Be Exalted, O God, Above the Heavens

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

David had just spared Saul's life when he came into the cave where David was hiding.  After they spoke to one another, Saul went back to his palace, and David went back to his hidden stronghold.  He composed this psalm after that event.

(Psalm 57:1) (To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave) Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for my soul trusts in You; yea, in the shadow of Your wings will I make my refuge, until calamities have passed by.

Altaschith meant literally "do not destroy," so perhaps this was David's instruction to the chief musician who would later put this psalm to music.  Michtam, as has been discussed before has an unknown meaning, but it is a name David gave to some of his psalms.  It comes from a root word meaning "to carve or engrave," so it may have meant a psalm of significance that David specifically wanted engraved to be remembered always.  

David asked that the Lord be merciful to him for he trusted in Him.  He had nowhere else to go; there was no one he could rely on but God.  His only protection was in the shadow of the Lord's wings, using an image of a mother hen protecting her young, so there he desired to stay until his troubles passed.

(2) I will cry to God most high, to God who performs for me. (3) He shall send from heaven and save me from the reproach of him who would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.

David would cry out to the most high God, exalted above all.  The original word "gamar" that was transcribed as "performs" more completely meant "come to an end, complete, perfect."  David trusted that his help would only come from heaven above, not from any man nor from himself.  Only God could save him from Saul and bring his troubles to an end.  Selah meant a pause.  David had faith that God would send forth His mercy in saving him, and faith in His truth in all the promises He made.  God had said that David would be king, so he had faith that he would be brought through all his troubles by God so that he would indeed, be king.

(4) My soul is among lions; I lie among them who are set on fire, the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

David felt surrounded by men fierce and savage as lions.  He was among those burning with rage, not beasts, but men whose spears and arrows were like the teeth of wild beasts.  Their tongues were like sharp swords in that they cut him with their slander and lies.  It is evident that although he had talked his way out of the last encounter with Saul when he showed him he had spared his life, he did not trust Saul and surely expected him to continue to pursue him.

(5) Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, Your glory above all the earth.

I believe David's point was that he wished the Lord to show how He was exalted above all the earth and the heavens by saving him as only He could and having the glory of God in his deliverance be observed by all. 

(6) They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down; they have dug a pit before me, into the midst where they have fallen. Selah.

David knew his enemies had laid traps for him, and because of that, he was depressed and just tired.  I know he had not lost all hope and faith as he continued to say that his enemies had laid traps in which they themselves had fallen.  Disheartened though he might be, David recalled what the Lord had done for him.  Saul had hunted David, but the Lord had delivered Saul to David.

(7) My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise. (8) Awake, my glory! Awake, psaltery and harp! I will awake early.  

However down and tired he was, David intended to keep his heart fixed on God, and of Him, he would sing and give praise.  And with that purpose, he revived himself with calls to awaken his soul.  He called on musical instruments to make this a hymn of praise.  David may have meant that he intended to wake up early with songs of praise, but as the original word transcribed as "early" literally meant "dawn," I believe his point was that he would wake the dawn with his joyous singing.

(9) I will praise You, O Lord, among the people; I will sing to You among the nations. (10) For Your mercy is great to the heavens and Your truth to the clouds.

David vowed to always praise the Lord among the people and sing His praises to all the nations because of His exceedingly great mercy and truth, greater and higher than the highest heights that man could conceive of, the clouds and the heavens.

(11) Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, Your glory above all the earth.

As a matter of fact, David wished the Lord to be exalted even above the heavens with His glory above all the earth and above all angels in heaven.  

Once again David had composed a psalm when he felt depressed that began with his complaints which led him to prayer which led to faith in God that led him to rejoicing in God.  It is a wonderful model for what we should do when we are feeling persecuted and depressed.  After all, the Lord inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3).  Perhaps David intended this psalm to be a model prayer, and that is why he called it a michtam.

As Psalm 108 began with some of the same words which ended Psalm 57, it is reasonable to assume David may have composed it at the same time.

(Psalm 108:1) (A Song, Psalm of David) O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.

