "I can't help but think of the words of Psalm 8: 'When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?' What doe is mean to you?"  His wife replies, "I think it means somebody stole our tent."

We are in a series of studies surround Jesus in the Old Testament, particularly in the Psalms.  Today we will look at Psalm 8 specifically.

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth!  You have set Your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, You have established strength because of Your foes, to still an enemy and the avenger.  When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars, which You have set in place, what is man that your are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?  Yet You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.  You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes a long the paths of the seas.  O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth!

 One of the most beautiful, and succinct, poems in all of Scripture.  Yet in these 9 verses there lies a great deal of theology.  Let's begin to unpack it here.  

C.S. Lewis wrote, "In its literal sense this short, exquisite lyric is simplicity itself--an expression of wonder at man and man's place in Nature (there is a chorus in Sophocles not unlike it) and therefore at God who appointed it.  God is wonderful both as champion or 'judge' and as Creator.  When one looks up at the sky, and all the stars which are His work, it seems strange that He should be concerned at all with such things a man.  Yet in fact, he has, down here on earth, given us extra-ordinary honour--made us Lord's of all the other creatures." (C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms, pg 155.)

Genesis 1:28 says "And God blessed them.  And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth'."  The psalmist David refers back to creation with wonder and awe.  Why in the world would God place all living things in subjection to man?  It may be because we were made in His image; it may also be due to to the fact that we are called by His name.  We will speak more on this later.

After the Fall, this was not so evident.  When man lost fellowship with God, the balance of nature was upended.  "The Christian writer observes that, in the actual state of the universe, this [nature's subjection to man] is not strictly true.  Man is often killed, and still more often defeated, by beasts, poisonous vegetables, weather, earthquakes, etc." (Lewis, pgs 155-156).  God Himself has had to intervene directly to protect mankind from exposure to the elements (see Genesis 3:21, the first sacrifice: "And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skins and clothed them.")  He also had to intervene personally to cover our sins.

We look a bit deeper into the Psalm, and we see it is not only talking about Adam (and Adam's seed--us), but it speaks directly about Jesus.  What evidence is there to support this interpretation?  We need only to look at Hebrews 2:6-9.

It has been testified somewhere, "What is man, that You are mindful of him, or the Son of Man, that You care for Him?  You made Him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned Him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under His feet."  Now in putting everything in subjection to Him, He left nothing outside of His control.  At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him.  But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

 The writer of Hebrews takes this account of creation and gives it a deeper meaning.  Quoting from Psalm 8 directly, he draws a straight line to Christ Jesus.  "In Psalm 8:5, the phrase 'a little lower,' m'at in Hebrew, can also be translated temporarily as 'a little while.'  This is significant.  It means that the 'little while' of Psalm 8 refers to the earthly life of Jesus, his sufferings and death.  After this 'little while', He was 'crowned with glory and honor,' befitting a King." (Chad Bird, The Christ Key pg 167.

There is another reference to Psalm 8 in the New Testament.  1 Corinthians 15:20-28 makes the case for Christ in the Psalm as well.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For as by a man came death, by a Man has come also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.  But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ.  Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.  For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death.  For "God has put all things in subjection under His feet."  But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is p lain that He is excepted who put all things in subjection under Him.  When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to Him who put all things in subjection under Him, that God may be all in all.

If nature has the upper hand, defeating man during his lifetime and resulting in man's death, then it is God who has put all things in subjection under the feet of Jesus, who is the second Adam.   Since Jesus defeated death in His resurrection, and God has put all things in subjection under His feet, then we can only look to Jesus as our hope of glory (see Colossians 1:27).

Let's look at one more New Testament reference to Psalm 8, from the words of Jesus Himself.  Matthew 21:15-16 says, "But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!', they were indignant, and they said to Him, 'Do you hear what these are saying?'  And Jesus said to them, 'Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise'?"  Jesus quoted Psalm 8:2 back to them, saying this was a fulfillment of prophetic Scripture that children should praise Him.  How it must have burned their hearts when the chief priests and scribes recalled the second part of Psalm 8:2 ("You have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.")

Not only did Jesus use this verse as a fulfillment of prophecy, but he burned the chief priests and scribes, equating them as enemies of God and associates of Satan, the avenger.  Not only did David prophesy that "out of the mouths of babes" should come praise, but that the more they opposed Jesus the stronger He would get.

Finally, let's look at the first and last verses in Psalm 8.  "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name."  When we look at the various ways the Son of God appeared to people in the Old Testament, "He also appears as the Son of man, Glory, Power, and Name.  The last one, the 'name of God,' in some OT passages, is distinguished from the Lord Himself.  God's Name dwells with Israel (Deut. 12:11).  His Name is in the temple (1 Kings 8:16).  'Our help is in the Name of the Lord,' the psalmist says (Ps. 124:8).  John is reflecting this OT understanding of the name = the person in his Gospel.  After Jesus says that the 'hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified (John 12:23, my italics), he prays, 'Father, glorify Your Name" (12:28, my italics).  See the parallel? The 'Son of Man' is the 'Name' of God.  Based on this, when Psalm 8 says that the Name of God is majestic, the poet may be suggesting this: 'O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is that One who is Your Name in all the earth!'" (Bird, pg 165).

Philippians 2:10 says, "that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth."  His Majesty, indeed!

