1Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up
against me.
2Many are they who say of me,
“There is no help for him in
God.”
Selah
3But You, O Lord, are a
shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts
up my head.
4I cried to the Lord with my
voice,
And He heard me from His holy
hill.
Selah
5I lay down and slept; I awoke,
for the Lord sustained me.
6I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves
against me all around.
7Arise, O Lord; Save me, O my God!
For You have struck all my
enemies on the cheekbone;
You have broken the teeth of
the ungodly.
8Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah
Preamble: This Psalm was written by King David when he was fleeing from his son Absalom, who was trying to overthrow him and take reign of all of Israel. It is a deep Psalm of a father, of a man, who having already suffered the loss of one of his beloved sons at the hands of Absalom, and also who loved Absalom as much as any of his children, and had already forgiven him and seemingly reconciled with him, was now fleeing for his life from him, as Absalom and the conspirators (some of whom were David’s closest confidents) were now closing in on him, with the goal of killing him and taking control of the nation for themselves. There are so many twists and plots and things that underlie this Psalm that one could look into and comment on, and yet to do so now would only take us far away from these Holy Words given us by God through His holy man of God, who when faced with one of the greatest adversities in his life did not turn against God, but turned to Him, with these heart felt and inspiring Holy Words of God, who was himself chosen by God to lead His people, and yet now because of the repercussions of his own sin born out of the Bathsheba affair, was now in his old age being made a refugee, cast out and hunted by the very nation and people whom he loved and served with all his might, all his life.
Commentary
Vs.
1-2
1Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up
against me.
2Many are they who say of me,
“There is no help for him in
God.”
Selah
David then in his deep distress now cries out to the Lord, asking Him to see how many people who seeing him in his vulnerable state; are now rising up against him and joining with the conspirators, even though David himself has done nothing deserving of such an attempted coup. For such is always the way of the ungodly, the ambitious, and the cowardly, who always pretend friendship and loyalty outwardly, while only lying-in wait to make their move when they see and perceive that is now advantageous for them to do so, when they believe that their can be no repercussions for them doing so. Therefore, they don’t fear God, but David does, and it is to Him that he is committing his cause. And so, believing that God has now cast him away for his sin, the evil conspirators feel emboldened, and they encourage themselves in their evil deed by saying amongst themselves, “There is no help for him in God.”
David though is not unaware of any of this,
for he has lived a life of overcoming adversities, a life that has been led by
God, and who by God’s Help he has prevailed against overwhelming enemies and opposition,
both outside and within, but not by the strength of His arm, nor by tact of his
moves, nor by the numbers of his forces, but by his utter dependence on the
Lord, who strengthens him. This then is the foundation of every believer’s
success, who finds themselves in similar circumstances, of having to overcome an
overwhelming adversity, trial, or opposition, and yet just as we now face our
God permitted trial or adversity, so too all the saints of old have also faced,
who by God’s help, by faith in Him, have also prevailed, whether in life or
death, so then you also will prevail and triumph (consider Hebrews 11).
Vs. 3 “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.”
Therefore, though the enemy of our soul increases his forces and lies against us, yet the Lord is always with us, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). Therefore, we are confident in all our trials, all our afflictions, and all our adversities, because it is He who is a shield for us, it is He who guards and keeps us forever (John 10:28-30). For He is our glory, He is the One who lifts up our head, even in the presence of all of those who hate us (Psalm 23:5), who would have us be bowed in shame or defeat before them. For the Lord Jesus Christ Himself will not allow that to happen to us, nor anyone who trusts in Him, (Psalm 71:1; Isaiah 45:17; Joel 2:26-27; Rom. 9:33; 10:11; 1 Peter 2:6). Therefore, He will not allow us to be taken away from Him, nor be driven out from Him, but He will deliver us to our everlasting dwelling places with Himself, where we will dwell safely and securely with Him and His people forever (Isaiah 32:18; John 14:1-3).
Vs. 4 I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah
Know this then that everyone who cries out to Him, who believes in Him, is heard by Him (Job 34:28).
Vs. 5 “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
Our confidence then grows in the Lord, as we recall these truths of Him, just as David’s confidence grew, and he was able to put his anxious thoughts away, and find rest and peace again by Him.
Vs. 6 “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.”
David’s confidence and boldness is firm because he knows it is the Lord who is keeping and sustaining him, even when tens of thousands of people have come and set themselves against him, he is not afraid. Therefore, we shall also grow in our confidence when we get to the other side of our own trials and we recall how the Lord also sustained and kept us!
Vs. 7-8 7Arise, O Lord; Save me, O my God!
For You have struck all my
enemies on the cheekbone;
You have broken the teeth of
the ungodly.
8Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah
Having overcome his own anxieties and fears through the night, and now knowing that the Lord is working to re-establish him, David’s finial cry is for the Lord to save him, to save him from the massive multitude of ungodly people who have risen up against him. Therefore, he can confidently assert that the Lord is the One who has struck all his enemies on the cheekbone, it is He who has broken the teeth of the ungodly. Now the first declaration indicates a strike of reproach by the Lord upon them, while the second indicates His removal of the means for them to harm and devour him (Job 29:17; Psalm 58:6). Thus, David can also confidently assert that it is not of man to save himself, for salvation truly belongs to the Lord, who saves His people and whose blessing is forever upon us, Amen!
Scripture Quotations
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