Prayer for Protection Against the Wicked

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Psalm 140:1) (To the chief musician, a Psalm of David) Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man; preserve me from the violent man.

David had been in hiding from Saul who wanted to kill him.  He may have written this psalm at that time.  He prayed to God to deliver him from the wicked and violent man, which surely meant Saul, and all wicked in general who were seeking to destroy him, specifically Saul's servants.

(2) Who imagine mischiefs in their hearts; continually are they gathered together for war.

The wicked plotted evil schemes against David, and they were gathered together for war against him and his small band of companions.

(3) They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

The wicked used words as sharp, piercing, and poisonous, as the sting of poisonous snakes.  They lied virulently about David.  Selah meant a pause for reflection.

(4) Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man who has purposed to overthrow my goings.

David prayed that the Lord keep him from falling into the hands of the wicked and preserve him from violent men who sought to thwart his plans to prevent him from doing whatever he endeavored to do.

(5) The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set traps for me. Selah.

Proud, arrogant, and oppressive men had laid traps for him.  As with cords and nets, they waylaid him as he went along his way.  They set all sorts of traps for him.

(6) I said to the Lord, "You are my God; hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord."

David declared to the Lord that He was his God, his only help in time of trouble, and he asked the Lord to hear his prayers for help.

(7) O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.

In God alone was David's salvation, and he acknowledged that the Lord had always protected him in battle.

(8) Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; further not his wicked device, lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

David prayed that the Lord not allow the wicked's evil plans to succeed.  If they were able to prosper in their evil schemes, they would attribute it to their own skill, wisdom, and valor, and would pride themselves on their success. 

(9) The head of those who compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

Let their evil plans and schemes fall upon the wicked's own heads, those who surrounded David.

(10) Let burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the fire, into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

This seems to be one of those times when God speaks of His righteous judgment through David.  As David wished for the evil's schemes to fall on their own heads, God would have burning coals fall upon them as in Sodom and Gomorrah.  He would have them cast into the fiery pits of hell that they never rise up in eternal life.  Except by inspiration of God, I don't think David would have judged his enemies so reprobate that there was no hope of repentance in them, and they should be cast into hell forever.

(11) Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth; evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

Do not let the man with an evil tongue, one who speaks only lies and slanders, be successful in the world.  Rather let evil come upon the wicked, another way of saying that his plans for evil fall upon his own head.

(12) I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, the right of the poor.

David had full faith and confidence that the Lord would always be on the side of the oppressed, the afflicted, and the wronged.

(13) Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; the upright shall dwell in Your presence.

It's a confident statement that the righteous would have occasion to give thanks to the Lord because of what the Lord had done for them.  They would dwell in His presence, guidance, and protection, on earth, and would dwell forever with Him in heaven.

Righteous Judgment of the Lord

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Psalm 109:1) (To the chief musician, a Psalm of David) Hold not Your peace, O God of my praise, (2) For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me; they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

In the last post, David had composed Psalm 52 after he learned that Doeg had told Saul about him meeting with Ahimelech, and then Saul killed all the priests at Nob because he believed they helped David.  This psalm begins with the same message as Psalm 52, so it may have been composed at the same time.  David asked the Lord whom he praised and worshiped, not to be silent, but to defend his cause.  The mouth of the wicked and deceitful had spoken against him with lies.

(3) They compassed me about also with words of hatred and fought against me without a cause.

Those wicked and deceitful men, especially Doeg and Saul and his servants, surrounded him with their lies and hate and fought against him without cause.

(4) For my love they are my adversaries, but I pray. (5) And they have rewarded me evil for good and hatred for my love.

In return for David's love toward them, especially Saul and his servants, they had become his adversaries.  They had rewarded his good toward with them with evil against him.

(6) Set a wicked man over him, and let Satan stand at his right hand.

David prayed that a wicked man be set over his adversary.  His meaning may not be as harsh as it sounds.  Satan here may not have been a name, as "satan" means "adversary, opponent," so he may have meant that he wished his adversary be opposed and thwarted in his purposes against David.

(7) When he shall be judged, let him be condemned, and let his prayer become sin.

Again, this might sound harsher than what David meant.  When his adversary was judged, he wanted his wickedness to be made manifest.  Shine the light on his wickedness; let it be known.  Let his prayer be sin.  The fact that an evil man prays to God against the righteous is already sin.  Attempting to use God to fulfill his evil plans is a sin against God!  

Then again, as so many of David's psalms are said to be prophetic, these could be the words of the Lord against a rebellious people who had turned away from God.  In that case, the words are just and right as they are as they are coming from the righteous Judge.