To Fulfill the Scriptures

 

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), "I thirst."  A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.  --John 19:28-29

 Last week we looked at Psalm 22 and how, not only did Jesus quote directly from that passage on the cross, but He fulfilled the prophecies contained within the psalm.  Today I want to expand on that idea a bit, also starting from the cross.  In John's gospel we see another of what has been called the Seven Last Words of Christ.

The quote from Jesus is short.  He simply said, "I thirst".  It made sense.  He was dying, dehydrated and losing fluids.  On a physical level, he wanted water.  Oh, but John, the "disciple whom Jesus loved", saw something significant beyond the mere physical.  He knew that Psalm 69:21 said, "They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink."  

Slipped into this song written by King David a millennium before was this prophecy that John wanted the followers of Jesus to notice.  In this same song ins Psalm 69 David wrote in verse 9, "For zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me."  John had already cited this Psalm when Jesus drove the merchants out of the Temple (see John 2:17).  Here, though, John wanted to show yet another prophecy that the Master fulfilled.  The religious leaders of the day had rebuked Jesus, and held Him in reproach.  John wanted his readers to know that the Pharisees not only disrespected Jesus, but also His Father who had sent Him.  David wrote in Psalm 69:19 and 20, "You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to You.  Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair.  I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none."  Did John intend to point us to this Psalm so that we could apply this passage to Jesus as well?  I think so.

Let's look at one more of the final words that Jesus spoke from the cross.  Luke 23:46 says, "Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, 'Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.'  And having said this He breathed His last."  This is a quote from Psalm 31.  Verse 5 says, "Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God."  Just before Jesus breathed His last breath, He spoke this prayer to God His Father.  It was a dying declaration of the fulfillment of His mission.  Jesus' death would become the ultimate sacrifice for all mankind.  When David spoke these words, he expressed ultimate trust in God, because he knew that God would provide a means of redemption for him, and that God was faithful.  I think Jesus knew this as well--God is faithful, and that He would provide a way to redeem us from our sins.  

Paul spoke of this divine plan of redemption in Ephesians 1:7-10.  "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth."  We therefore ask with David in Psalm 2:1, "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?"  Why, when God has very clearly set forth this plan of redemption through the blood of His Son, Jesus--why do people "kick against the pricks?" (see Acts 26:14).

It is because they do not see that Jesus was the Anointed One that David wrote about in Psalm 2:2.  According to Chad Bird in his book The Christ Key:

The NT quotes, alludes to, or adopts the language of Psalm 2 about 17 times.  Most notably, the early Church quotes Psalm 2 after Peter and John were arrested for preaching Jesus and the resurrection (Acts 4:25-26).  These early Christians confessed that the Father "through the mouth of our father David...said [the words of Psalm 2] by the Holy Spirit" (Acts 4:25).  David the poet was the mouthpiece of the Spirit.  Their interpretation takes the form of this prayer: "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, a long with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place" (Acts 4:27-28).  The Lord's Messiah of Psalm 2:2 is "your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed" (Acts 4:27).  The nations, peoples, kings and rulers of Psalm 2:1-2 who "rage...plot...set themselves...[and] take counsel together" are interpreted as "Herod and Pontius Pilate, a long with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel" (Acts 4:27).  In short, the Christians read this Psalm as a Spirit-inspired, poetic prophecy of specific events that happened during the Passion of Jesus.  

God has given us the good news of the Gospel, which is that Jesus was sent by God to live a perfect life and to die an agonizing death, taking on the sin of the world as the ultimate sacrifice; and that three days later He would rise again to new life, as will we who belong to Him by faith.  It is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone that this is accomplished.  Those who reject this message do so at their own peril, as they will die in their sins apart from the saving knowledge of Jesus.

If you read the Scriptures you will hear the very words of God Himself.  Do not stop up your ears and scream against those who speak the truth of God's mercy, as the Jews did who stoned Stephen (Acts 7:57).  If the world does decide to shoot the messenger, we can say with Stephen (who quoted the words of Christ on the cross), "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." (Acts 7:59). 

Christ is the Key

 

Then He said to them, "These are my words that I have spoken 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."  --Luke 24:44

When I was in Seminary I was offered a course called, I think, "Christ in the Old Testament."  I did not take it, not because I was not interested in the subject, but because it was not a requirement for my degree in Religious Education.  I was not in the Masters of Divinity track, and I certainly did not have the impetus or the intellect to advance to the PhD level. 

However, I have always wondered what the resurrected Jesus spoke of with the two fellows who were on their way to Emmaus.  This pair of disciples were on their way from Jerusalem to their home seven miles east.  When Jesus caught up with them, they were discussing the fact that Jesus, the rabbi who spoke as a prophet (who might have been the one to redeem Israel), was sold out by the priests and condemned to death.  Not only that, they had heard that some women had gone to the tomb, only to find it empty.  These women told stories of being met by angels, who told them that Jesus was alive.

When Jesus spoke, He opened up the books of Moses and the Prophets, explaining how all Scripture pointed to Himself.  I had always wondered what specific Scriptures Jesus quoted to them.  As we know, the New Testament had not been written yet, so the only Scriptures they had were the books in the Old Testament.  I was reminded of this area of study recently when I started reading a book by Chad Bird called The Christ Key.  I highly recommend it, and a lot of this study (and hopefully the blog posts in the near future) will rely heavily on Mr. Bird in their content.

As it happens, I have been doing a study of the book of Psalms, so I thought what better way to transition into a study of biblical Christology than to start in this same Old Testament book.  I also thought that I would start with the low hanging fruit. That is why I will start my study with Psalm 22.   With the exception of the passage from Isaiah 53 that was quoted by the angels announcing the Nativity, no other Old Testament passage so directly lines up with the New Testament narrative.

