A Golden Psalm In A Gloomy Place

Psalm 57 (NKJV)

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David When He Fled from Saul into the Cave.

1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!

For my soul trusts in You;

And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,

Until these calamities have passed by.

2 I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me.

3 He shall send from heaven and save me;

He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah

God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.

4 My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men

Who are set on fire, Whose teeth are spears and arrows,

And their tongue a sharp sword.

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth.

6 They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down;

They have dug a pit before me; Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah

7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise.

8 Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn.

9 I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations.

10 For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth.

We’re so grateful for all of our veterans who have served our country! I hope this psalm (song) will encourage you like it encouraged me this week.

Let me give you a little insight about the book of Psalms. The book of Psalms is a collection of songs by various authors including David, Solomon, Asaph, etc. These were sung by the Israeli people on various occasions. There are 8 various kinds of psalms (31), psalms of praise (Ps. 146), songs, maskil (could refer to wisdom, 12 of them), prayer psalms (songs of requests to God, 4), shiggaion psalms (wild, passionate, 2), psalms of ascent and Miktams (only 6 of them).

I want you to notice the pericope in this Psalm. A pericope is that title under the psalm number. The word Miktam is an interesting word. Some translate the word “golden”, i.e., precious. In the LXX, it is a word meaning “tablet inscription” or a “stelograph.” The root word means to stamp or engrave. It describes a composition so precious that it should be engraved on something durable to preserve it. Others render, “a psalm precious as stamped gold.” This psalm is a song that is as valuable as gold.

Easton, M. G. (1893). In Easton’s Bible dictionary. NY: Harper & Brothers.

How many of you have heard of an artist receiving a Gold Record? A Gold record is a single or album that sells 500,000 units (records, tapes, or compact discs). The Gold Record award was started in 1958. Originally, the requirement for a Gold single was one million units sold and a Gold album represented $1 million in sales (at wholesale value, around a third of the list price). In 1975, the additional requirement of 500,000 units sold was added for Gold albums.

If David had been around in 1958, he certainly would have been awarded a Gold Record for Psalm 57. Notice also that Ps. 57 is one of 4 psalms (57-59 & 75) that have the designation “Al-taschith” which means destroy not! This is a valuable song!

This is a difficult day for a lot of us! 2020 has been a difficult year for the whole world because of the corona virus. Conservatives are wondering what the country is going to be like if leftists are in charge of the country. Will we ever get a vaccine? What if the next virus is even worse?

This week, honestly, I’ve been in a dark place. Why? Because the reality of open-heart surgery is staring me in the face next Friday. This could be my last sermon! Patsy and I have had some tough conversations lately about it, about death, about the church, about the future.

But could I tell you something: this could be your last time in church too! This could be the last message you hear from God’s Word. This could be your last time in a church.

You say, “But pastor, I’m not facing open heart surgery.” Maybe not, but you DO realize that all of us are just one heartbeat away from eternity!

If you’re going to make it in life’s tough circumstances, and sing a golden psalm in a gloomy place, you must be a person who is:

1. UNWORTHY OF HIS FORGIVENESS v. 1