Week 9

1. Enemies on every side
   Psalm 56

After David left the City of Nob, fleeing King Saul, he escaped to the Philistine city of Gath hoping to find refuge there. Instead of safety, the men of the city recognized that David was from Israel and was their enemy. They planned to kill him, so David pretended to be insane and he was expelled from the City. David was alone, he was being chased by King Saul and his army and now was threatened by the people of Gath. Whichever way he turned there was danger, there was no help anywhere.

This prayer is both David’s cry to God for rescue and an expression of thanks and confidence in the victory he would experience. David was afraid, he knew fear, he had reached the end of his resources, he had no friends, no home to go to and no plan. He was also a man of great courage, he had stood up to Goliath, had defended his father’s sheep against lions and wolves, captained one of Saul’s armies in battle against the Philistines and taken risks to win the favour of both Saul and his daughter. Courage though is not the absence of fear, David experienced fear but stood against it. When God tells us to be strong and of good courage, he doesn’t mean that he will take away those things of which we are afraid, instead he wants us to face our fears with the strength he provides and overcome them. David could claim that when he was afraid, he put his trust in God.

David had sleepless nights as his enemies surrounded him looking for an opportunity to catch him. This strong, courageous man shed tears as he looked at the hopelessness of his situation, his loneliness and lack of a way out. You too may have been so overwhelmed by your situation that you feel attacked on every side, perhaps not by a physical enemy in other ways. You may have thought your situation was hopeless, there was no escape, no one to trust or rely on, and you were desperately lonely. You might have had sleepless night with your tears staining your pillow, desperately hoping for something to happen tomorrow. David understood your pain, he said that God kept his tears in a bottle. The Romans and the Greeks used a bottle called alacrymatorywhich supposedly held the tears of mourners of a deceased loved one, this was much later than the times of David, but it may indicate that the practice was familiar in ancient civilizations. In any event David meant that God valued David’s tears and treasured them. They were not forgotten and God was going to wipe them away; when Christ returns, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

David knew his enemies would be turned away because as he writes “God is for me”. No matter what the enemies had planned he would trust in God. What could man do to him? He would not be afraid. His circumstances had not changed, but he need not fear because God was for him. God had delivered him, and would do so again he would keep his feet from falling, and he would walk in light.

David was not ashamed of his tears, they brought him to dependance on God. He didn’t try to ‘tough it out’ he acknowledged his hopelessness and his desperate need. David looked at the threats against him, his enemies, loneliness, the accusations made against him, and he made a choice. He chose to trust God, knowing that He was for him, what then should he fear? His answer was ‘nothing’ if God is for us, who can be against us?

1. What do you think about God keeping your tears in a bottle?
2. When have you had to ‘be strong and very courageous’?
3. When you are tossing and turning at night, worried about what will happen tomorrow, do you feel able to trust God to deliver you?

2. His purpose for me
   Psalm 57

When David escaped from the city of Gath he took refuge in the cave of Adullam. This was no doubt a sizeable cave because we are told that David’s family and an army of disillusioned and bitter men joined him there. He later fortified the cave so that it became a stronghold. When he arrived there though, he was alone and dispirited with enemies on every side.

While David saw the cave as a place of safety he recognized that God was his refuge. The cave may have sheltered him from the physical storms, but it was God himself who led him there and gave him protection. Just as God provided a cave for David, as he did later for Elijah, he sometimes provides a place of refuge and recovery to you. David needed somewhere to collect his thoughts, to feel secure and reconsider his future. He needed to be free from external threat so that he was able to focus on what was necessary. You and I will have times in our life when we need to escape from the demands we face, a cave of our own. Sometimes that means withdrawing from the usual things of life, it may mean getting away either alone or with those who are closest to us, or just turning off the phone and the computer. It may be for a short time, but it may be for a longer period.

David settled in the cave, his family came to him although he later sent them away when it became dangerous. He drew others to him and trained them into an army fit for battle. He needed space and freedom from the storm so that when it passed by, he could emerge full of confidence and energy. David knew God had a purpose for him, so he was confident that he would not be in the cave forever. God would send from heaven and rescue him. David’s purpose was to be the King of Israel, to lead God’s people and prepare for the coming Messiah. You and I also have a purpose God has planned for us. It may not be as significant as that of David, but is God’s purpose nevertheless.

You may know that God has a purpose that you have not yet begun to pursue, you might be waiting for an opportunity. You may have no idea what it is and feel a little lost. The first place to discover God’s purpose is right where you are. If you are a teacher, his purpose is for you to be the best teacher you can be, if you look after your family at home, he wants you to be as good as you possibly can be in the activities you take on. If God has given you work in an office, his purpose is for you to be a great office worker or administrator or secretary. If you are a gardener, you are to be a great gardener. If you are a mother or a father his purposes is for you to be the best parent you can be. You may have another purpose, to be a church planter, or pastor or missionary and God is preparing you for that until his time is right, meanwhile his will is for you to be the best you can be at whatever he gives you to do.