In Psalm 57, David had said his heart was fixed on the Lord and that he would sing and give praise to the Lord (Psalm 57:7).  Then he called upon his soul to awaken, as well as musical instruments to make his psalm a hymn of praise.  He composed this psalm, calling it a song.  It does seem like this is the song he had rallied his soul (his glory) to sing.

(2) Awake, psaltery and harp; I will awake early. (3) I will praise You, O Lord among the people, and I will sing praises to You among the nations.

David repeated the same words of Psalm 57 in this song.  He called on musical instruments and himself to wake early or perhaps he meant to wake the dawn.  He would praise the Lord among all the people and sing His praises among the nations.

(4) For Your mercy is great above the heavens and Your truth to the clouds. (5) Be exalted, O God, above the heavens and Your glory above all the earth!

Once again, David declared that the Lord's great mercy and truth were greater and higher than the highest heights that man could conceive of, the clouds and the heavens.  David cried out in song that he wished the Lord to be exalted even above the heavens with His glory above all the earth and above all angels in heaven.  

(6) That Your beloved may be delivered; save with Your right hand and answer me.

His prayer would seem to be that the Lord deliver him from his persecution by Saul.  He implored the Lord to answer his prayer and save him.  However, Albert Barnes pointed out in his commentary on the Bible, that, "The word rendered 'beloved,' and the verb rendered 'may be delivered,' are both in the plural number, showing that it is not an individual that is referred to, but that the people of God are intended."  Indeed, this same song was sung in Psalm 60, referring to God's people.

(7) God has spoken in His holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem and mete out the valley of Succoth.

God had spoken prophecies concerning David through His prophet Samuel, and he would rejoice in those.  If David's prayer in Psalm 57 is what led him to faith and then to rejoicing and singing, the effects continued to grow as he now proclaimed the things he would do as king.  Enemies had to be dislodged from Israel's territory, and lands properly settled and managed, in Shechem on the west side of the Jordan River, as well as in Succoth on the east.

(8) Gilead, mine; Manasseh, mine; Ephraim also the strength of my head; Judah, my lawgiver;

As David continued, it is obvious he spoke by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, as these words more accurately belong to the Lord.  David claimed them as king of Israel.  Gilead and Manasseh already belonged to Israel.  Ephraim had been blessed by God with battle skills and the strength of a firstborn bull (Deuteronomy 33:17).  1 Chronicles 12:30 spoke of Ephraim as "mighty men of valor, famous throughout the house of their fathers."  Ephraim was known for its military prowess and significant numbers and was considered the strength of Israel.  Judah was the lawgiver, and the king's scepter was given to David who was from the tribe of Judah, and the scepter continued in that tribe until the Messiah came, as prophesied by Jacob in Genesis 49:10.

(9) Moab, my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia I will triumph.

God through David would have dominion over Moab and Edom, and they would be as insignificant as a washpot or a shoe cast upon the floor.  He would triumph over Philistia.

(10) Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me into Edom? 

Who would bring David into the strong city yet unconquered? Who would lead him into Edom which was yet to be conquered?

(11) Not, O God, have cast us off? And will not You, O God, go forth with our hosts?

Obviously, it would be only God who would lead David.  However, the wording of this verse is rather difficult.  I wrote it just as it would be without the KJV's added words for better understanding.  The KJV and other versions would have it read, "Is it not You, O God, who cast us off?"  To me, it doesn't sound like language David would be using at this point, if David did indeed write this song at this time.  If it was written at this time, but was directed by inspiration of God, or was actually written at a different time, it certainly could reflect a time when it felt like God had cast him or Israel off.  However, David would have faith that God surely would lead them.  

However, if not written with the KJV's "helping" words that might possibly not form the right context, could David possibly be saying that God surely would not have cast off His people or him, David?  That seems to fit this time and place better, in my opinion.  But either way, David has great faith that the Lord will lead him and Israel, no matter what!

(12) Give us help from trouble, for vain the help of man.

David asked the Lord to help His people out of their troubles, as only He could.  Mere men will always disappoint and be essentially useless, but God is where our real help comes from. 

(13) Through God we shall do valiantly, for He shall tread down our enemies.

