Home Lessons
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Tom Lowe
PSALM 59
Title: Deliver Me, O God!
(To the choirmaster; Altaschith{2], a Michtam of David, according to Due Not Destroy, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.)
Theme: An imprecatory prayer against the enemy
Psalm 59 (KJV)
1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity and save me from bloody men.
3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord.
4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.
5 Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.
6 They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?
8 But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.
9 Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.
10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
11 Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.
12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.
13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
15 Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.
16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.
Introduction
King Saul kept some “dogs” around his palace—mean and savage men. More than once he had turned them loose on David. This psalm is about one such occasion.
Critics disagree over the date and occasion of the psalm, but the caption at its head serves our purpose well enough: “Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.” That takes us back to the early history of David. If the psalm was written at the time suggested by the caption, then it must have been one of the earliest that came from David’s pen. It is a michtam psalm, one to be engraved in the mind and memory, in the heart and life.
This psalm has a footnote which reads: “To the chief Musician upon Shushan-eduth,” which tells us that it was handed over by David for use by the temple choir and marked for special use in connection with the spring festivities, that is, the Passover. The word “Shushan” means “flowers” or “lilies” which bloom in the spring. The word eduth means “testimony” or “witness.” This psalm is evidently intended to bear a testimony to the goodness of God in preserving His persecuted saint.
Commentary
1 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.
Saul had been elected king of Israel by popular vote; he had been the people’s choice because he was tall and outwardly imposing. But Saul had failed wretchedly, the Spirit of God had departed from him, and he was tormented now by evil spirits which twisted the cords of his heart into knots. Under their evil influence, depressing moods seized the king. His court and advisors thought that music would help to prevent his deep depression and demoralizing spirit, which infected with fear and dread, everyone with whom he came into contact. Inquiries were made, and David was hired to sing to the king and soothe his troubled soul with music on his harp. So far, so good.
But then came the Philistine invasion led by Goliath of Gath and Saul had more serious and demanding matters on his mind. David went back to the family farm. For a month and a half Goliath held the Israeli army pinned down in terror while he made a public mockery of both the Hebrews and their God. Then David returned, slew Goliath, and the love Saul once showed for his handsome musician turned into suspicion and envy. Again and again he eyed David and sought to slay him. He flung a javelin at him; he tried to get David killed in battle with the Philistines; he married his younger daughter to him in the hope that she might be a snare to him. He summoned his son Jonathan and his servants and issued orders that they were to kill David. At length Jonathan’s intercession for David prevailed and David was recalled to court. For a while all went well, but then there was a fresh outbreak of hostilities with the Philistines and again David distinguished himself. Saul enraged by jealous hate, flung another javelin at David. David fled to his home and confided in Michal, his wife and Saul’s daughter, that he was in terrible danger. Saul, meantime, had unleashed his human dogs to bay and bark at David’s house (1 Samuel 19:8-11a). Their instructions were simple—break in and kill him by morning.
This is probably the background to David’s plea: “Deliver me . . . defend me . . . deliver me, O my God.” The repetition of the phrase “deliver me” is for emphasis, meaning “to bring one out” of trouble and distress. The verb translated “defend” means “to set up on high” or “to a place out of reach of trouble.” “Save me” is the most common of the Hebrew verbs for salvation. It suggests “to give room to” or “to expand an area to breathe.” David, young as he was, had learned that God was a very present help in time of trouble.
In Psalm 59 the psalmist is being persecuted by harsh and bitter enemies— “workers of iniquity,” and “bloody men,” he calls them. Yet it is not under their murderous deeds that he is suffering, for the weapons of these enemies are not swords but words of abuse and slander. They have attacked him with accusations for which there are no grounds. So he comes to the Temple, where he prays to be saved from these accusers and to be placed beyond their reach by God. His petition is passionate and eager.
3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord.
