Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

Absalom’s rebellion against his father David is most likely the historical background of this psalm. Ahithophel, David’s trusted counselor, best fits the person referred to in the psalm and his life has sev- eral close parallels with Judas Iscariot. Ahithophel joined the rebellion immediately and his advice to Ab- salom was treacherous and bloodthirsty towards King David; “Let me choose twelve thousand men to start out after David tonight. I will catch up to him while his weary and discouraged…Then I will kill only the king…” (2 Sam. 17:1, 2) Judas led the Roman garrison to Jesus at night: “The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a battalion of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove.” (Jn. 18:3) When his advice was rejected, Ahithophel committed suicide: “Meanwhile, Ahithophel was publicly disgraced when Absalom refused his advice. So he saddled his donkey, went to his hometown, set his affairs in order, and hanged himself.” (2 Sam. 17:23) Centuries later the betrayer of the Son of David meets the same disaster; “When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been con- demned to die, he was filled with remorse…Then Judas threw the money onto the floor of the Temple and went out and hanged himself.” (Mt. 27:3, 5 ) The King of Israel begins to sing of the doom of his enemy and the faint praises of his God. “O God, whom I praise, don’t stand silent and aloof while the wicked slander me and tell lies about me. They are all around me with their hateful words, and they fight against me for no reason. I love them, but they try to destroy me–even as I am praying for them! They return evil for good and hatred from my love.” (1-5) It’s important to realize that this poem of deep betrayal begins with praise. “God of my praise…” is the literal translation showing that David connected every thought he had of God with a desire to praise him. Even as Judas was betraying the Son of God to the Priests and leaders of Israel, Jesus was singing to his Father with his disciples: “Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Mrk. 14:26) I HATRED FOR MY LOVE - vs. 1-5 The Prayer of the Betrayed

Twice David declares he loves the very ones who were now betraying him. Jesus loved his disci- ples and included Judas in his intimate last supper: “He now showed the disciples the full extent of his

love. It was time for supper, and the Devil had already enticed Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to carry out his plan to betray Jesus.” (Jn. 13:1, 2)

“…even as I am praying for them!” in the original language is: “I am prayer” Betrayal by close friends bonds the sufferer inseparably to prayer. Jesus became ‘prayer’ in the garden of Gethsemane as he wrestled with the consequences of Judas’ betrayal: “He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.” (Lk. 22:44) Three things we must not lose when we are being betrayed is our praise, our love and our prayer.

II

HIS NAME BE CUT OFF 6-15 Judgment on the Betrayer

“Arrange for an evil person to turn on him. Send an accuser to bring him to trial. (let an accuser stand at his right hand. NIV) When his case is called for judgment, let him be pronounced guilty. Count his prayers as sins.” (6, 7) ‘The right hand is the place of the accuser ‘if not directly Satan, still of a superhuman being which opposes him 3 ,…’ Because of his sin, the betrayer is being expelled from the covering of grace and is being turned over to the realm of Satan who will destroy all that he has and eventually kill him. It was the sovereign choice of Ahithophel and Judas from which they did not turn around. Zechariah saw a sim- ilar situation in the spiritual realm: “Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. Satan was there at the angel’s right hand, accusing Jeshua of many things. And the Lord said to Satan, ‘I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan.’” (Zech. 3:1, 2)

In the New Testament Paul tells the Corinthian church to expel the unrepentant person putting them in a similar situation found in this psalm: “Then you must cast this man out of the church and into

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