Through God, His people were and are now able to do wondrous things.  David was confident that God would tread down his enemies.  This was a prophecy that was fulfilled to David, but it remains true for the followers of the Son of David, Jesus Christ.

David Spares Saul's Life

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 24:1) And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi."

When we last left David, before the interlude of psalms, Saul had left off from pursuing David because he was told that the Philistines were invading the land, and he went to take care of them.  Meanwhile, David had moved on to En Gedi, but Saul was informed that he was hiding out there.

(2) Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

Saul took three thousand choice men out of his army and went to search out David and his men upon the rocks of En Gedi which, it seems, were the delight of the wild goats.

(3) And he came to the sheepcotes by the way where there was a cave, and Saul went in to cover his feet, and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.

A sheepcote was a pen or covered enclosure for sheep which could have been a cave for them to get out of the heat of the sun during the day or rest at night.  Saul came to such a place and went into a cave to relieve himself, which was the meaning of the phrase to cover one's feet.  I suppose it comes from the fact that if one crouched to relieve himself, his garments would cover his feet.  David and his men happened to be hiding in the sides of that cave, obviously in deep recesses not visible to Saul.

(4) And the men of David said to him, "Behold the day of which the Lord said to you, 'Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it shall seem good to you.'" Then David arose and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe secretly.

Although there is no record of the Lord saying those exact words, David's men told him that this was evidently the day the Lord had delivered Saul into his hand to do what seemed right to him.  David just arose and secretly came up behind Saul and cut off the skirt of his robe.

(5) And it came to pass afterward that David's heart struck him because he had cut off Saul's skirt.

After David had done what he had done, he felt guilty about cutting off Saul's skirt, probably because he realized he had taken advantage of the king, his sovereign, in a compromising and undignified position.

(6) And he said to his men, "The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord."

David told his men that he could not consider taking the life of his king, as he was the anointed king of the Lord.

(7) So David stayed his servants with these words and did not allow them to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave and went on his way.

Thus David stayed his men from rising up against Saul with his words.  And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.

(8) David also arose afterward and went out of the cave and cried after Saul, saying, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth and bowed himself.

After Saul went out of the cave, David also rose up and went out after Saul.  He spoke to him, and when Saul looked back at him, David bowed before the king.

(9) And David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to men's words, saying, 'David seeks your harm'?"

David then asked Saul why he listened to the people who said that David sought his harm.  Actually, it was Saul who stirred men against David, but David chose to lay the blame on others rather than to accuse Saul. 

(10) "Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord had delivered you today into my hand in the cave and bade kill you, but I spared you, and I said, 'I will not put forth my hand against my lord for he is the Lord's anointed.'"

David went on to tell Saul that he had just witnessed that the Lord had delivered Saul to him by bringing him into the very cave where David was hiding.  It was not the Lord who bade David to kill Saul, but rather he himself felt prompted to do it.  The original word "amar" that was transcribed as "bade" also means "to say in one’s heart, to think, to intend."  The fact that the Lord had sent Saul into the cave with David made his first impulse be that He was delivering him for him to kill him.  But that was only his knee-jerk reaction.  He spared Saul's life and told him that he had consciously decided he would not put forth his hand to do any harm to the Lord's anointed king.  

(11) "Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of your robe in my hand, for in that I cut off the skirt of your robe and did not kill you, know and see that neither evil nor transgression is in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, yet you hunt my soul to take it."

David then showed Saul the edge of the skirt of his robe that he had cut off, demonstrating the fact he had had an opportunity to kill him, but he did not.  He reasoned that because of that, Saul should realize that David wished no evil against him and would not sin against him.  However, Saul was intent on killing David.

(12) "The Lord judge between me and you, and the Lord avenge me of you, but my hand shall not be upon you."

David told Saul it was for the Lord to judge between him and Saul, and if it was His will, it was for the Lord to avenge David of Saul, but he himself would not lay a hand upon him.  Once again, the Lord through David was giving Saul a chance to repent of his actions against David.

(13) "As says the proverb of the ancients, 'Wickedness proceeds from the wicked,' but my hand shall not be against you."