(8) Let his days be few; let another take his office. 

While David may have meant these words to be about Saul and his desire that he be removed from his office and no longer a threat to David, through inspiration of the Lord, these words and the following verses definitely seem to refer to Judas Iscariot.  Peter referred specifically to Judas and this psalm in Acts 1:20, "For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell in it, and his bishopric let another take.'"  The bishopric is the diocese or office of a bishop.  These and the following words could also be Jesus's and applied to the scribes and Pharisees.

(9) Let his children be fatherless and his wife, a widow. (10) Let his children be continually vagabonds and beg; let them seek bread also out of their desolate places.

If a wicked man is taken out of the land of the living, his children will naturally become fatherless and his wife a widow.  They may then become poor and have to beg for their food.  This was not meant to be a curse upon his wife and children, but a natural occurrence of what would follow if an evil man was taken out.  This could have referred to Judas, as well, as some of the disciples did have families.

(11) Let the extortioner catch all that he has, and let the strangers spoil his labor.

This curse upon the wicked might be said of Judas who may have died in debt after throwing away the thirty pieces of silver he had been given to betray Jesus.  It surely might be said of the coming destruction of Jerusalem by the extortioners, the Roman soldiers.

(12) Let there be none to extend mercy to him, neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children.

This is a judgment in general to the wicked and may be well applied to Judas and to the destruction of Jerusalem when the Israelites were shown no mercy.

(13) Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following, let their name be blotted out.

Let the posterity of the wicked be cut off and their name blotted out.  Interestingly, Adam Clarke wrote in his Commentary on the Bible, "It is a fact that the distinction among the Jewish tribes is entirely lost. Not a Jew in the world knows from what tribe he is sprung; and as to the royal family, it remains nowhere but in the person of Jesus the Messiah. He alone is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Except as it exists in Him, the name is blotted out."

(14) Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. (15) Let them be before the Lord continually, that He may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

This is akin to the verse before.  Not only should the posterity of the wicked be cut off, but the iniquity of their fathers should be continually remembered by the Lord and the memory of them cut off.  This would be in line with the fact that no Jew knows from which tribe he came.  His ancestors have been forgotten.

These verses could be attributed to Jesus.  When all the people cried out for the crucifixion of Jesus, they said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  In addition, the Lord said in His commandments, "For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me."  While this may seem harsh, I believe it just reinforces the fact that children learn from their parents and continue in the evil ways of their parents.  Although that was the natural progression of sin through the generations, it didn't have to be that way.  God always provided a way out through repentance (1Samuel 12:10-11).  And of course, that continues now through Jesus Christ.  A Christian is a new creation, and the old is passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17).  A child of God is no longer under a generational curse:  "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).  

(16) Because that he remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

The Lord would remember the iniquity of the wicked because he showed no mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy and desired to kill the broken in heart.  This could definitely be David's feelings about Saul, but it also can be attributed to Judas, who did not care for the poor (John 12:6) and betrayed Jesus to have Him killed.

(17) As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

As the wicked seemed to love curses as they continually did things that would bring curses upon them, David's prayer was that curses come to them.  As they had no pleasure in blessing others, let blessing upon them be far from them.  These could be prophetic words of the Lord against the wicked, perhaps specifically Judas, as he scorned the woman who poured ointment on Jesus's head (John 12:5).  So the chief priests and scribes were displeased with the children crying praises to Jesus in the temple (Matthew 21:15).

(18) As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water and like oil into his bones. (19) Let it be to him as the garment covering him and for a belt with which he is girded continually.

As the wicked one clothed himself in cursing, wearing it continually as he would his garments, so let cursing penetrate his body through and through continually.

(20) This the reward of my adversaries from the Lord and of them who speak evil against my soul.

Those were the desires for David's adversaries that he sought from the Lord, to those who spoke evil against him.  These words definitely seem to be prophetic words of Jesus and a lesson to us about who is behind all the wickedness against us in general.  The word translated as "adversaries" here is "satan."  This original Hebrew word is not always used to mean adversary.  Often the word used is "tsar" or "tsarar."  The adversary who speaks against Jesus's soul is Satan, and he is behind all enemies of the Lord and Christians.

(21) But You do for me, O God the Lord, for Your name's sake; because Your mercy is good, deliver me. (22) For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

David prayed that the Lord do for him, help him and fight for him, for His own glory and honor because He was faithful in His promises to be there for His saints.  Because the Lord was so loving, kind, and merciful, David had faith that He would deliver him from his troubles, because he was one of the poor and needy and broken in heart (verse 16), and the Lord would remember his enemies.

