Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

“Don’t kill them, for my people soon forget such lessons; stagger them with your power, and bring them to their knees, O Lord our shield. Because of the sinful things they say, because of the evil that is on their lips, let them be captured by their pride, their curses, and their lies.”(11,12) David prays that they will not be killed immediately but rather they be confronted with God’s power and shown to be thoroughly corrupt in their actions, their words and the pride of their hearts. When they have reached the farthest limits of evil and have staggered to their knees he prays for their swift and ir- reversible end.

“Destroy them in your anger! Wipe them out completely! Then the whole world will know that God reigns in Israel.” (13)

God allows evil people to continue for a time to confirm their total godlessness. The entire world takes notice as they eventually meet their doom.

III GOD IS MY REFUGE - 14-17

“My enemies come out a night, snarling like vicious dogs as they prowl the streets. They scavenge for food but go to sleep unsatisfied.” (14,15)

This repetition of verse 6 gives the impression that the ‘dogs’ kept a vigil at David’s house night after night. Jesus had quite a different encounter with a ‘gentile dog’ in the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman asked him to show mercy to her daughter as a demon was severely tormenting her. He rejected the woman saying that he was only sent to minister to the Israelite people. She worshiped him and repeated her request to which he replied: “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs,” …Her reply echoes through the centuries bringing us hope: “’Yes, Lord,’ she replied, ‘but even dogs are permitted to eat crumbs that fall beneath their master’s table.’ (Mt. 15:26,27) Jesus re- marked that she possessed ‘great faith’ and instantly her daughter was healed. We can be like the vi- cious attack dogs that seek to destroy all that is good or a loving, worshipful companion ‘dog’ that looks to their master for small morsels of spiritual food. “But as for me, I will sing about your power. I will shout with joy each morning because of your un- failing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety in the day of distress.”(16) We can imagine David looking back at the house he had just escaped watching the ‘dogs’ carry- ing his bed to King Saul. He begins singing the above verse as he turns hurriedly toward the city of Ramah where he will join Samuel and the school of musical prophets. Though surrounded, David’s house was blessed by God and was a refuge from evil.

“O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me un- failing love.” (17)

In versed 16 ‘power’ or ‘strength’ is celebrated as an attribute of God. In this verse David draws intimately close to the Lord and uses the same word as a title or name for God. Forever he will be ‘Strength’ to his people. Boice points out that the Hebrew word for ‘sing’ and the word for ‘watch’ are only different by one letter and that watching and waiting for God to deliver us is almost the same as singing to him 3 . This psalm teaches us to greet each day with a song and an expression of praise to Yahweh, Elohim Sabaoth, Elohi Israel who is our unfailing Strength.

1 Scroggie 2 Keil & Delitzsch 3 Boyce

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