It's not one of the Biblical proverbs, but it was an old saying that wickedness proceeded from the wicked.  It could have been David's way of gently hinting to Saul that only a wicked man would choose to do wickedness as in Saul pursuing David for no good cause.  However, in David's case, he would do no evil against the king because he was not wicked.  Jesus spoke truth into this old saying when He said that a good tree could not produce bad fruit, and a corrupt tree could not bring forth good fruit (Matthew 7:18).  He also said that the evil could not speak good things, for out of the abundance of their hearts, their mouths spoke (Matthew 12:34).

(14) "After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog, after a flea."

David asked Saul who it was that he pursued.  In David's opinion, it was after one who was completely incapable of defending himself against the king and his vast army, one who could do no harm to the king, one as insignificant as a flea or a dead dog.  

(15) "The Lord therefore be judge and judge between me and you, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hand."

David again called on the Lord to judge between him and Saul, to see the injustice of Saul's pursuit of him, take up his cause, and deliver him out of the hand of Saul.

(16) And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.

Saul had stood still and heard David out.  I'm sure he was awestruck when he saw David come out of the cave he had just been in with the skirt of his robe in his hand.  He asked David a rather rhetorical question if it was truly him who spoke to him.  He called him his son, as David was his son-in-law.  He then wept aloud.

(17) And he said to David, "You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded you evil. (18) And you have showed this day how you have dealt well with me, for when the Lord had delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me."

Saul told David that he was more righteous than he, Saul, was.  He recognized that David had only done good toward him, as he had only desired evil against David.  Specifically, Saul could see how David had dealt with him that very day, when the Lord had delivered Saul right to him, and he did not kill him.

(19) "For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go well away? Therefore the Lord reward you good for what you have done to me this day."

Saul's point was that it was highly unusual for a man to find his enemy and then to let him go away safely.  Therefore he offered a blessing to David that the Lord bless him mightily for the good he had done to Saul.  David had often prayed to the Lord to take out his enemy (Psalm 17:13, Psalm 140:10), so it would have been reasonable for David to assume that the Lord had answered his prayers and had delivered Saul into his hand to kill him.  However, David chose a spiritual Godly response.  

This reminds me of the time in Acts 16 when Paul and Silas had been beaten and thrown in prison, and they prayed and sang praises to God.  Their prayers were answered, and a great earthquake came and broke all the prison bars.  However, Paul and Silas did not leave.  The prison guard had awakened, and when he saw all the prison cells opened, he took out his sword to kill himself, knowing that he would have been killed for letting all the prisoners escape.  Paul stopped him, saying they were still there, and he was converted.  He then took them home with him, and his whole household was saved.  The next day the magistrates sent word to let Paul and Silas go free.  Had Paul and Silas run free thinking very reasonably that the Lord sent the earthquake to answer their prayers and free them, a man and his entire household would not have been saved.  And isn't that the ultimate will of God, that all be saved (1 Timothy 2:4)?  And as it was also still His will that Paul and Silas be freed, that was still done.  When we do the right thing according to God's will, He will bless and protect us.  And even if it doesn't seem to us that we were saved or protected from harm, I guarantee that God works all things together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28).  

Back to David and Saul, God was giving Saul another chance to repent, but it was up to Saul to follow through.

(20) "And now, behold, I know well that you shall surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand."

Saul admitted to David that he was now truly convinced that David was to be king, seeing that the Lord had preserved him from Saul's hand.  He probably also recalled the prophecy of Samuel that the Lord had torn his kingdom away from him and had given it to a neighbor of his (1 Samuel 15:28).  Interestingly, it was after Samuel had turned to leave Saul, that Saul laid hold of the skirt of Samuel's robe, and it tore.  That is when Samuel told Saul that his kingdom would also be torn from him.  And back to the present time, David had torn the skirt of Saul's garment, reinforcing God's will that David would take over the kingdom from Saul.

(21) "Swear now therefore to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house."

Saul then asked David to swear an oath that he would not destroy his descendants after him, thereby destroying his name out of his father's house.  That had been the usual custom at the time.  When one advanced to the throne of another, he usually destroyed all remaining descendants so that there would be no rivals with him.