(23) I am gone like the shadow when it declines; I am tossed up and down as the locust.

David felt like his life was soon disappearing like the shadow when the sun was gone.  He was tossed about like a locust in the wind.

(24) My knees are weak through fasting, and my flesh fails of fatness.

David was weak from lack of food, and he had become very thin with no more fatness of his flesh.

(25) I became also a reproach to them; they looked upon me, they shaked their heads.

David had become an object of scorn and contempt to his enemies, although this seems more an allusion to Christ on the cross.  Matthew 27:39 says, "And they that passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads."

(26) Help me, O Lord my God, O save me according to Your mercy, 

David cried out to the Lord to save him.  According to God's mercy, is the only way we should dare to ask for His help.  It's because of His loving kindness and mercy; it has nothing to do with what we deserve.  We sinners do not deserve God's help but deserve only death.  However, because He loves those who look to Him and do their best to follow Him, in His mercy, He will help them.  

(27) That they may know that this Your hand, You, Lord, have done it!

David wanted all glory to go to God.  He desired that God save him in a way that left no doubt that the Lord God of the universe had intervened for him.  Once again, when thought of as the words of Christ on the cross, they take on a slightly different meaning.  Jesus had not been destroyed on the cross as the scribes and Pharisees and Romans thought they were accomplishing.  This was God's plan for salvation that was fulfilled in His dying on the cross.  And boy, did God show that that was His hand!  Immediately after Jesus died, the earth quaked with such violence that the veil of the temple was torn in two, and the graves of the saints were opened, and many of their bodies arose, demonstrating that Christ had conquered death and would raise all His saints (Matthew 27:51-52).

(28) Let them curse, but You bless; when they arise, let them be ashamed, but let Your servant rejoice. (29) Let my adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle. 

Let his enemies curse him all they wanted, for he knew that God blessed him.  He wished for them to be ashamed, doing things that brought shame on themselves.  Let them be so confused that they became all wrapped up in it, as if they had wrapped a cloak of confusion around them.  Once again, the word for adversaries here is the Hebrew word "satan."  Satan is the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33, John 8:44, 2 Corinthians 4:4).

(30) I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise Him among the multitude.

David would greatly and vocally praise the Lord, publicly acknowledging His goodness and mercy.

(31) For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor to save him from those who condemn his soul.

And the reason David would sing the Lord's praises was because He was the champion of the poor and needy, and He would save them from those who wished to destroy them.

This psalm is one of the imprecatory psalms.  To imprecate is to call down a curse on someone.  It definitely appears to be pure inspiration of God prophesying what Jesus would endure and God's righteous judgment.  From the beginning of the psalm, it spoke of "satan" who fought against Him without cause.  Jesus came for only good to save the world, but Satan rewarded evil for good and hatred for His love.  We can see how Judas Iscariot may have been meant in many of the verses.  Satan had entered into Judas according to Luke 22:3.  And of course, many of the verses reflecting on His persecution sound as if they could have been spoken by Jesus on the cross.  But in the end, Christ is victorious against Satan and death.  The last verse that speaks of "the right hand" may be an allusion to Christ at the right hand of the Father who saves the poor from condemnation of their souls.

While the Wicked Love Evil, God's Goodness is Continual and His Judgment Will Follow

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Psalm 52:1) ( To the Chief Musician, Maschil, of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said to him, "David is come to the house of Ahimelech") Why boast you yourself in mischief, O mighty man? The goodness of God is continual.

One son of Ahimelech, Abiathar, had escaped the slaughter of the priests in Nob and came to David and told him all about it.  David remembered seeing Doeg in Nob at the same time he was there and knew he must have told Saul he saw David there.  He composed this psalm at that time.  He directed his comments to Doeg, asking him why he boasted of himself as a mighty man to do evil.  While he was continually evil, God on the other hand, was continually good.

(2) Your tongue devises mischiefs, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. (3) You love evil more than good, lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.

David accused Doeg of having a tongue that was always devising mischief in one way or another, for Doeg loved evil more than he did righteousness.  His slanders and lies were like a sharp razor working deceitfully and mischievously.  He wasn't lying when he told Saul he had seen David, but he embellished the story (1 Samuel 22:10), and it was because of the deceit of Saul that he did what he did.  Knowing that Saul was lying about David, he could have kept silent if he loved righteousness more than evil, but he was happy to do the evil that Saul commanded.  Selah meant to pause and reflect.