Mark 15:34 says, "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?"  The Jewish men standing there at the crucifixion would have recognized the quote directly from Psalm 22.  Let's read a portion of it now.

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?  Why are You so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?  O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.  --Psalm 22:1-2

When David wrote these words, he was confessing his own separation from God.  This separation was caused by sin.  We know David was not a perfect man.  Not only was he separated from God by space and time, but also due to his own sinful nature.

Why, then, would Jesus allude to this agonizing cry of David?  Because "For our sake He (God) made Him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him (Jesus) we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21).  This, friends, is the Gospel.  That Jesus took upon Himself our sin on the cross so that we could clothe ourselves in His righteousness before God.  He became the sacrifice for us, so that at the time of Judgment God would see His holiness rather than our vile sinfulness.

Let's read more of the Psalm together:

All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; "He trusts in the Lord; let Him deliver him; let Him deliver him, for he delights in Him!"  --Psalm 22:7-8

David often found himself in bad situations.  In these times of distress and trouble, his faith did not waver, even when others would mock him and make faces at him for his faith.  Their words of mockery went something like, "Only God can save him now."  Truer words were never spoken, even if their meaning was unclear to them.  God would deliver David, sometimes in ways that were unexpected--even miraculous.

When Jesus was crucified, it was a public spectacle.  Matthew 27:39-40 says, "And those who passed by derided Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself." Later in verse 43, they said, "He trusts in God; let God deliver Him now, if He desires Him."  Almost word for word what was written in Psalm 22.

Let's dig a bit deeper in our text:

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.  --Psalm 22:14-15

David's heart-wrenching words describe an emotional turmoil.  Perhaps from fear of his enemies, he felt like he was poured out, like he was out of whack.  He may not have been eating well, or maybe he was fasting, as he describes loss of strength and dehydration.  His enemies, or maybe even his "friends" (the ones who mocked him) had left him for dead.

Crucifixion was not a known form of execution in David's day, but it was torturous.  Hanging suspended by nails in His hands, Jesus would have suffered physical symptoms like bones being disjointed--His shoulders, elbows, and wrists dislocating from His body weight; the feet and ankles out of whack because of the single spike holding his feet to the cross.  In John 19:28 we read, "After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), 'I thirst'."  Jesus was obviously dehydrated and needed water, but John saw that as a fulfillment of Old Testament Scripture, where David said, "my tongue sticks to my mouth."  Also, John 19:34 says, "One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water."  Jesus was officially pronounced dead when his body fluids had visibly separate like that.  With David He could say, "I am poured out like water."

We can read one more prophetic verse from Psalm 22:

They have pierced my hands and feet....They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.  --Psalm 22:16b, 18

 David was a warrior king. It is not unreasonable that he may have received some minor wounds to his extremities, cuts and scrapes if not actual puncture wounds.  We can't be sure.  What we can be sure of is the practice in warfare than when a soldier comes upon a casualty, even an enemy casualty, he will salvage anything he can from the body--ammunition, firearms, armor, etc.  David would imagine that if he, the king, were a casualty, the men who came upon his corpse would see more value in their plunder, and they might gamble to see who would keep it.

As we have mentioned before, crucifixion was not something David would have been familiar with, but this method of execution was explicitly described here: "They have pierced my hands and feet."  Matthew 27:35 says, "And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments among them by casting lots."  I'll be they thought the tunic of this Rabbi would be worth a lot, more than that of the other common criminals crucified with Him that day.  Again we see this specific Scripture fulfilled.

I want to close by quoting from Chad Bird, on how the Scripture is layered, beginning with the Torah, through the Prophets, and even into the "writings", which include the Psalms, all of which laid the foundation for the New Testament and the good news.

Finally, we hear from the lips of Jesus Himself, on the day of His resurrection, "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" (Luke 24:44). Notice how He explicitly includes the Psalms here.  In saying this, Jesus "opened their minds to understand the Scriptures." (24:45).  This Greek verb for "opened," dianoigo, was used by the Emmaus disciples when they described how Jesus "opened to [them] the Scriptures" (24:32).  "Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets," He showed them that everything concerned Himself (24:27).  Luke will also use dianoigo to describe how, in Thessalonica, Paul "reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining [dianoigo] and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead" (Acts 17:2-3).  The Scriptures, including the Psalms, are opened to us by the Christ Key.  He alone unlocks the Old Testament and invites us in.  And He alone opens our minds to understand and believe in Him.  --Chad Bird, The Christ Key pg 162.

It is my desire to continue a study of the book of Psalms in this format, showing explicitly how Jesus was front and center on the minds of the authors and the readers in the early Church.  It is my sincere hope that this study will increase your faith and open up your heart and mind to know Him more, for His glory. 

The Lord is my Banner

There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.  --Sun Tzu

In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.  --Sun Tzu

Have you ever played "capture the flag"?  It is an outdoor game in which two or more teams divide up the play area, using clearly defined boundaries between each team's zone.  Each team hides their flag or banner. The goal is to find the other team's flag and bring it back to your own territory.  The game is more complicated the more teams there are, because the strategy mimics that of a general fighting a war on multiple fronts.

Twentieth century American writer David Eddings said, "Only an idiot tries to fight a war on two fronts, and only a madman tries to fight one on three."  As soon as you shore up your defense on the west, you will most assuredly face an attack from the east.  If you plan a huge offensive to the north, you leave your southern border exposed to the enemy.