(22) And David swore to Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

David did swear to Saul that he would not cut off his posterity, and Saul went back to his palace in Gibeah.  Interestingly, David and his men went back to their stronghold.  It seems he wisely did not trust Saul not to reverse his thinking and go back to trying to kill him.  After all, had there been a true repentance on Saul's part, he might have invited his son-in-law back to his palace and back to David's home with David's wife, Saul's daughter.

In the Shadow of Your Wings

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Psalm 17:1) (A Prayer of David) Hear the right, O Lord, attend to my cry, give ear to my prayer not out of feigned lips.

David was still hiding out from Saul in strong holds at En Gedi when we last left him.  He may have composed this psalm at that time.  He prayed that the Lord hear the cry of the righteous, which is how the word that was translated as "right" is usually interpreted.  He asked that the Lord hearken to and regard his prayer that came from honest lips, not deceitful ones.

(2) Let my sentence come forth from Your presence; let Your eyes behold the things that are equal.

David asked God to pronounce a sentence in his case.  He prayed that the Lord consider what was just and right.

(3) You have proved my heart; You have visited in the night; You have tried me and shall find nothing; I am purposed my mouth shall not transgress.

David said that the Lord had examined his heart, even in the secret quiet times of the night.  The Lord had tried David.  The word translated as "tried" meant more precisely "refined."  The Lord had tried and refined David as he was subjected to many trials.  I believe there is always something sinful to be found in us flawed humans, like perhaps pride in the fact we think we are sinless.  As 1 John 1:8 says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."  However, I believe that David meant in this case he had done nothing wrong to deserve his enemies' treatment of him.  In fact, he had purposed within himself not to do or say evil against Saul and his men who sought his life.

(4) Concerning the works of men, by the word of Your lips, I have kept from the paths of the destroyer.

With respect to the works or doings of men, God's word had preserved David and had kept him from falling into the hands of the destroyer, the devil and his evil minions.

(5) Hold up my goings in Your paths, that my footsteps do not slip.

David prayed that the Lord uphold and support him in His ways, in the way he should go, that he not slip and fall into sin and danger.

(6) I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; incline Your ear to me, my speech.

David called upon the Lord because he knew He would hear him.  He had confidence that the Lord would hear the words that he spoke.

(7) Show Your marvelous lovingkindness, O You who save by Your right hand those who put their trust from those who rise up.

David asked that the Lord show His "marvelous" loving kindness, more precisely "distinguished, separated," as only the Lord could do, over and above what could be imagined by mere men, the Lord who saved those who put their trust in Him against those who would rise up against them.

(8) Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Your wings, (9) From the wicked who oppress me, my deadly enemies compassing me about.

David asked that the Lord protect him as one would protect the tender pupils of their eyes, hide him under His protective wings as a mother hen would protect her chicks.  David asked for that protection from the wicked men who oppressed him and surrounded him.

(10) They are enclosed in their own fat; with their mouth they speak proudly.

Fat often referred to wealth and power, which Saul certainly had, but I believe David referred more to their pride and vanity.  They were puffed up with pride and self-righteousness as the stomach might be with fat, and therefore they spoke proudly.

(11) They have now compassed us in our steps; they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth, (12) Like as a lion is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.

David's enemies surrounded him and his small army wherever they went, intently following their tracks like a hunter or like a lion tracking its prey, lurking in secret places ready to pounce and seize its prey at once.

(13) Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down; deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword. 

David prayed that the Lord rise up and frustrate or thwart his enemy's plans.  He asked the Lord to deliver him from the hand of his enemy with His sword which could mean any divine instrument or method the Lord used.  

(14) From men Your hand, O Lord, from men of the world who have their portion in this life and whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure; they are full of children and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.

David prayed that the Lord deliver him by His hand from men who had their portion only among the living, meaning they had nothing to look forward to in the afterlife.  The Lord gave them what they wanted.  All things either come from the Lord or are permitted by Him, so in that respect He filled them with secret treasures on earth to be left to their children, but they had laid up no treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:20).

(15) As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake with Your likeness.

In contrast to his enemies who sought only worldly goods, David would look to the Lord.  He would be completely satisfied to awake every morning to His Lord.  However, the meaning is surely deeper, in that David would be more than satisfied to awake from the dead in the presence of His Lord.