Home Lessons
October 9, 2015
Tom Lowe
PSALM 55
Title: When Sorrows Like Sea Billows Roll
(To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maskil, a Psalm of David.)
Theme: A Cry of Faith in the Time of Antichrist
Psalm 55 (KJV)
1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
2 Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
3 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
4 My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.
7 Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.
9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.
14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me.
17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
19 God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.
20 He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.
21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.
Introduction
There seems little doubt that David wrote this psalm when Absalom’s rebellion was coming to a head in Jerusalem. [In his Commentary on the Holy Bible, Dummelow denies David’s authorship of Psalm 55 stating “The author of this psalm can hardly be David for he speaks as a citizen of a distracted city rather than as its king, and the friend of whom he complains is his equal and not his subject.] At that time, several of David’s trusted comrades deserted him. One of note is Ahithophel— “While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom's following kept on increasing” (2 Samuel 15:12)—perhaps the wisest advisor in the nation who, after Absalom fails to take his advice, realizes David will eventually regain the throne and commits suicide (see 2 Samuel 16:20-17:13, 23). The background of this psalm was Absalom’s rebellion and Ahithophel’s treachery.
If we have been tempted to give up, to run away from our problems, then this is the psalm for us. Most of us have been where David was in this psalm—hard pressed by circumstances that are partly our own making but which have gotten beyond our control. The only thing to do is to fling ourselves into the arms of God, as David did at the close of this psalm. Psalm 55 is a prayer for God’s help when threatened by a powerful conspiracy in Jerusalem under the leadership of a former friend.
This psalm pictures what I believe to be the darkest moment of the Tribulation period. The Antichrist, the Man of Sin, is portrayed here in a remarkable way, a way that many who are students of prophesy have never considered.
Commentary
What David Felt (55:1-3). David felt what so many of us have felt when things which have overtaken us are largely the result of our own past foolishness. He tells us in verses 1-2 that he feels ABANDONED BY GOD; in verse 3 he says that he feels ABUSED BY MEN.
1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
2 Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
The psalmist opens up with an eager plea to God that his prayer may be heard. The “noise” he makes is the sound of weeping. He is a type of Christ, and like Christ, he is a “man of sorrows.” The appeal, “hide not thyself” is used here to mean “do not withhold thy help.”
It is a dreadful thing when heaven seems so far away that our prayers cannot be heard; when we have a lurking fear that our sins have separated us from God. David felt himself “abandoned by God.” But he knew what to do; he prayed aloud and in agony for God’s help.
3 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
The word translated “oppression” means “outcry”. David was concerned for his circumstances; he could hear the approaching baying of the hounds.
The word translated “enemy” is rendered “lawless one” by one Bible commentator. It’s a very illuminating word when applied to Absalom. It was Absalom, David’s beloved son, who was inciting the outcry against David. Absalom wanted the kingdom and did not care whether or not his father was killed in the process. In fact, the death of David was essential to his plans. David knew that his own negligence as a father had turned Absalom against his father, the Lord, and the nation. He also knew that the revolt was part of the discipline that Nathan the prophet promised because of David’s adultery and the murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 12:9-12).
David had to vacate his throne and leave Jerusalem “because of the voice of the enemy,”—Absalom’s party—for they falsely accused him of many crimes, saying that he was the cause of all his calamities. They stirred up the people to cry out against David, and shut him out of his palace and capital city, and afterwards the chief priests stirred up the mob to cry out against the Son of David, “Away with him—Crucify Him.” Yet it was not the voice of the enemy only that brought tears to David’s eyes, but their oppression, and the hardship he was thereby reduced to. They hate me; their anger and rage against me did not happen suddenly, but boiled up into malice and hatred over time. He felt like everything was falling apart and there was no hope. It’s natural to look at our feelings and express our fears, but that isn’t the way to solve the problems.
What David Feared (55:4-5).
4 My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
The phrase “my heart is sore pained within me,” has been rendered by at least one commentator as, “my heart continues writhing within me.” David is still haunted by the ghost of Uriah and by the horror of his past sin. He wonders when he will stop paying for those sinful days.
“The terrors of death” refers to either (1) deadly terrors, the kind that take hold of men who are in the “agonies” of death; or, (2) fears of death, which in David’s case is more severe and foreboding, because his death will reflect dishonor upon God, and bring many miseries upon the people. His “heart” (v. 4) is in anguish because danger is everywhere, a danger so great that it is as if “death” itself were stocking him. David longs for a quiet retreat away from treacherous and conniving people.
