Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

“But then terror will grip them, terror like they have never known before. God will scatter the bones of your enemies. You will put them to shame, for God has rejected them.” (5)

This version offers no hope to the enemies of God while Psalm 14:5,6 presents an alternative to re- jecting Him: “Terror will grip them, for God is with those who obey him. The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed, but the Lord will protect his people.” (Ps. 14:5,6) Obedience is the antidote to athe- ism and results in the favor and protection of God.

III THE FREE SALVATION - 6

“Oh, that salvation would come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel! For when God restores his peo- ple, Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.” (6) This is such a contrast to the opening verse of this psalm where corruption, evil and lack of good- ness is rampant upon the mountain of Atheism. Upon Mount Zion, the place of David’s Tabernacle of wor- ship, there is salvation, rescue, restoration, shouts of joy and rejoicing. The wise have said in their hearts, ‘There is a God’ and he is worthy of our most fervent praise!

1 Keil & Delitzsch 2 Keil & Delitzsch

PSALM 54: GOD IS MY HELPER Betrayed Twice

This is a Psalm of betrayal where members of David’s own family tribe of Judah inform Saul of his location in the wilderness. It is ‘one of the eight Psalms dated from the time of Saul’s persecution 1 ’ and is very close in character to Psalms 52 where Doeg betrayed David, and 55 where a close, unnamed friend betrayed him. He rises above the danger and the discouragement of the moment and in faith reaches toward a brighter future through the sacrifice of thanksgiving and a song of praise. The short- ness of the Psalm reminds us that prayers and songs do not have to be long to be heard in heaven.

I GOD HEAR ME- 1-3 II GOD HELP ME- 4-7

INTRODUCTION:

“For the choir director: A meditation of David, regarding the time the Ziphites came and said to Saul, ‘ We know where David is hiding.’ To be accompanied by stringed instruments.”

The ‘Ziphites’ betrayed David not once but on two different occasions. “David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul hunted him day after day, but God did- n’t let him be found…But now the men of Ziph went to Saul in Gibeah and betrayed David to him. ‘ We know where David is hiding,’ they said…’Come down whenever you’re ready, O king, and we will catch him and hand him over to you!’” (1 Sam. 23: 14, 19, 20) It is possible that the verses found in chapter 26 are a retelling of the previous story. If not, it is an- other instance of the treachery of the Ziphites towards young David. “Now some messengers from Ziph came back to Saul at Gibeah to tell him, ‘David is hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which overlooks Jeshi- mon.’ So Saul took three thousand of his best troops and went to hunt him down in the wilderness of Ziph.” (1 Sam. 26:1, 2) On one of the nights when Saul was sleeping, David and his nephewAbishai went into the camp and took his spear and water jug. The next morning he called out to the bitter King: “Here is your spear, O king,’ David replied. ‘Let one of your young men come over and get it. The Lord gives his own reward for doing good and for being loyal, and I refused to kill you even when the Lord placed you in my power, for you are the Lord’s anointed one. Now may the Lord value my life, even as I have valued yours today. May he rescue me from all my troubles.’”(1 Sam. 26: 22-24)

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