There is something truly attractive about the sight of this princely young man kneeling by his bed and pouring out his fears to the Lord while his foes were drawing a cordon around his house, proclaiming their intention of putting an end to him as soon as it was light. Enemies become like wild animals on the hunt or enemy soldiers, for “they lie in wait” along one’s paths.
David reminds the Lord that he has done nothing to deserve all this. We can well imagine, however, the jealousy with which young David was viewed by some of the King’s toadies. He was good looking, he had a charismatic personality, he was young, he had been brought in and given a position of great potential influence with the king. Who did the king turn to when his tortured soul sank into demonically inspired fits of near insanity? David! Who was it who, with sweet voice and clever music, charmed away the depression of the king? David! Moreover, Saul loved David. Who could help but love a man like David! The self-seeking aristocrats were jealous.
David was able to bring relief to a half crazed tyrant. But he made enemies at court—people who resented his closeness to the king and who were out to get him at all costs. They know how they would use influence such as David had. They would use it to manipulate the king and eliminate all opposition to themselves. They imagined David was cut from the same piece of cloth. So they set to work to poison Saul’s mind: David was a traitor, David was plotting to seize the throne, David was stealing the hearts of the people, David was just biding his time, David would one day murder the king—until Saul believed their lies. These were his reasons, or so he said, for hunting him down.
David knew who to turn to; he told the Lord about the trouble he was in: “Not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord,” he prayed desperately that menacing night. He was innocent of the things Saul was being told. In general terms he pictures his formidable accusers as evil men lying in ambush. Here “transgression” refers to treason against the king, the crime with which David was charged. There were times in David’s life when he knew that he was suffering because of sin in his life (Psalm 32). There were other times when he believed himself to be innocent of sin— “Not for my transgression”—but still he was hounded by wicked persons. This teaches us that we should habitually train ourselves to have consciences void of offense towards God and men [“And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16; NKJV).]
4 They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.
They show their hands and charge David openly with wrongs of which he is NOT guilty. Since he was innocent and since God was just, all that was needed was for God to take note of what was going on. He boldly asks the Lord to wake up!
5 Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.
“Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen.” In previous psalms, some of the psalmist’s closest friends had joined in the treachery against him; in this case, however, some commentators believe that the clause “awake to visit all the heathen” means that the opposition seems to have come from people outside of Israel. I don’t think the context will support that theory—his foes are Saul’s henchmen. David’s call for the Lord to “awake” is another way of asking God to pay attention to his plight (7:6; 35:23; 44:23; Isaiah 51:9). To insure God’s reception of his bold shout, David uses the “full name” of God.
What consoled him in this hour of panic—when his house was surrounded by vigilant enemies who were lying in ambush and awaiting only the break of day before surging in to take his life—was his sense of history and his knowledge of God.
In the first place, young as he was, he knew God. He piles up name after name for God. He is Jehovah, He is Jehovah Sabaoth—the Lord of hosts{3], He is Elohim of Israel. He is Jehovah of hosts—He has the power. He is the God of Israel—the mighty God who has entered into covenant relationship with Israel—the mighty God who had recently sent His prophet to Bethlehem to anoint him, David, to be Israel’s future king. David, on his knees, weds together might and right. It is an unbeatable combination.
Such was the measure of David’s spiritual stature—even as a young man. His own case was urgent, the enemy was at his very gates, but he could find time to pray, not just for his own need, but that God would fully and forcibly reveal His righteousness by imposing it upon the whole world. He had expressed his plea to God. He had recorded his panic.
The righteous constantly experience the mercy of the Lord, but His mercy is not extended to those who constantly oppose him— “be not merciful to any wicked transgressors”
6 They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
7 Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?
The psalmist vividly describes their accusing, insulting speech as dogs foaming at the mouth!{2] What a picture of hoodlums set free and left unfettered. The police were strangely absent; Saul was manipulating the whole thing; David’s foes were like a pack of half-starved curs barking at his gate. More than that, they were barking all over town. They had been deliberately unleashed by the king and were hot on the scent of their prey. “They make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city,” is how David described their strategy for alienating David from those who loved him—those who thought of him as a hero. They went “round about the city,” to create a bad reputation for David, and, if possible, to set the mob against him. If they failed at that, then, at least they might prevent the mob from being incensed against them, which they had good reason to fear they would be, since David was their darling.