This may be what David was thinking when he wrote Psalm 60.  David, as you know, was a warrior king.  This is why God did not allow him to construct the Temple (1 Chronicles 22:6-10).  He frequently had to defend Israel's borders from enemies such as Philistia, Edom, and Moab.  The preamble to Psalm 60 references a time "when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt."

We read of these battles in 2 Samuel.  The first is described in chapter 8, verses 3-8.  David was battling to restore his power at the river Euphrates.  He went up against an army of chariots and defeated them.  He hamstrung the horses, saving only enough for 100 chariots that he kept for himself.  The rest of the chariots were destroyed.  Suddenly, the Syrians of Damascus (north of Israel) came to help David's enemies.  David had to fight against the Syrian allies, but he defeated them as well.  He set up garrisons in Damascus and made the Syrians pay tribute to him.  The Bible says, "And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went."

The next battle is described in chapter 8, verses 13 and 14.  "And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.  Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David's servants.  And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went."  If you know a bit about the geography of the region, you will realize that the Valley of Salt is to the south, near the Dead Sea.  Basically, while David was battling in the north, he received intelligence of an uprising in the south, and had to march his troops all the way to the Dead Sea to defeat his enemies there.

The first battle is described more fully in 2 Samuel 10:6-19.  David was winning the war against the Ammonites, who then hired the Syrian army to come help them fight off David's advances.  David sent Joab, his second in command, to meet the Syrian army.  Outflanked, "Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear" (verse 9), so he divided his army in two.  And he said, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you." (verse 11).  Joab's men were able to exhibit such a show of force that the Syrians fled.  When the Ammonites saw that the Syrian mercenaries had retreated, they also fled.

Even though "the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went," there were times when the king and his general found themselves in uncertain situations.  When David and his foot-soldiers were met with an army of chariots, the odds were against them.  Likewise when Joab was outflanked, with the Ammonites on one side and the Syrians on the other, he knew he was not in an advantageous position.

Maybe this is why Psalm 60 starts with a cry for help.

A cry for Mercy

O God, You have rejected us, broken our defenses; You have been angry; Oh, restore us.  You have made the land to quake; You have torn it open; repair its breaches, for it totters.  You have made Your people see hard things; You have given us wine to drink that has made us stagger.  You have set up a banner for those who fear You, that they may flee to it from the bow.  That Your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by Your right hand and answer us!  (Psalm 60:1-5)

Anyone who has been in the heat of battle knows how chaotic it can be.  In order to survive, you must adapt.  To overcome, you must be brave.  I can't imagine how much bravery it would take if it looked like God has forsaken you.  The enemy soldiers marching in lock-step, such that the earth shakes with every advancing step they take.  You survey the battlefield and see the landscape littered with barriers and craters.  You turn your head and see more weapons arrayed against you; everywhere you look there is danger.  Your head swims; you get so dizzy you think you are drunk; you are so off-balance that with every step you stumble.

Quickly, you turn to look for your banner, your battle-flag.  This gives you courage, because you know that as long as your banner flies, you are not defeated.  David looks for the Banner of the Lord, Jehovah-Nissi.  He knows that if God is for him, there is none that can defeat him.

A Command from God

God has spoken in His holiness: "With exultation I will divide up Shechem and portion out the Vale of Succoth.  Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim is My helmet; Judah is My scepter.  Moab is my washbasin; upon Edom I cast my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph."  (Psalm 60:6-8)

God reminds David that the battle is His.  You find yourself divided, fighting on two fronts?  God says he will divide the enemy for you, and set up boundaries in the land.  What will He use to accomplish this?  Israel itself.  Gilead is a region of Israel; elsewhere in scripture God promised to heal the people there (see Jeremiah 8:22).  Ephraim and Manasseh are tribes of Israel, descended from the sons of Joseph.  You remember the trials that Joseph went through before he was elevated to second in command in Egypt.  Things looked bleak for Joseph, but God did amazing things for him that he could only dream of.  Ephesians 3:20 says, "Our God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think."

What does He think of Israel's enemies?  Not much.  He washes His feet with Moab.  He throws His shoe on Edom.  He shouts in triumph over Philistia.  God is gently reminding them, "Hey, I've got this."  If God has placed their enemies under His feet, then the banner they should be looking for is not their battle flag; it is the banner of God that will guide them.

 A Call from Humility

Who will bring me to the fortified city?  Who will lead me to Edom?  Have you not rejected us, O God?  You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.  Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man!  With God we shall do valiantly; it is He who will tread down our foes.  (Psalm 60: 9-12)

David admits that from where he stands, things still look pretty bleak.  Through the eyes of man, it looks like God has abandoned them.  He admits that in their own strength, the battle would surely be lost.  However, because God has spoken, they will fight.  Because God has promised, they will prevail.  Because God leads them, He will strike down their enemies.

Perhaps David remembered that God brought His people out of the land of Egypt and commanded them to cross the Red Sea on dry ground.  Exodus 14:13-14 says, "And Moses said to the people, 'Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today.  For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.  The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent'."  The story in Exodus goes on to say that God told Moses to stop whining and to tell the people to go forward.  Their situation looked bleaker than the battlefield before David--they had an army behind them and a sea in front of them.  God told them to have faith, and move forward; He also said He would fight their battles.  Some translations say, "The Lord Himself will fight for you; you need only to be still."