The fact is that while God freely forgives us and removes our accountability for our sin, He nearly always lets us live with the consequences of our sin. Everything that is happening to David can be traced back step by step to his sin. The trouble with his kinsmen and the trouble with his kingdom were directly related to his sin. Nothing but divine intervention could prevent his sins from finding him out as a prince, just as they had found him out as a parent.
If I feel sorry for David, it is because “fearfulness” filled his mind, and his body trembled at the thought of the hardships and danger that lie ahead, and “horror” controlled him and overwhelms him.
Sin is a terrible thing. We think we’ll have just this one little fling. But it doesn’t end there. We set in motion the forces of the wind and we will reap the whirlwind. We are going to see in this psalm how terrible the whirlwind was in David’s case. His whole world was crumbling around him.
All people fear death. The “horror” of its inevitability may hit us quite suddenly, especially if an “enemy”—whether he is an individual person, a group, a cancer, a fire, a flood—overwhelms us unawares.
6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.
7 Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.
The worst troubles that had overtaken him in his fugitive years, when he fled to the “wilderness” to “escape” from Saul, were nothing compared with the perils that pursued him now. Then he could plead his innocence. Now his guilt meets him at every turn. He longs for peace, even if the only place he could find it was in a “wilderness.” The human heart longs for a safe and peaceful refuge, far from the problems and burdens of life. Elijah fled from the place where he ministered and hid in a cave (1 Kings 19). Jeremiah longed for a quiet place where he might get away from the wicked people around him (Jeremiah 9:2-6), but when given the opportunity to leave Judea, like a true shepherd, he remained with the people (Jeremiah 40:1-6).
The uproar that assaults his ears came from the Jerusalem mob—egged on by Absalom and Ahithophel—and it is more than he can stand. So what will he do— “fly away!” It’s a natural instinct to run away from trouble. That’s what he will do. David, if given the opportunity would “escape” to the desert for some peace and solitude, leaving his tormentors behind him. But apparently the option of “escape” is not available to him, and David will be forced to weather his emotional “storm.” Hence, he raised his sad cry, “Oh that I had wings like a dove!” The “dove” is swift in its flight, can fly long distances, seeks a refuge in the high rocks (Jeremiah 48:28), and it always hides before a “storm.” But we don’t need “wings like a dove” so we can “fly away” from the “storm.” We need “wings” like an eagle so we can “fly” above the “storm.”
Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
(Isaiah 40:30-31).
More than once David had prayed that the Lord would “hide him,” and He answered his prayers (17:8; 27:5; 64:2). What a picture of timid innocence! How often do we suppose that we could find “rest” by changing our circumstances! But the restless heart would be restless everywhere he goes. The words of Jesus are the true answer to this cry for “rest.”
“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
(Matthew 5:43-45; also see 26:52; Hebrews 4:3).
And “fly away” he did, in reckless haste. All he wanted was peace. What he aimed at in making his “escape” was not victory but “rest”: “then would I fly away, and be at rest.” He was sick of it all, of the gossip, the court intrigue, the slanders and lies. He was heartsick because his beloved Absalom had turned against him. He was broken hearted, battered in his spirit. He was tired of fighting for his throne, tired of all the proof that he no longer ruled the affections of his people. All these things are the factors that makes death, for the Christian, nothing to fear, for it is a final “escape” from all the “storms and tempests” of this world— “escape” to a perfect and everlasting “rest.” He longed for peace at any price—even at the cost of capitulation and exile—even if he had to travel to a barren frightful “wilderness.” He longed to be at peace like a “dove” in some safe nest, a hideout in the hills. So he fled. He fled Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15:14) and launched in the wilderness across the Jordon River at Mahamaim.
“Selah” is a word with undetermined meaning. Perhaps the best way to think of “Selah” is as a combination of several proposed meanings. The Amplified Bible adds “pause and calmly think about that” to each verse where “Selah” appears. When we see the word in a psalm or in Habakkuk 3, we should pause to carefully weigh the meaning of what we have just read or heard, lifting up our hearts in praise to God for His great truths. “All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name." “Selah!” (Psalm 66:4).
David’s Anger (55:9-15). His anger now blazes out in white heat. His mood of defeat and despair has changed. He has been hustled through the city by Joab and his bodyguard, forced to leave behind his treasures and his palace. All the gold he had carefully accumulated for the Temple has been left behind. All the archives of the nation, all the hymns and songs he had written for the Temple have been left behind. His wives—Michael, Abigail, Bathsheba, and the rest—all left behind.