(4) You love all devouring words, deceitful tongue. (5) God shall likewise destroy you forever; He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place, and root you out of the land of the living. Selah.

David accused Doeg of having a tongue that loved to destroy.  However, in the end, God would destroy him.  He would take him away, not only his body from the land of the living, but also his soul from eternal life.

(6) The righteous shall also see, and fear, and shall laugh at him; (7) Lo, the man who did not make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.

The righteous would see the just punishment of God upon the wicked, specifically Doeg in this case, and they would reverence the Lord in fear of so holy and powerful a God.  I believe the laughter here is not derision and ridicule but rather rejoicing in the fact that wickedness does not triumph.  Doeg was a man who did not trust in the Lord to be his strength, but rather trusted in the abundance of his strong and powerful physical qualities, and he made himself more powerful through his wicked actions.

(8) But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.

David had confidence he would flourish in the house of God as a green olive tree would in the olive yard.  He trusted in his merciful God and would forever trust Him.

(9) I will praise you forever because of what You have done, and I will wait on Your name for it is good before Your saints.

David would forever praise the Lord for all the good He had done.  He would wait on the Lord with the expectation of only good as the Lord was always good to His saints who always looked to Him.

Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, pointed out that this psalm was quite different than most others and that it would probably never be the subject of any sermons as there may be questions as to the morality of it.  However, as the Bible is revelation from God, and always truthful and sometimes raw, we may look upon this, too, as a lesson for us.  The psalm refers to the character and conduct of an informer.  Quoting Mr. Barnes, "...in a world where such people would be found in all lands and times, it was proper that the character of such should be at least once held up in its true light, that men may see what it really is. Any bad man may make himself more odious by becoming an informer; any good man may suffer, as David did, from the acts of such a one; and hence, the case in the psalm may suggest useful lessons in every age of the world."  I would just add to that that the priests at Nob suffered even more from the actions of such an informer.

David Delivers Keilah and Abiathar Escapes to Tell David About the Slaughter of the Priests at Nob

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 23:1) Then they told David, saying, "Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing floors."

Before an interlude of psalms, Saul had Ahimelech and all the priests at Nob killed because he thought Ahimelech had conspired with David against him.  In fact, he had his servant Doeg kill all the people in Nob, even women, children, babies, and animals.  David had returned to Judah, and now he heard that the Philistines were fighting against Keilah, a city in Judah.  They were robbing the corn or grain that had been collected to thresh and winnow.

(2) Therefore David enquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go and strike these Philistines?" And the Lord said to David, "Go and strike the Philistines and save Keilah."

When David heard the news, he asked the Lord if he should go strike the Philistines.  Normally, David would not have hesitated to help his countrymen, but he was no longer under commission from King Saul and did not have a large army, besides the fact that it might be foolish for him to come out of hiding when Saul was looking to kill him.  However, the Lord told him to go and save Keilah from the Philistines.

(3) And David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?" (4) Then David enquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand."

There were just four hundred men with David (1 Samuel 22:2), and they were afraid of Saul there in Judah because they had joined David.  They were even much more afraid of going out to fight the Philistines with so few men.  For the sake of his men, David again asked the Lord if they should all go against the Philistines in Keilah, and the Lord told him to go, and He would deliver the Philistines into his hand.  That was encouragement to the men.

(5) So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their cattle, and struck them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

So David and his army of four hundred men went to Keilah where they defeated the Philistines and brought away their cattle, which probably meant they were theirs to begin with, and the Philistines had taken them, and now they brought them back.  Thus David had saved Keilah, or more precisely, the Lord had saved Keilah by delivering the Philistines into David's hand.

(1 Samuel 22:20) And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 

Meanwhile, one of the sons of Ahimelech the priest at Nob, escaped the slaughter and came to David.

(1 Samuel 23:6) And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

Abiathar came to David in Keilah carrying an ephod in his hand, the garment that the high priest wore.

(1 Samuel 22:21) And Abiathar showed David that Saul had slain the Lord's priests. 

Abiathar told David about how Saul had killed the Lord's priests at Nob.

(22) And David said to Abiathar, "I knew that day when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father's house."

David told Abiathar that when he had seen Doeg there in Nob, he knew he would tell Saul.  Although it was never his intention, he told Abiathar that he was the cause of his family's deaths.

(23) "Abide with me; fear not, for he who seeks my life seeks your life, but with me you are in safeguard."

David told Abiathar to remain with him because he, too, was in danger of being killed by Saul.  Actually, he realized that Saul's enmity against Abiathar was because of his hatred against himself, so David would defend the life of Abiathar as he defended his own life.