How many times do our situations look bleak, so bleak we think we will certainly need to surrender.  When we are in a no-win situation, we must have faith.  God will fight for us.  Whether you are a seasoned soldier, or a rag-tag refugee facing a seemingly insurmountable sea of trouble, we must remember that the battle is the Lord's.

Oh, my God!

 

When believers enter “the dark night of the soul,” those times when God’s mysterious will, worked out through difficult providence, makes the Lord appear veiled and unapproachable, what should they do? As we look at Scripture, one conclusion is apparent. They should sing. For the biblical testimony is that God provides “songs in the night”—lyrics to bring to Him in times of great heart distress.  We would not, at first thought, naturally reason that a time of struggle, suffering, or pain is also a time for singing, especially when God seems absent and hidden. It can almost seem cruel to suggest that a hurting, disillusioned soul should sing. Crying, wondering, and groaning seem more fitting. But singing? Is not lifting our voice in song for happy times? Certainly, but singing is also for trying times. Indeed, perhaps especially.  --Barry York

David was a masterful singer/songwriter.  He found inspiration in every circumstance.  Good times or bad, David sang a new song to the Lord.  We are going to look at one of those songs today when we read Psalm 59.

The Psalm has an introduction, a superscript reminding us of the time "when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him."  We read more about that even in 1 Samuel 19, beginning in verse 8.

And there was war again.  And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him.  Then a harmful spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand.  And David was playing the lyre.  And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall.  And David fled and escaped that night.  Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning.  But Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed."

We know that Michal was Saul's daughter.  Saul had promised her hand in marriage to any man that could defeat Goliath.  Now, we see that David had again fought against the Philistines, and was victorious.  When David came back to report to the king the good news from the battlefield, he perceived that Saul was troubled.  For whatever reason, God sent a spirit of jealousy and rage to torment Saul, such that as David played soothing music for him, Saul tried to pin him against the wall with a spear.

David escaped the king's house, and went to his own home.  Saul sent messengers to David's house to keep an eye on him, because Saul wanted him dead.  Apparently the messengers were not very stealthy, because they could be heard inside the house.  Psalm 59 says they sounded like rabid dogs, fighting over a piece of meat.  But I am getting ahead of myself.  David's wife Michal, the king's daughter, warns David to flee.  She lowers David down through a window (see 1 Samuel 19:12 and following).  When her husband was safely away, Michal put a statue, a graven image, in David's bed and covered it with a pillow of goat's hair.  This man-sized lump she covered with the bedclothes.

When Saul's men got word to move in and to capture David, they asked her where he was.  She lied, saying that David was sick in bed.  The men sent word back to Saul, who told them he didn't care.  "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him."  When Michal's deception was uncovered (and O what a scene that must have been!), Saul asked his daughter why she let David go, as he was an enemy of the state.  Michal made up a story about David threatening her, so that she feared for her life, and that's why she let him escape.  

This, then, is the backstory to Psalm 59.  You will see references made to the danger, and David's response.

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me; deliver me from those who work evil and save me from bloodthirsty men.  For behold, they lie in wait for my life; fierce men stir up strife against me.  For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord, for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.  Awake, come to meet me, and see!  You, Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel.  Rouse yourself to punish all the nations; spare none of those who treacherously plot evil.

I.  Describing the Danger (verses 1-2)

Three times David asks God to intervene.  "Deliver me," he says.  Then again, "defend me."  And finally, "save me."  These men were camped outside his home, and it was no secret what their mission was.  King Saul had sent them on a mission, and they spoke of it loud enough that they could be heard inside the house.

Michal feared for her husband's life.  She devised the plan to let David escape.

II.  Describing the Desired Deliverance (verses 3-5)

David saw them lying in wait for him.  He knew he was innocent of any charge that Saul could bring against him, and he included a statement of his innocence in his song.  Given that he was being unjustly pursued, he again asks for God's deliverance.

He uses three different titles of The Almighty in his plea for deliverance.  One is Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel.  The second is Elohim Sabaoth, the Commander of Heaven's Armies.  The third is Elohi Israel, the God of His Chosen People.  These three names were invoked to remind God (or rather David, as God is all-knowing, and needs no reminder) that He had promised to deliver His people, and that as the Supreme Commander of the Armies of Angels, He should give the command to rescue him from these messengers, just as He had rendered punishment to the nations.

Let's read on:

 Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city.  There they are, bellowing with their mouths with swords in their lips--for "Who," they think, "will hear us?"  But you, O Lord, laugh at them; You hold all the nations in derision.  O my Strength, I will watch for You, for You, O God, are my fortress.  My God in His steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies. Kill them not, lest  my people forget; make them totter by Your power and bring them down, O Lord, our shield!  For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride.  For the cursing and lies that they utter, consume them in wrath; consume them until they are no more, that they may know that God rules over Jacob to the ends of the earth.

III.  Describing David's Enemies (verses 6-7)

David describes the messengers as one would describe a dog, circling in a pack, howling or whining outside the door, and prowling all over the city.  The ESV translates the word "bellowing" where other translations might say "belching."  Have you ever heard a dog panting so excitedly it sounds like a burping noise?  These men were champing at the bit to take his life.  Their words cut like swords, and they didn't care who heard.

IV.  Describing David's Deliverer (verses 8-10)

God doesn't see danger at all.  He laughs at them, those who think they can touch God's anointed.  Again, David lists the attributes of God: He is omnipotent, that is He is all powerful.  David had just defeated the Philistine army, but he knew it was not in his own strength that he had done it.  David knew that God was his defense, his fortress.