The phrase, “Behold, they belch out with their mouth” is a reference to the coarse, uncouth character of Saul’s henchmen.
In verse six there is the same vicious thuggery (physical violence) that keeps people off the streets of our present-day large cities after dark. But the genius of the psalmist is his covering of all such dangerous situations, even those that we ourselves must face.
“Swords are in their lips,” that is, they were saying dreadful things—sharp criticisms that wound my heart with grief [“As with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” (Psalm 42:10)], and slanders that stab and wound my reputation.
The wicked believe that they will not face punishment for their evil. “Who hears?” expresses their attitude. Well, God hears! —and they are profoundly mistaken (75:7, 10; 92:6). Telephone companies nowadays trace and identify a speaker by the print his voice makes on equipment sensitive enough to record it. Every one of us has a different voice print, just as we have different fingerprints. God has all those voice prints on record awaiting the day of judgment. Think of it! The lies we have told—all voice printed. The bad language we have used—all recorded. The God-dishonoring opinions we have expressed—ours to face again at the judgment seat. Our thoughts and opinions, our beliefs and blasphemies, our foolishness and our fantasies—all voice printed. Jesus said: “Every idol word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” There is hardly a more sobering statement in the Scriptures. “Who, say they, doth hear?” is a blasphemy indicating either their unbelief (imagining that God does not know of their secret and evil purposes), or implying that God doesn’t exist or doesn’t know what happens in the affairs of mankind. Thank God that there is one gloriously effective way to get those voice prints erased. “The blood of Jesus Christ [God’s Son] cleanseth us from all sin.” All sin, even spoken sin.
So David views the danger of his situation. King Saul, who has tried to murder him some nine times already, now has his hoodlums at his gate. They are all over town watching the exits from the city, and the night is fading away fast. Soon the dawn will break in the eastern sky and it will all be over. Unless God acts. So David, there on his knees, considers the dangers he faces. The spies were watching David but David was “on watch” looking for the Lord to act (121:3-5, 7-8).
8 But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision{4].
9 Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.
There were two spiritual perils David faced that night: the peril of reacting and the peril of revenge. He could have lost his faith in that dark moment. Many a person has tossed his beliefs overboard under the pressure of adversities. “Oh, what’s the use? How can there be a God?” Many a person, under such conditions, has resolved in his soul that if ever he gets the chance he will make his enemies pay in full for their hate.
David does neither. He has recovered his sense of proportion: he is the Lord’s anointed! And there they are, senseless men, thinking they can outwit God. It is hilarious!
God in Heaven must have been laughing (the laughter of contempt) too at the utter stupidity of those unsaved men. Thus David vanquished the peril to his soul. He looked at things from the standpoint of an eternal, omnipotent, omnificent, almighty God. It was laughable, that a pack of hoodlums would think that they could kill him, the Lord’s anointed!The reason David is so confident is revealed in his testimony, “For God is my defense.” The phrase suggests both strength and peace—a tower against which all the might of the foe hurls itself in vain; a high tower so that the soul taking refuge in it is lifted far above the turmoil and the strife, and enabled to view from a vantage point of perfect safety, the violence which is futile and the victory of God.
In the psalmist’s day God is going to win against every evil individual, gang, or nation that can ever arise to defy him. Consequently, here on earth, I, in my turn, can address God as my Strength, and can then add “I will watch”; be on the lookout for Thee, knowing that I can place my whole confidence in the God who is going to win. Amazingly the word “watch” used here is that which is normally used for God’s watching over us! It is used in the sense of His keeping us safe.