David's Prayer for Rescue from His Enemies

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Psalm 35:1) (A Psalm of David) Plead, O Lord, with them who strive with me; fight against them who fight against me.

At this time David was hiding out in Judah from Saul and his men who wanted to kill him.  He may have composed such a psalm as this at that time.  He asked the Lord to undertake his case against those who slandered and persecuted him, to fight against those who fought against him.

(2) Take hold of shield and buckler and stand up for my help. (3) Draw out also the spear and stop against them who persecute me; say to my soul, "I am your salvation."

The shield and buckler were defensive weapons; David asked that the Lord be his defense against his enemies.  He also asked that the Lord be offensive as well and stop his persecutors.  He asked that the Lord give him assurance that He would defend him against his enemies, that He would be his salvation.

(4) Let them be confounded and put to shame who seek after my soul; let them be turned back and brought to confusion who devise my hurt.

David prayed that his enemies be confounded and confused and even brought to shame that they sought the life of an innocent man; he prayed they be turned back from their evil intentions.

(5) Let them be as chaff before the wind and let the angel of the Lord chase. (6) Let their way be dark and slippery and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.

David prayed that his enemies be swept away by the angel of the Lord as if they were chaff in the wind.  He wished their way to be difficult.  Although David may have wished for the Lord to persecute his enemies, the original word "radaph" was more often translated as "pursued."  Let the angel of the Lord pursue them and make their way and their plans for evil difficult.

(7) For without cause they have hid for me their net, a pit; without cause they have digged for my soul.

David reasoned with the Lord that his enemies should be pursued because without cause they had laid traps for him and dug pits into which he might fall.

(8) Let destruction come upon him at unawares and let his net that he has hid catch himself; into that very destruction let him fall.

David prayed that destruction come upon his singular enemy, which would have to be Saul, when he least expected it, that the traps he had set for David catch himself.  He wished his enemy to fall into the very destruction that he had designed for David.

(9) And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation. (10) All my bones shall say, "Who is like You, who delivered the poor from him who is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him who spoils him?"

David would be so very joyful in his deliverance by the Lord that all the bones of his body, as well as his soul, would rejoice, for there was no one like the Lord who delivered the weak from the strong and the needy from the plunderer and robber.

(11) False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not. (12) They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.

False witnesses had risen up against David accusing him of things of which he had no knowledge.  They rewarded him with evil when he had only sought to do good for them.  This grieved his soul.

(13) But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned to my own bosom.

Before they became his enemies, when they had been sick, as when Saul was plagued with the evil spirit, he was grieved and mourned for them.  I believe the meaning of his prayer returning to his own bosom, was that although it did not help them, his future enemies, God rewarded such actions of love and sacrifice in that the good for which he prayed for them was returned by the Lord to him.

(14) I behaved myself as though my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily as one who mourns his mother.

David had treated Saul and his servants as if they were his brothers and friends.  He had cared deeply when Saul was plagued by the evil spirit.  These sentiments could very easily be attributed to Jesus.  He came to His own people and gave them His all, treating all of them with love as if they were all His friends and brothers, but they had rejected Him.  Perhaps as it was Saul whom David mainly spoke about, this compares more directly with Judas whom He had made one of His closest friends.  Christ had wept over Jerusalem and had a very tender concern for her people (Luke 19:41) even though they had rejected Him.

The Bible commentators I study constantly compare David's psalms to Jesus.  David often wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, perhaps more than I have given credit.  Maybe that is why David was a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22), even though he was a very flawed man who sinned greatly.  Acts 13:22 also said that God had chosen him to fulfill all His will.  Perhaps a big part of that was to lay out in psalms the coming Messiah.

(15) But in my adversity, they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I did not know; they tore at me and did not cease, (16) With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

David's enemies rejoiced in his adversity and gathered themselves together against him in secrecy.  They came after him constantly in wrath, which is what the gnashing of teeth usually represented, and scorn and mockery.  These could have easily been the words of Jesus at His crucifixion.

(17) Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my only one from the lions.

David wondered how long the Lord would allow him to go through his afflictions before He rescued him.  David had full confidence that the Lord saw everything he was going through, and he knew that the Lord could rescue him, and he pleaded for Him to rescue his only soul from his enemies' destructions.

(18) I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among much people.

When David was delivered and able to attend the tabernacle and other public assemblies, he would publicly praise God in honor and thanksgiving.

(19) Let not those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me, nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause.