David also knew that God is merciful, loving with a chesed or a steadfast love.  Because these men were fellow Israelites, David did not necessarily want them killed.  He only asked that they be dispatched, maybe taught a lesson.

V.  Describing a Defeat of the Enemy for God's Glory (verses 11-13)

"Do not slay them," he said.  But later David did encourage God to consume them with His wrath.  Any way that God wanted to get rid of them, David wanted God to do it.  If that meant letting them live, David was good with that--he could make an example of them while they were still living.  But if God required their blood, well, that was His decision to make.

They were boastful men, full of pride.  David prayed that God would show them who's Boss.  We should remember that "vengeance is Mine, says the Lord."

Let's finish the Psalm:

Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city.  They wander about for food and growl if they do not get their fill.  But  I will sing of Your strength; I will sing aloud of Your steadfast love in the morning.  For You have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.  O my Strength, I will sing praises to You, for You, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.

VI.  Describing the Danger, Reprise (verses 14-15)

Again he describes them as dogs, prowling, growling and howling.  Either he did not hold these men in very high regard, or they were disgusting.  I couldn't imagine a smelly squad of squatters outside my home, eating with their bare hands and belching, wiping their mouths on their sleeves and then throwing their garbage on my lawn.

VII.  Describing a Song Despite the Danger (verses 16-17)

David's refrain is of the power, strength and steadfast love of God.  These are His glorious attributes, and they cannot be forgotten, even in the life threatening situation.  This is why he could have a song in his heart despite the circumstances.

Do you find yourself among unsavory people? Remember God's unfailing love.  Are you in a situation where evil men are accusing you?  Remember God is your defender.  Are you in a dire situation, where there seems to be no way out? Remember God is our strength, and sing. 

 

God who fulfills His purpose for me

Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  --1 Peter 5:8

 If you have read my posts recently, you know that we are studying Psalms with a backstory.  That is, we are looking specifically at those Psalms that have a pre-amble, or an opening context, referring to a specific time in David's life.  From these real-life experiences, we are seeing the practical applications of these psalms to our daily lives.

Psalm 57 is one example.  A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the background to Psalm 54, where David was pursued by Saul so closely, that, according to 1 Samuel 23, Saul's army was on one side of the mountain and David's rag-tag group of fighting men were on the other.  In that case, God intervened by sending the Philistines to attack Jerusalem.  Saul had to break off his pursuit of David to go defend his capitol city.

We read in 1 Samuel 24 that after Saul's army had driven out the Philistines, they went right back to chasing after David.  He got wind that David was in a wilderness called Engedi, which is translated "the fount of the kid".  Saul took his men to a location called "the Wildgoats' Rocks."  That's when Saul, the king, felt the call of nature.  He went into a nearby cave for a bit of privacy, as it would be unseemly for the men to see their king squatting in the field.

The cave that he chose just happened to be the cave where David was hiding with some of his men.  On the one hand, this presented a scary situation.  David had about 600 men with him; Saul's army numbered about 3000.  To be outnumbered five to one, and to see Saul's army so very close--well, it was a frightening situation.  On the other hand, this was an opportunity.  Saul was unguarded, and David's men urged him to strike down the king right there.  That would have made the army disband, as they would have had no leader and no reason to continue the pursuit.

In this case, David mad a choice to spare Saul't life,  but he also wanted to make a statement.  He sneaked up to where Saul was--well, let's say in a vulnerable position.  He unsheathed his knife, and cut off a corner of Saul's garment.  Then, when Saul was done and went back outside the cave to join his army, David called out to him.  "See how close I was to you?" he said.  "I could have killed you right there.  But I didn't.  So why do you seek my life."

It was in this context that David wrote Psalm 57.

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in You my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.  I cry to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me.  He will send from heaven and save me; He will put to shame him who tramples on me.  God will send out His steadfast love and His faithfulness!  My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts--the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth!  They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down.  They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves.  My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast!  I will sing and make melody.  Awake, my glory!  Awake, O harp and lyre.  I will awake the dawn!  I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations.  For Your steadfast love is great to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds.  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth.

I.  Trust in the Lord among the Lions 

A.  Trust in God's mercy.

I can't read verse one without thinking of the parable Jesus told of the Pharisee praying on the street corner contrasted with the tax collector who went afar off, and beat his breast, and prayed, "O God, be merciful to me, a sinner."  We can sincerely ask for God's mercy only when we are at the end of ourselves.  Here David had taken refuge in a cave, and who should show up but his sworn enemy.  David had no choice but to trust God in that situation.

Verse two speaks of taking refuge in the shadow of God's wings.  You will recall that just before Jesus was crucified, He stood outside the city of Jerusalem and wept.  "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!  How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing." (Matthew 23:47)  God knows we can't do it on our own, and He offers to be our refuge time and again.  We only need to come to the end of ourselves and seek His protection.

B.  Lions lying in wait.

Verse four describes the situation in which David find himself.  "My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down with fiery beasts."  Some 500 years later, a man named Daniel would be taken up by his enemies and cast into a den of lions.  This Psalm is a foreshadowing of Daniel's dilemma, as David was among men with teeth as sharp as spears and arrows, and whose words were like swords.  However, Daniel may have known this Psalm, and his mind may have been drawn to it for encouragement, because Daniel literally slept among the lions.