David knew that God would protect him because he had a purpose to fulfil. The cave was necessary, but it wasn’t a final destination. Twice David cries out: “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!” With enemies all around he was confident that God would reveal himself and bring glory to his name. He depended on God to deliver him, and knew he would because he had a purpose to fulfil.

The Psalm ends with David’s decision to praise God. He was in the cave and he could have felt sorry for himself. His plans had failed, he was tormented by enemies and people wanted to kill him and he was alone. Instead, he said that he would get up early, remind himself of his faithful God and give thanks and offer him praise. God had a purpose and he trusted him to bring it to pass.

1. What is God’s immediate purpose for you life?
2. Is there another ‘higher’ purpose he is preparing you for?
3. Are you sitting in cave, disappointed, disillusioned, tired? What should you do now?

3. Righteous anger?
   Psalm 58

This is an angry Psalm. As you read the words you can hear the anger in David’s voice, he doesn’t hold back, or attempt to be gracious in speech. He gives vent to his feelings. It is probable that David wrote this Psalm while he was at the cave of Adullam and was receiving messages from trusted people who were able to travel to Saul’s camp and back. The Psalm is directed to rulers or leaders of the Israelites, that are called in some translations, ‘gods’. It seems that David had received a message telling him that these men had either joined a council which condemned him as a traitor or stood silently by while others did so.

David always proclaimed his innocence and Saul’s behaviour was at best unpredictable and at worst bordering on insane. He felt threatened by David who had one time been his favourite but was now his rival. David had fled from Saul’s erratic and dangerous behaviour and was now hiding out in a cave, he felt he had done no wrong but was branded as a traitor. He was angry, not so much with Saul, but with those who stood silently by and allowed this injustice to take place. David had nothing good to say about them, he wished they had never been born and now hoped for their death.

When Jesus walked on earth he didn’t speak out about the injustice of the Roman government, he expected nothing less from an ungodly people, but he did speak strongly against the Jewish leaders and rulers. Those men should have known better, they had been blessed by God and put in positions of influence, but instead of standing for righteousness they oppressed their own people. It is no different in our time, when unrighteous, ungodly men and women are in power we can hardly expect them to act in ways that promote godliness, and yet we complain when they don’t. Our complaint would be better directed to those who claim to be believers and occupy positions of influence but remain silent when laws are passed, and rules made that run contrary to God’s will. In our own country we have many leaders who profess to be Christian but stand by while laws allowing the killing of babies, the oppression of refugees and strangers, the destruction of Biblical marriage and gender fluidity are put in place.

There are nations in our world who identify as “Christian” and yet it is those same nations that are leading in the changes to the laws mentioned above. Countries that have been blessed with God’s word and the presence of the church for generations have abandoned God’s standards for the sake of individual choice and a better standard of living. Where is the anger that David felt, the fury of Elijah, the courage of Daniel, Esther, Jeremiah and many others? Why is the church so often silent, more concerned about its liberties than the truth of the gospel? The church of Laodicea mentioned in Revelation 3 was called lukewarm, a church that made God sick, and he said to them: “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” He urged the church to change its direction while it still had the chance.

While the prophets of the Old Testament did call nations to repent on occasion, for example Ninevah where Jonah was sent, the majority of the stern prophetic messages were and are directed to God’s people. Then it was Israel, now the church. When God promised to heal the land, he meant the promised land, not the land of pagan nations. While we are not called to speak as David did, seeking the destruction of his enemies. We, as the church and as individuals are called to bring to account leaders who claim to be chosen by God but stand by while injustice runs rife.

1. Do you get angry when you see injustice?
2. How should you react to Christian leaders who fail to support the truth of God’s word?
3. Do you sometimes expect godly behaviour from ungodly leaders? What should you do?

4. A Jealous King
   Psalm 59

Much of David’s problems with King Saul came about because of his own success. As one of Saul’s captains he was very successful in battle, so much so that the people made up songs about him. They compared his success with that of Saul, and David came out more favourably. He also developed a close friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathan which further angered Saul. On a couple of occasions Saul, perhaps at a time when his mental or emotional state overpowered him, tried to kill David, but each time he was able to escape. Finally Saul ordered his soldiers to go to David’s house at night and kill him.

David’s wife, Michal the daughter of Saul, became aware of the plan to assassinate David and warned him to escape. He did this by climbing out of the bedroom window while Michal made up a dummy and placed in the bed to trick the soldiers. This Psalm was written in response to that event which is recorded in 1 Samuel 19:1-11.

David calls on God for protection while protesting his own innocence. He has done nothing wrong, he insists, but there is a conspiracy of murderers who are intent on killing him. He calls on God to come and see for himself and to deal with these people who are acting against him. David uses three titles when he calls on God: LORD, God of hosts, are God of Israel. He is first of all the God of the promise, the covenant that joins the protection and blessing of God to the people, then he is the God of the hosts of heaven – the commander of the heavenly army, and thirdly he is the God of his chosen people, Israel. He is reminding God that he should act because of the promises that he has made, that he has the ability to bring about justice and that it is for the sake of Israel. He is also reminding himself of the reason for his confidence that God would indeed deliver him.