David prayed that his enemies not be allowed to rejoice over him unjustly with lies and sharing inside secrets, those who hated him without cause.

(20) For they speak not peace, but they devise deceitful matters against the quiet in the land. (21) Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, "Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen."

David's enemies did not speak peace but were very quarrelsome and threatening.  They devised deceitful schemes misrepresenting those who wished to live peaceably in the land.  His enemies specifically spoke out against David, as if they had actually detected some misconduct on his part.

(22) You have seen, O Lord; do not keep silence. O Lord, do not be far from me. (23) Stir up Yourself and awake to my judgment, to my cause, my God and my Lord.

David knew the Lord had seen all that his enemies had done and said against him.  He prayed that the Lord be close to him and hear him and help him.  He asked that the Lord rise up and execute judgment for him, on his behalf for his cause.

(24) Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me. (25) Let them not say in their hearts, "Ah, so would we have it." Let them not say, "We have swallowed him up."

David prayed that the Lord judge between him and his enemies according to what David knew was His righteous judgment.  He prayed that his enemies not be able to rejoice over him and congratulate themselves because they had destroyed him.

(26) Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together who rejoice at my hurt; let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify against me.  

He asked that his enemies, those who rejoiced at his hurt, be brought to shame and confusion, unable to execute their plans against him.  Let those who exalted themselves over him to make themselves great by destroying him, be covered with shame and dishonor.

(27) Let them shout for joy and be glad who favor my righteous cause. Yea, let them say continually, "Let the Lord be magnified who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant."

David desired that his supporters be able to shout for joy because the Lord had delivered him.  He prayed that they continually exalt the Lord's greatness because of what He had done to deliver and prosper His servant, David.

(28) And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness, of Your praise all the day long.

David himself would forever speak of the Lord's righteousness in delivering him and sing His praises all day long.  Augustine, the Christian theologian and philosopher of the 300-400's wrote that while it might seem impossible to actually sing praises to the Lord all day long, that we praise the Lord when we do good.  If we always strive to be Christ-like, we are honoring and praising Him.

Saul Kills the Priests at Nob

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

David had returned to the land of Judah, his own tribe, upon the counsel of the prophet Gad.

(1 Samuel 22:6) When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men with him (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing about him), 

Saul's residence was in Ramah.  He was there, with a spear forever in his hand, it seems, and all his servants were around him.  He heard that David's whereabouts had been discovered.

(7) Then Saul said to his servants who stood about him, "Hear now, you Benjamites, will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds? (8) That all of you have conspired against me and none who shows me that my son has made a league with the son of Jesse, and none of you is sorry for me, or shows to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?"

Upon hearing the whereabouts of David, Saul asked his servants if David would give them fields and vineyards and make them captains so that they would betray Saul and conspire against him.  He suspected that his son Jonathan was in league with David, yet none of his servants would tell him what they knew.  Were they at all concerned for him that they wouldn't tell him what they knew about Jonathan stirring up David against him, as he assumed was the case.

(9) Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. (10) And he enquired of the Lord for him and gave him victuals and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine."

Doeg, Saul's chief herdsman (1 Samuel 21:7), had seen David when he was with Ahimelech.  He now spoke up and told Saul about it.  He told him that the priest had given David food and the sword of Goliath, but he also added that Ahimelech had inquired of the Lord for David, but we were not told that that had happened.

(11) Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests in Nob, and they came all of them to the king.

Saul then sent for Ahimelech the priest and all his family who were also priests in Nob, and they all came to him.  It is important to note that these priests were the descendants of Eli, the priest to whom Hannah had dedicated her son Samuel so that he might minister to the Lord all his life.

(12) And Saul said, "Hear now, you son of Ahitub." And he answered, "Here I am, my lord." (13) And Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread, and a sword, and have enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?"

Saul asked Ahimelech why he had conspired against him to help David to give him bread, a sword, and had inquired of the Lord for him, so that he could rise up in rebellion against him, and to lie in wait, waiting for an opportunity to seize his crown and kingdom, as Saul supposed were David's intentions.

(14) Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, "And who is so faithful among all the servants as David who is the king's son-in-law and goes at your bidding and is honorable in your house? (15) Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? Be it far from me; let not the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father, for your servant knew nothing of all this, less or more."

Ahimelech answered the king, first telling him that he knew David to be the honorable son-in-law of the king, faithful to do whatever the king asked of him.  However, he said that it was far from him to have inquired of the Lord for him, which I suppose must have been a duty which he owed to Saul alone as king of Israel.  He then asked Saul not to charge him or his family with any treason against the king, as he knew nothing about ill feelings between Saul and his son-in-law.