Enduring Word Commentary (https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-57/) gives a sermon outline attributed to Spurgeon that I wish I knew the context of.  He said, "Spurgeon gave comfort and advice to believers who felt they were among lions:

· If you are among lions, you will have fellowship with Jesus and His church.
· If you are among lions, you will be driven nearer to your God.
· If you are among lions, remember that God has them on a leash.
· If you are among lions, remember there is another Lion, of the Tribe of Judah.

C.  David's Song of Praise

Even in the midst of this dire situation, David's heart was full of praise to God.  "Be exalted," he said. "Let Your glory be over all the earth."  When I was in high school, my English teacher had a poster hung up behind her desk.  You may have seen the photo in a meme (but this was before everyone had a cell phone).  It shows a kitten, claws out, hanging desperately to a rope.  The caption reads, "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."

David may have felt like he was at the end of his rope, but his hope was in God.  God is my refuge, a very present help in time of trouble.

II.  From the Pit to Praise On High

A.  What becomes of the enemy's trap

Verse 6 says, "They set a net for my steps.... They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves."  You remember the story of Daniel?  The king awoke early and ran to the lion's den.  When he found Daniel alive, the king ordered his servants to let down a rope and pull Daniel out.  Then the king ordered that the men who betrayed Daniel should be thrown into the lions' den, where they were devoured.

From his circumstances as he came to the cave, we sense David said this with the anticipation of faith. It had not yet happened, but he knew that it would.  This is the essence of faith, that we should trust in the Lord even before His divine deliverance.

B.  David's heart of praise.

Verse 7 and following show David's faith is strong.  He summons stringed instruments to accompany his song of salvation.  He gives thanks to God for deliverance.  English theologian Thomas Horne said, "The resurrection of Jesus from the grave, foreshadowed in the deliverance of David from the hand of Saul, was a transaction which caused the heavens and all the powers therein, to extol the mercy and truth of God."

Think of a murder board.  You know, you've seen them in mystery movies and television shows, where a white board or bulletin board has a bunch of photos, maps, and memos, sometimes with different colored string connecting all of them.  When you think of Scripture as a unified work, your mind connects the different scenes with one another via a golden thread.  David's cry for mercy as he sought refuge in a cave connects with Daniel's prayer from a pit full of lions, both of which foreshadow Jesus' body being laid in a tomb only to have the stone rolled away so that everyone could witness the glory of God in His resurrection.  It is no wonder that David praised God.

C.  David's Song of Praise (reprise)

All great musicals have a reprise of one or more songs.  Like an opera, David reprises his own song of praise.  "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.  Let Your glory be over all the earth."  May we have this song of praise on our lips whenever we seek refuge in the Almighty.  Let us sing it over and over, like a regal refrain.

God be praised! 

In God We Trust.

The open mouths of sinners when they rage against us should open our mouths in prayer.  --Charles Spurgeon

One sure sign of getting old is when you start telling the same stories over and over again.  Most often, the stories we tell come from the same occasion or memory, they have the same outcome, and teach the same lesson.  It is not very often that we can recall one specific incident and draw a completely different lesson or conclusion.

David was a man with wild stories to tell his children and grandchildren.  One story that he must have retold countless times was of the time he fled the house of Saul and tried to seek asylum in Gath.  We read about it in 1 Samuel 21.  Actually it was the basis of Psalm 34, and I wrote about it on July 1 of this year in a blog post titled Desperado.  David may have written that Psalm as a lesson to the 400 desperate men of Israel who gathered with him at the cave of Adullam.

This incident was also the basis of Psalm 56, which we will study today.  The superscription refers to the same incident, but it focuses on a totally different feeling.  Let me remind you of the back-story.  David was running from Saul.  He stopped at the home of the priest of Nod, and asked for bread and a sword.  The priest gave him the only sword in the house, the sword that belonged to Goliath, whom David had killed.  David then crosses the border into the land of the Philistines, hoping that Saul would not pursue him there.  He tries to take refuge in Gath, but Achish the king hears about it and apparently (according to the superscription of Psalm 56) takes him under arrest.

Let's review.  Who do we know that was from Gath?  Oh, that's right, it was Goliath, the champion of the Philistine army whom David had defeated.  And what did David bring with him?  Oh, just the sword that belonged to Goliath.  Word had traveled to Philistia that after David slew Goliath, the people in Israel started singing, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten-thousands."  He was heir apparent to the throne in Jerusalem.  Now he just randomly shows up in Goliath's home town, armed with Goliath's sword.  Yet he tells Achish that he comes in peace.  Why would David think this was a good idea?

Under house arrest by the king of Gath, David feared for his life, at worst, and for lifetime imprisonment, at best.  This fear was the basis for the prayer he recorded in Psalm 56, and we know that his fear was real.

One other thing I would like to mention about the pre-amble to this Psalm.  You all know very well that I am not a Hebrew scholar, and I do not pretend to be.  However, this gives me cause for pause.  There is a compound word in the superscription to this Psalm.  That word is transliterated Jonathelemrechokim.  It is a combination of the Hebrew word for dove or pigeon (yona), the Hebrew word for silent (elem), and the Hebrew word for remote or far off (rahoq).  In Hebrew culture, the dove was a symbol of mourning, and the pigeon was used as a sacrifice.  Perhaps David felt like a small bird, mourning the fact that he might be killed as he sat silent in a far off land.  Of course, my interpretation could be way off, since smarter men than me have given a different meaning based on their own translations and experience.  For example, the translators of the New King James Version of the Bible say this Psalm was "Set to 'The Silent Dove In Distant Lands'." It would seem, then, that this Psalm was to be sung to the tune of a popular folk song in the region.  On the other hand, the translators of the English Standard Version say this Psalm was written "according to The Dove on Far-Off Terebinths," referencing the Oaks of Mamre, referencing Genesis 18:1 when Abraham left his home to travel toward the Promised Land, and God promised him a son. (The Hebrew word elonei meaning Oaks or Terebinth trees is very similar to the Hebrew word for silent.)