Moreover, on that wild, worried march David has seen things in the city that infuriates him. He has cast aside all his lethargy, his self-pity, his gloomy pessimism. He had become David the king again. He is a king in full flight, in peril of his life, despised and rejected by men, but he is still the king. He speaks now as an outraged king who has seen enough to make his blood boil; he is now determined to come back and to put an end to the reign of wicked men.
David is angry at the trouble in his country (55: 9-11). Immediately his kingly qualities take over and are evident in his plan of action.
9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Here is A Possible Solution. He has left behind him a “city” given over to the lawlessness, looting, and “violence” that so often accompany a rebellion. He knows that behind the turmoil is Absalom, riding the foaming crest of anarchy to the throne. Statesmanlike, David now begins to take charge, even in his prayer.
David wasn’t living in denial; he knew what was going on around him, and he directed operations in a masterful manner, worthy of his reputation. But he also prayed that God would bring confusion to Absalom’s ranks— “Now David had been told, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." So David prayed, "LORD, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness" (2 Samuel 15:31)—and that’s just what happened.
The best way to deal with Absalom is to make sure he listens to divided tongues, to see to it that the council he gets is conflicting and confusing. What happened at this point in David’s flight is recorded by the historian and sheds light on David’s angry prayer in Psalm 55. First, Zadok the priest came to join David in exile, bringing with him the sacred ark of God. David thanked Zadok but sent the ark back. He had God so he didn’t need the symbol of His presence. Then came Hushai, another of David’s friends, willing to stand by the fallen king, eager to be of help. David sent him back, too, only he sent him to Absalom. Hushai was to be the divided “tongue” in Absalom’s counsels. He was to counter the suggestions of Ahithophel with crafty counsels, which would bring about Absalom’s doom and David’s victory. And that’s what happened. The Lord used Hushai to influence Absalom to reject Ahithophel’s council, and this led to the defeat of Absalom’s forces (2 Samuel 15:31). This historical event was David’s inspiration for writing Psalm 55, and it is evidence that David is once again taking hold of the reins of his kingdom.
While still in Jerusalem, David witnessed “violence and strife in the city,” for Jerusalem had been taken over by violent men, to whom injustice, and fraud, and oppression, and contention was the rule, instead of that public justice and peace which was established and maintained by him when he was on the throne. The people took sides and many followed Absalom (2 Samuel 15:10-14).
Again David turns the matter over to God. Those who were the cause of the Psalmist’s fear are referred to God to be the objects of His wrath— “Destroy . . . And divide their tongues,” i.e., set them one against another instead of against the innocent. The offenses of the wicked people are mentioned in verses 9-11: “violence,” “strife,” malice, abuse, threats, and lies. The extent of their actions had reached the point where David not only prays for them to become confused and confounded but even that they would be surprised by their sudden deaths (55:15). What makes this situation particularly painful for David is the involvement of someone he had considered a close friend and had spent a lot of time with. They had even worshipped together (55:12-14).
The division of tongues is reminiscent of God’s judgment upon the builders of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:5-9), where he destroyed the movement against Him by multiplying languages.
10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
The events of the past few days, the insurrection and riot in the city, were all fresh in David’s mind. He tells the Lord all about it—the violence, the strife, the iniquity, the,” “sorrow the “mischief,” the “deceit,” the guilt. David paints a picture of a city given over to upheaval and chaos in which no law or order is left and in which the vilest actions reign supreme. He is in a city of inner upheaval where violence and strife are personified as walking the “walls” along with “mischief” (malice) and “sorrow” (abuse). It is also a city where “deceit” (dishonesty) and “guile” (treachery)” are personified as walking the “streets” (or literally, “wide places,” markets, courts of justice, and any public place), looking for an opportunity to attack the righteous. But David is not only angry at the trouble in his country.
David is angry at the treachery of his Comrade (55:12-15).
12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.
14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
He now remembers that, at the heart of Absalom’s rebellion, giving it direction and force, indeed making it possible, is Ahithophel. Like Psalm 54, this psalm is about treachery. In Psalm 54 the treachery had taken place in David’s youth, before he was king, and bitter as it was, it was more or less impersonal. The treachery here in Psalm 55 has the added distress of being betrayed by a close and trusted friend. Also, it foreshadows the time when the nation will be betrayed by Antichrist.