(16) And the king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house." (17) And the king said to the footmen who stood about him, "Turn and slay the priests of the Lord because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not show it to me." But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord.

Saul told Ahimelech that he and his family would die because of what he considered treason against the king.  He told his footmen who were standing around him to kill all the priests of the Lord who were before him because he considered them conspirators with David against him.  He accused them of knowing where David had fled and not telling him where.  However, the footmen would not kill the priests of the Lord.

(18) And the king said to Doeg, "You turn and fall upon the priests!" And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod.

Saul then told Doeg to kill the priests, which he did, eighty-five of them.  This fulfilled a promise of God that He would end Eli's descendants' reign as priests because of the iniquity of his sons, and Eli had done nothing to restrain them (1 Samuel 3:12-14).  The Biblical commentators I study pointed out that Doeg was again called the Edomite to separate him from the nation of Israel.  The Edomites were a brutal and violent people who hated Israel.  They descended from Esau, Jacob's brother, who traded his birthright for red stew.  He was called Edom after that which meant "red."  Doeg had no problem killing any Israelites even if they were priests.

(19) And Nob, the city of priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants, and oxen, and donkeys, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

So ruthless was Doeg that he killed all the inhabitants of Nob, even women, children, and even babies, and all animals.  However, the order surely came from Saul which made this the most wicked and cruel act of his, showing he was totally under the influence of the evil spirit that plagued him.

Preserve My Life from Fear of the Enemy

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 22:3) And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab, and he said to the king of Moab, "Let my father and my mother, I pray you, come forth to be with you, till I know what God will do for me."

David had previously escaped to a cave and dwelt there.  His family heard he was there and came to him with many other people who desired to help David.  Now he left the cave and went to Mizpah in Moab.  He asked the king of Moab to allow his parents to stay there until he received instructions from the Lord.  David knew his parents would not be safe within reach of Saul.  Perhaps since his father was the grandson of Ruth the Moabitess, David thought his parents would be safe there in Moab.

(4) And he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.

David brought his parents to the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time David was in hiding, in his place of defense, in the cave or in another stronghold.

(5) And the prophet Gad said to David, "Abide not in the hold, depart, and get to the land of Judah." Then David departed and came into the forest of Hareth.

A prophet named Gad came to David and told him not to abide where he was but to go to the land of Judah.  It appears that David must have been still in Moab, and the prophet told him he should go to Judah, David's own tribe.  So David departed and went to the forest of Hareth, where exactly that was is unknown, but I'm sure it was in Judah.  He may have composed the following psalm at that time, as it is said that according to the Syriac Orthodox Church that played a crucial role in the transmission of Biblical texts and theological writings, this psalm was "composed by David when warned by Gad the prophet..."

(Psalm 64:1) (To the Chief Musician, a Psalm of David) Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer; preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

It seems odd that at this time David would be writing songs to the chief musician, but it shows that the psalm was not designed as an expression of mere private prayer but was intended to be used again in the later worship of God.  He probably gave that heading sometime after he wrote the psalm.

David apparently cried out to the Lord with his voice and asked the Lord to hear his prayer.  David certainly wished that his life be preserved, but he was actually praying that he be preserved from fear of the enemy.  He needed help to "Fear not."  He prayed that his faith and trust in the Lord be so strong that he would not be afraid of his enemy.  Or perhaps it was more like he prayed that his situation change so that he had no reason to fear an enemy.

(2) Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked, from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity.

David prayed that the Lord protect him from the secret plans of the wicked who were pursuing him.  David did not know what their secret plans were, but God knew, and He could protect him from whatever they were.  He prayed for protection from secret plans and also outward violence from those workers of iniquity.

(3) Who whet their tongue like a sword and aim their bitter words like arrows. (4) That they may shoot in secret at the perfect; suddenly do they shoot at him and fear not.

These wicked workers of iniquity used injurious and slanderous words against David.  They attacked him with lies.  They lay in wait to secretly attack the upright with no fear of God nor man that what they were doing was wrong.  Saul, as king, felt he was the law, but apparently he had no fear of the Lord, for he surely knew he sought to kill an innocent man.

(5) They encourage themselves in an evil matter; they commune of laying snares secretly; they say, "Who shall see them?"

The wicked enemies of David talked themselves into a frenzy, convincing themselves with their reasonings and arguments that they were justified in pursuing David.  They discussed their plans for laying traps for him with no fear that anyone would see them.

(6) They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search; both the inward of every one and the heart is deep.