In any event, the theme of this Psalm is faith in the midst of fear.  Maybe you have had an overriding sense of fear that you could not overcome on your own.  You may not have been imprisoned or feared for your life, but the lesson is the same: faith overcomes fear because God is greater than the men who threaten you.

When I am afraid, do I respond with Fear or Faith?

A.  Plea for Mercy

Let's read the beginning of David's prayer.

Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.  When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.  What can flesh do to me?  --Psalm 56:1-4

David calls out to God in his distress.  The first words out of his mouth are for mercy and grace, for favor or pity.  One commentator put it this way: "Instead of building up gradually to his complaint, the psalmist pours out his heart immediately."  Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything b prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Prayer is powerful.  Charles Spurgeon wrote, "It is a sure sign of grace when a man can trust in his God; for the natural man, when he is afraid, falls back on some human trust, or thinks that he will be able to laugh at the occasion of fear."

When we are thrown into a fearful situation, prayer is a gift.  It confesses our own inability to overcome the situation while attributing that power to God alone.  It professes faith that God is able to both graciously deal with the problem and mercifully soothe our fears.  Our trust is in God alone.

The motto "In God We Trust" was brought to America by theologian and hymn-writer Isaac Watts, an English Congregationalist pastor who wrote it in his Psalter, which was revised and printed in America in 1785.  Before that, in 1748 Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Militia marched under a banner with a coronet and a plume of feathers with the motto "In God We Trust."  Franklin spent time in Europe in his younger years, and may have been familiar with Watts and his Psalter; or, as historian Thomas Kidd wrote, this official motto may have been traced to Psalm 56:11.  The motto officially became a political theme during the Civil War, and was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1956.

The prayers of a nation become more fervent in times of war or pestilence.  Franklin's militia fought for American independence with their trust in God.  Union war officers professed their trust in God when it appeared the nation was being torn in two.  I remember on September 11, 2001 there was a great surge of people returning to places of worship for prayer after the first foreign attack on American soil since Pearl Harbors.  On whom did they trust?  Their prayers turned to God.  We need to pray for grace and mercy for our nation today, because most people have turned their back on Him, and mock Christians for our faith.

B. Plan for mockery

David goes on to tell God about his troubles, but he knows that God knows our troubles.

All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil.  They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life.  For their crimes will they escape?  In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!  You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in Your bottle.  Are they not in Your book?  Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call.  This I know, that God is for me.  --Psalm 56:5-9

People will mock you; they will persecute you; they will spread malicious gossip and lies about you; they will tear down your reputation and even take your life.  What are we to do?  "Vengeance is mine, says the Lord."  We can pray for their redemption, but while they are hurting us we can weep and share our sorrows with God.  

18th and early 19th century theologian and amateur historian Adam Clarke wrote of this passage, "Here is an allusion to a very ancient custom, which we know long obtained among the Greeks and Romans, of putting the tears which were shed for the death of any person into small phials, called lacrymatories or urnae lacrymales and offering them on the tomb of the deceased. Some of these were of glass, some of pottery, and some of agate, sardonyx, etc. A small one in my own collection is of hard baked clay.”  Whether this was what David referenced or not, we know that God knows our hearts and hears our cries.

The Apostle Paul refers to the tenet that "God is for me" in Romans 8:31-34, where he adds another thought: "If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?  Who can bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.  Who is to condemn?"  He is our Rock, our Comforter, a very present help in times of trouble.

When I am confronted, remember God's word

A.  In God I trust

In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.  What can man do to me?  --Psalm 56:10-11

In other psalms, David relied on his memory of God's deliverance in prior times of trouble. Here, he relies on God's written word to give comfort and counsel.  Don't you think Moses and the Isrealites were afraid when the Red Sea was before them and Pharaoh's army was behind?  Yet God intervened and saved them.  Weren't Joshua and the fledgling Israeli army afraid when they came up against the fortified city of Jericho? But God went before them and the fortified walls fell.

The Bible shows that God has a pretty good track record when His people cry out to Him.  It is good for us to remember this: my obstacle may look overwhelming, but God!  God is able to deliver.  He is worthy of our trust, and our praise.

B.  To God I give praise

I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to You.  For You have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.  --Psalm 56: 12-13

David referred to the sacrifice he would offer for the deliverance he knew God would bring. He was a long distance from God’s altar so the sacrifice could not yet be made; but in David’s heart it was already done, as was the anticipated rescue.  Alexander Maclaren wrote, "David referred to the sacrifice he would offer for the deliverance he knew God would bring. He was a long distance from God’s altar so the sacrifice could not yet be made; but in David’s heart it was already done, as was the anticipated rescue."

David said that God is the light of life.  Jesus said, "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)  Was David foreshadowing the coming of Jesus?  Jesus was definitely identifying Himself as God.  He is the light of the world.  We should walk in the light, as He is in the light.  We give praise to Him, as we place our trust in Him.  He gives grace and mercy, and is with us even when we are in a fearful situation.