David’s mind goes back to the old days, when he reigned in the affections of his people, and had a special friend, Ahithophel. They were a pair well suited to each other, it seemed. They thought alike, and had mutual interests. David had a great heart and Ahithophel had a shrewd head. Both were concerned about the good of the kingdom. David and Ahithophel could often be seen together, David’s arm thrown over the shoulder of his friend, as the two discussed matters of state on their way to the “house of God.” David would share a new psalm for the Temple, Ahithophel would share a new idea for the tribes. The psalmist called Ahithophel “my guide” (literally, “my friend”); whose council I highly prized, and consistently sought and followed; which is a good description of Ahithophel. That was the man who betrayed David, who so suddenly and viciously stabbed him in the back. There are people who will pray with you and who will pray for you when you are with them. But when your back is turned, they will put a knife in it. There are people like that all around us. And if the Antichrist appeared tomorrow, he would have a following of men like Ahithophel before the sun went down
There is no pain as great as the pain of betrayal by a trusted friend or loved one. Such treason can deserve only “death,” a “quick” plunge into Sheol, in this instance rightly translated “hell” since it would be an expression of God’s wrath. “Let them go down quick into hell” is literally “Let them go alive down to sheol!” David is expressing his desire that they go to the grave before life has run its normal course (Numbers 16:29-33). Since “God” had done this once with the enemies of Moses (Numbers 16:30), David asks Him to perform the same judgment on his enemies. In our contemporary society we often hear the frightful expression, “Go to hell.” That is an awful thing to say, and David almost said that regarding Ahithophel. In contrast to him, our Lord Jesus prayed for them who spitefully used Him and instructed us to do likewise.
We think of Ahithophel and then, passing through the centuries, we think of Judas. The parallel is all the more striking since Ahithophel’s end came when he hanged himself. We think of Ahithophel and then we think of the coming Antichrist, for like Judas, he too will be a master of deception; he will betray the nation of Israel. He will pretend to be their friend, will make a covenant with them and then will betray them. Daniel tells us he will “make craft to prosper.”
David can see all too well what happened. Absalom and Ahithophel now have their heads together. His fury flames at the thought of Ahithophel, exposed for what he is, a traitor, whispering into Absalom’s ears. Already the reports of his spies are filtering back. Ahithophel has suggested the public, shameless rape of David’s wives by Absalom. The report’s make it perfectly clear that Absalom has readily agreed to the inequities whispered in his ear by the man who once was David’s friend. David’s wrath explodes: “Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.” Not a Christian prayer, perhaps, but one appropriate for the times. Moreover, it was a prayer swiftly answered in the suicide of Ahithophel and the murder of Absalom.
The true Christian must expect trials from professed friends, from those with whom he has been united; this will be very painful; but by looking unto Jesus we shall be enabled to bear it.
David’s Answer (55:16-23). David knows that God has heard him, that the answer is on the way. He makes this a Maskil psalm by telling us what he has learned about God.
16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me.
17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
David was confident that God was going to act in this situation, but he did not know when, and therefore he was going to assail God’s throne both confidently and continually. Deliverance is so certain that he can speak of it as already accomplished. In the wake of such emotional trauma, David cries out to God evening, mourning, and midday, which means that he was praying all day long! He no doubt also prayed at night (55:10). David’s regular prayer times are reminiscent of Daniel’s faithfulness and commitment to “pray” three times a day (Daniel 6:10). We might say, “Morning, noon, and night,” but David sites “evening, morning, and noon” because the Jewish day started at sundown. His persistence in prayer is rewarded by personal peace and by confidence in the affliction of his adversaries. My friend, one good thing your enemy will do for you is to cause you to “pray” more than you have ever prayed before!
If we need to eat for physical strength three times each day, shouldn’t we “pray” just as often? But though we have our fixed times, no time is unreasonable. God’s courts of appeal never close their doors.
David’s confidence lay in the righteous character of God. God had deeded the throne of Israel to him by a solemn covenant. It was inconceivable to David that God would allow that throne to be snatched away from him by a rebellious son who, under various articles of the Mosaic Law, could be put to death. It is a great thing to bring to God a confidence and an insistence that is based solidly on God’s own Word.
David Will Pray Believingly (55:18).