They searched out evil schemes; they examined every plan.  Both the inward thoughts and the secret desires of the hearts of every one of his enemies were deep, crafty, and cunning, so as not to be searched out and fully known.

(7) But God shall shoot at them an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

However, David knew that God knew their secret plans, and He would destroy them with a single arrow.  Very suddenly, God would take them unaware.

(8) So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves; all who see them shall flee away.

The evil things David's enemies had discussed and schemed would come upon themselves.  Those who saw what happened to them would flee for fear the same might come upon them. 

(9) And all men shall fear and shall declare the work of God, for they shall wisely consider His doing.

All men would fear and reverence the Lord when they observed the judgments of God.  They would wisely realize it was indeed the work of God.

(10) The righteous shall be glad in the Lord and shall trust in Him, and all the upright in heart shall glory.

The righteous who observed those judgments would be glad in the Lord and would trust in Him to deliver them as He had done for David.  The upright in heart would rejoice as they had cause for trust and triumph.

The fact that David indicated this psalm was to be presented to the chief musician showed his desire that it be an everlasting model of worship.  Indeed, it is a perfect model of prayer.  David earnestly asked for deliverance from his enemies and then showed his confident faith in God that his deliverance was sure.

God is My Refuge

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 22:2) And everyone in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered themselves to him, and he became a captain over them, and there were with him about four hundred men.

(1 Chronicles 12:17) And David went out to meet them and answered and said to them, "If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart shall be knit to you, but if to betray me to my enemies, seeing there is no wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers look and rebuke." 

After David left Gath, he escaped to a cave called Adullam.  When they heard he was there, David's family and people from his tribe came to him.  It seems that everyone who was discontented with Saul's government in one way or another, also came to David. He went out to meet all the people who had come to him and told them that if they had come to help him, his heart would be as one with theirs, but if they had come to betray him to Saul, since he had done nothing wrong against Saul, David called on God to look upon them and judge.  He became a captain over them as they desired to help him against Saul.  He gathered about four hundred men.

(18) Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, "We are yours, David, and on your side, you son of Jesse; peace, peace unto you, and peace to your helpers, for your God helps you. Then David received them and made them captains of the band.

The Holy Spirit came over Amasai, chief of the captains, and he told David that they were all on his side, and he wished peace to David and all who helped him, for he knew it was God who helped him.  David then received all the people who had come to him and made them captains of his troop.  

(Psalm 142:1) (Maschil of David, a prayer when he was in the cave) I cried to the Lord with my voice; with my voice to the Lord did I make my supplication.

It was at this time while David was dwelling in the cave that he composed this short psalm.  The word "maschil" literally meant "instructive"; therefore it seems that David intended this psalm to provide insight and impart wisdom.  It may be that David didn't assign that title until sometime after he composed it when he recalled it during times of trouble and saw it as a template of prayer.  David cried out to the Lord with his humble request.

(2) I poured out my complaint before Him; I showed before Him my trouble.

David poured out his heart before the Lord, telling Him of all his troubles.

(3) When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path. In the way where I walked have they secretly laid a snare for me.

When David was overwhelmed by his troubles, God knew exactly what was going on, better than David did.  He knew that where David went his enemies had laid traps for him.

(4) I looked on my right hand and beheld, but no man who would know me; refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

David had previously had servants at his right hand to help him, but at that time there had been no one.  His refuge in the cave had failed him because there was no way he could escape and go find help.  He felt he had no one who cared to save his life.

(5) I cried to You, O Lord. I said, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."

David's cave as a refuge had failed him, man had failed him, but he knew that God was his refuge, the only one he could count on in the land of the living.

(6) Attend to my cry for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors for they are stronger than I.

David asked that the Lord hearken to his cry because he had been brought very low in his spirit and in physical things as he was surely hungry, weak, and exhausted.  He prayed that the Lord deliver him from those who persecuted him for they were stronger (and much greater in number) than he was.

(7) Bring my soul out of prison that I may praise Your name. The righteous shall compass me about for you shall deal bountifully with me.

David prayed that the Lord bring him out of his prison there holed up in a cave that he might again be able to give God all the glory and praise His name publicly for his deliverance.  He had faith that someday the righteous would flock to him and surround him because the Lord had delivered him and blessed him so abundantly.  Interestingly, the original word "kathar" that was translated as "compass" also means "to crown."  David knew that the Lord had chosen him to be His king, and he had faith that that would come to pass.  And of course, the Lord did answer David's prayer and sent many people to the cave to help him.