Thus the first part of the psalm deals with David’s danger. The danger was real enough on the human level, but it was ridiculous when seen from the standpoint of the throne of God.
DAVID’S DELIVERANCE (59:10-17)
Suddenly he knows what to do. He gets up from his knees. “Here, Michal,” he says, “Give me that pillow. Now then, some string. We’ll make this pillow look like a human figure. There! Now then, tuck it up in bed. That’s right. Pull the sheet a little higher. When they peer in through the window in the morning they will think I’m still asleep in bed. It will give me a few more minutes and it will give you an alibi. You can say when they come to the door that I’m still in bed. Now then, let me down through the window (1 Samuel 19:11b-14). Goodbye, my dear. May God keep you. Saul won’t touch you; he just wants me.”
Much of the rest of this psalm is imprecatory. These imprecatory{1] psalms are not expressions of personal revenge, but are expressions of a zeal for righteousness. They declare a believe that God must punish wickedness and they are often prophetic in character and anticipate events at the end of the age.
It is possible that David finished this psalm after he had escaped from his foes and had time to think through more carefully the idea which had seized him in his prayer—the idea that God would laugh at those who tried to hinder and stop His own eternal plans.
10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
“The God of my mercy shall prevent [go before] me; God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.” This statement showed David’s confidence. The hostility of his false accusers is bitter and treacherous, and yet the psalmist himself has profound confidence that God will help him. The lies of his enemies is comparable to the slander of proud pagans, but the great God sees it all and laughs in scorn. And even now, although relief has not come, in due time he will stand vindicated before his would-be destroyers. That’s why his words show his great confidence. He points out that as long as God goes before him as a fortress, he can remain impervious to the slander of others. He even has the presence of mind to realize that if God is to strike down the loudmouthed enemies all at once, the people of Israel might soon forget God’s goodness and power.
The psalmist used here language we have met so often before—that it is not my faith that counts, it is God’s faithfulness that is everything.
11 Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.
12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.
David wanted his people to be able to recognize God’s judgment. That was very important. So often truth seems to be on the platform and wrong upon the throne. If God’s people were to be able to recognize God’s judgment it must be exemplary judgment: “Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by Thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.” David believed that God’s judgment would be more recognizable if, instead of taking immediate vengeance, God acted according to a long range plan whereby He would “scatter them” among the nations, and the wicked would be allowed to work out their wickedness to their own lasting loss and shame. Let them wander about the city and country to do me (David) harm, and make their punishment be equal with their sin; let them wander from place to place, specifically, for meat, as it is expressed in verse 15, so that they carry the token of Thy justice and their own shame to all the places where they go. David believed that the wicked should not simply perish, because they would be forgotten. Rather, they should be made to wander in humiliation as outcasts and fugitives. Then these defeated folks will become a continual reminder of what happens to those who oppose God, and the enemies themselves will acknowledge that Israel’s God is the Judge of all the earth.
The psalmist is only too human. “Slay them not” he begs of God; “don’t kill them outright—let them suffer first before they die.” First, let my people see your justice as you deal with them. Only after that can You “consume them, that they may not be.” The psalmist does not wish destruction and ruin upon his enemies, although he has no mercy in his heart for them. What he wishes instead, is for their arrogance to be restrained and for them to become keenly aware that the Lord rules over his people Israel in love and concern and that He has control over all the earth (v. 13). He wants them to be impressed by this, a result that will be far more significant than their sudden retaliatory destruction. So the petition pours forth (vs. 11-15).
God’s judgment must be explicit judgment: “For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.” David felt that the punishment should be commensurate with the offence, that in some way outrageous words against him should come home to roost. Pride is what is emphasized here. “Pride goes before destruction” says Proverbs 16:18, “and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Pride is the deadliest of the seven deadly sins. Let me put it in today’s terms: If you arrogantly choose to make use, for example, of drugs for your own greedy pleasure, these will, in the end, consume you.
13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
15 Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.
“Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be.” Judgment hardens. This principle is seen throughout the Scriptures and especially in the book of Revelation. God’s poetic judgment of David’s foes and their humiliation would not change their hearts. Which leads to the next step; when the people have been made to see God’s judgment and have been brought to a state of subservience, but not to a state of repentance, then the judgment process must be carried further. Complete justice will then demand that the full penalty be exacted without further mercy.
Moreover, if his persecutors are to recognize God’s justice, then that justice must also be conscious justice (59:13b-15). It would have to be exacted in such a way that the ungodly would know they have received just what they have deserved. They would have to learn the extent of God’s rule: “And let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah” (59:13b). And they would have to learn the exactness of God’s retribution: “And at evening let them return and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge [let them whine] if they be not satisfied” (59:14-15). Even they would not be able to mistake the justice of it all. They had howled like a pack of dogs after his blood; let the time come when they would whine like the curs they had chosen to become.
But David has not quite finished. He has written down thoughts about his protection. He concludes with praise to his God. Observe:
1) What would he praise God for?
He would praise His power and His mercy.
He would praise Him because He had, many times, and all along, found Him to be his defense and his refuge in those days of trouble.
He would praise Him because He still depended upon Him and had confidence in Him—in His strength to support him and carry him on in his duty, His defense to keep him safe from evil, and the God of his mercy to make him happy and trouble-free.
He that is all this to us is certainly worthy of our best affections, praises, and services.
2) How he would praise God.
He would sing. Just as that is a natural expression of joy, so it is an instituted ordinance for the exerting an exciting of holy joy and thankfulness.
He would sing aloud, like one greatly moved by the Glory of God, that was not ashamed to show it, and that desired to touch others with it. He will sing of God’s power, and he will sing aloud of His mercy; the mere thought of that raises his love for Him more than anything else.
He would sing aloud in the morning, when his spirits were fresh and lively. God’s compassions are new every morning, and therefore it fitting to begin the day with His praises.
He would sing unto God, to his honor and glory, and with his mind focused entirely on Him. As we must direct our prayers to God, so must we direct our praises to Him; and we must look up, making melody to the Lord.
16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.
His situation is still perilous, but it is characteristic of David that he finds something to sing about! He tells us why he would like to sing; “But I will sing of Thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning” (59:16a). The extreme danger of the night before is over. Saul’s executioners have gone back to the king to tell him that David has escaped. They related the story of the pillow in his bed and Michal’s claim that David had threatened to kill her if she tried to hinder him.
However, David does not attribute his escape to his own cleverness. God saved him. That was all there was two it. That was why he wanted to sing.
He tells us what he would like to sing: “For Thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto Thee, O my strength, will I sing; for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy” (59:16b-17). He has found a lofty retreat in God. The word for “defense” means “a high place.” David had found in God a place so high, so lofty, that no one could seize him there!
David did not intend for his psalm to persuade God to do anything, but rather, his intention was to express a feeling of deep thanksgiving which arises from the psalmist’s heart. He is still not free from danger, but he expects deliverance from the violence of his accusers through an experience that would happen sometime between the evening and the morning. He vows to lift up a thankful cry of joy in the morning for the blessed experience of joyous release which God will mediate to him during the night.
We do not know where David was when he penned the closing stanzas of this psalm. Doubtless he was in some cave or den, but he knew he was safe in the arms of God. No wonder he wanted this psalm to be included in the repertoire of the temple choir.
Special Notes:
{1] “Imprecatory psalms” are prayer songs so designated because of their particularly vigorous attitude toward the enemy. The verb “imprecate” means “to pray evil against” or “to invoke curse upon” another.
{2] The pariah Dogs of the eastern towns usually slept in the sun during the day, and then at night prowled about in packs looking for food; they frequented the rubbish dumps and were regarded as unclean and savage (22:16).
{3] “God of hosts” represent God’s angels as His army.
{4] “Derision” is the use of ridicule or scorn to show contempt.