18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
The impending “battle” with Absalom had not yet been fought, but David was already at “peace.” He could already hear the doves that had come from far off places flocking together. Moreover, loyalists were beginning to filter out of Jerusalem to join his ranks and already there were enough of them to put a respectable army in the field. Without God’s support, David would feel vastly outnumbered, yet he remains unharmed. He knows his enemies have no fear of God, and he is no doubt distraught as he realizes that his former friend is now included among them. True, Absalom had the numbers, but David had the best. A few men like Joab, Abishai, or Benaiah were worth scores of the kind of men who fawned on Absalom. In any case David knew that so long as God was on his side he had a majority. “There are many with me!” he says, for there were the holy angels whom God employed to defend and deliver him. David had thought all were “against” him; but now he sees there were “many” with him, more than he supposed; and the Glory of this he gives to God, for it is He that raises up friends for us, and makes them faithful to us.
The Righteousness of God (55:19-21). At this point David takes an objective look at his circumstances.
19 God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.
PAST HISTORY DEMONSTRATES THAT GOD WOULD ACT— “God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah.” According to David, God would have to abdicate His throne if He allowed His anointed to be pushed off his throne. He gives emphasis to his statement by adding a resounding “Selah.”
That is what David had in mind. All past history, all that stood connected with the sovereignty of God assured David that God would act. He said God would “hear” his voice (55:17); now he adds that God will hear his enemies’ voices as He “afflicts them.”
PRESENT HAPPENINGS DEMAND THAT GOD SHOULD ACT (55:19b-21)— David reviews again the kind of people who had taken up arms against him particularly his favorite son and his best friend. He thinks again of the abominations the pair of them had concocted and carried out just to convince the people that Absalom’s breach with David was total.
David’s Foes Were Disbelieving Men— “Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.” That is, there was no “change” in their lives; they were too set in their ways and to secure to pay any attention to God. They were disbelieving men. God could not overlook that.
David’s Foes Were Despicable Men (55:20)
20 He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.
One translator puts it this way: “For he laid hands on his friends [with force or violence], profaning friendship’s bond.” There was nothing sacred to Ahithophel or to Absalom. Ahithophel had violated both spiritual freedoms and social conventions, the laws of fellowship and friendship. He had broken the “covenant” that existed between him and I; all those solemn obligations by which he was tied to me, both as his king and his friend.
David’s Foes Were Deceitful Men (55:21)
21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
Ahithophel, pretending to be a friend to David— “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter”—was plotting against him. When you hear that, the first thing you think of is Gethsemane. David, in his desperate hours, the future still hanging in the balance, the decisive battle still to be fought, flings himself on God. The righteousness of God is what gave Him comfort in that hour. God must act against the disbelieving, despicable, and deceitful men aligned against him. God, the sovereign Ruler, hears the prayers of His own; He also hears and knows about the violence of the wicked.
God’s Defense of the Saint (55:22)
22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
What a remarkable statement of faith! David knew how to rise above his circumstances. He simply looked at them in the light of God. “Leave it to the Eternal who loves you,” is the way one translator puts the statement. David’s response and advice to others— “Cast thy burden upon the Lord”—is wise and appropriate. In this place “thy burden” refers to that which God gives a person to carry; for even the sufferings of good men are called God’s gifts in scripture (Philippians 1:29; John 18:11). “He “cast” it on thee; now “cast” it back on Him.” The sense is, lay all the affairs, and crosses, and cares, and fears, upon the shoulders of the Almighty by faith and prayer, with a confident expectation of a good response. We cannot do God’s work in the world, as long as we stoop under burdens which impede our energies; therefore, hand over every “burden” to Him. Those who cast their concerns on God will not be disappointed. The psalmist promises that the “Lord” will uphold the believer in the struggles of life. We can be sure the “Lord” will never let us down.
“He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved,” or fall forever, as He does wicked men; though He may for a season allow them to be shaken, yet He will not allow them to be utterly overwhelmed. When David’s lot was a happy one, it came from the “Lord” (16: 5-6), and when he experienced times of pain and sorrow, the “Lord” was still in control.
God’s Defeat of the Sinner (55:23). David was confident that God will never forsake the righteous (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5). But He will destroy (Psalm 55:15) “bloodthirsty and deceitful men” who afflict the righteous.
23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.
David did not know it at the time, but neither Absalom nor Ahithophel would outlive the events of the next few “days.” But he did say “God, shalt bring them down.” He called them “bloody (bloodthirsty) and deceitful men” that hide their cruel intentions with false and deceitful pretenses. To all of this David says, “I will trust in thee”;in this confidence I will quietly and patiently wait upon thee, for their downfall, and for my deliverance. What can we learn from all this? —the same lesson that the hymn writer learned in his hour of loss and pain:
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blessed assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
God will simultaneously take care of the righteous while shortening the work (if not the lives) of the wicked.