David’s confidence did not prevent him from taking his wife’s advice and climbing out of the window though. God provided a means of escape, David could have foolishly stayed where he was believing God would deliver him while he did nothing, or he could take the opportunity provided to him, which he did. Trusting God does not mean being passive and just accepting things as they come along. It also requires us to act confidently believing that God will direct our steps, sometimes in extraordinary ways. Being still and waiting on God does not mean doing nothing and accepting whatever happens as fate, or the ‘will of God’. God directed David through Michal, his wife and he was smart enough to listen to her advice.

In calling on God to punish the nations, David is not referring to those outside Israel, but indicating that those who were conspiring against him were acting as though they were outside of God’s covenant relationship. They didn’t deserve God’s protection and if they were allowed to succeed they would destroy the heritage of his people. He characterized them as wild, angry dogs prowling the city seeking some prey, something to devour. The Bible describes Satan as being like a roaring lion seeking every opportunity to devour the faithful and sadly, we are also told that there are those within the church who spread lies and seek to upset the faith of others. David understood the threat to his life but insisted that every morning he would sing of God’s strength and everlasting love. The enemy would still be on the prowl, but God was his refuge and he would keep him safe. There are angry dogs and roaring lions in our streets too, but like David each day we should remind ourselves of God’s strength and his love for use, and rest secure in his deliverance.

1. What is the difference between ‘being still’ and acting in faith?
2. Sometimes God gives diction from unexpected sources, has that been your experience?
3. Who are angry dogs and roaring lions that wander your streets?

5. The King is dead long live the king!
   Psalm 60

The reign of King Saul ended in disaster. His preoccupation with removing David as a rival and his own declining mental health affected his ability to rule and maintain the security of Israel. Surrounded by the enemy Philistines he and his sons joined in battle only to be soundly beaten. Saul and all of his sons were killed and the army destroyed. The tribe of Judah decided to make David their king, while the remaining tribes chose Ish-bosheth to be theirs. The two tribes fought each other until Ish-bosheth was killed and David appointed as king over a re-united Israel. This sad state is the context of our Psalm.

The title of the psalm refers to the events recorded in 2 Sam. 8:1–14, and occurred at the beginning of David’s reign as King. His first task was to capture Jerusalem from the supporters of Ish-bosheth and then turn his attention to the enemy nations. As he begins his psalm he identifies the battles and defeats they had faced and makes it clear it was because God had turned away from the nation. Saul had abandoned his calling to serve God, had disobeyed and led the nation astray. God had left them to the mercy of their enemies so that they would turn back to him.

Now, David had ascended to the throne and it was his plan to reunite the nation, to destroy the enemy and see the Lord’s victory banner lifted up. He concludes his psalm with: “With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes”. David knew that success was dependent on him as God’s chosen leader, and the people diligently following God, and so his first task was to ensure that Jerusalem became a place of worship and refuge.
Saul was chosen to lead the nation of Israel and while he began his reign well, he was never without conflict. David came to notice in a battle with the Philistines, and it was another battle against the same people that ended Saul’s reign. Saul was not obedient to God and suffered the consequences. He was a tall, handsome man with all the capabilities to be a great leader, but he lost his way. He became more important than the God he served and because of his own insecurities made irrational decisions. Instead of building the people of God, the nation divided because of him, now it was up to David to put it back together.

God appoints leaders to nations, churches even companies and as heads of homes. He promises to guide and protect them as they humbly serve him and the people they lead. Sadly, sometimes success leads to arrogance and ambition to selfish choices and the result can be pain and suffering not only to the leader but to those they lead. David understood that despite his own failings, the key to his success was to walk humbly and prayerfully with his God.

1. What can you learn from Saul?
2. If you are a leader (in other words do you influence others) what are the risks you face?
3. What are the first battles you face to establish your role as a leader?

6. Lead me to the Rock
   Psalm 61

David was king, he had reached the pinnacle of achievement. King and ruler of God’s chosen people, there was no higher office, no greater responsibility or honour, he had reached the top. Yet he knew there was something higher than him and he calls on God to lead him there: “lead me to the rock, that is higher than I”.

David begins his psalm by asking God to pay attention to his prayers. This may seem a little unusual, even a little presumptuous, how could he ask God to pay attention? We know that God hears all our prayers, but does he pay attention to them, does he always listen to our requests? Proverb 21:13 tells us that: “Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.” Isaiah 59:1 says, “But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have made Him hide His face from you so that He does not listen.” And Peter tells husbands that if they don’t act properly toward their wives then their prayers will be hindered (1 Peter 3:7). So, we know that there are times such as these, when God has heard our prayers, but will not attend to them. David wanted to be sure that God was listening.

There were times that David felt faint, emotionally. He lacked strength to face the battle, he was overwhelmed. He needed something greater than himself to depend on, something that would not fail, that was secure and dependable. He needed a rock that was higher than him, and he calls on God to lead him there. We all face times when life is hard, when the situation we face threatens to overwhelm us, it is in those times we need a rock to depend on. A place to find refuge and safety. When life gets tough, we can do no better than ask God to lead us to the rock, to protect us and give us respite from the conflict.

David also wanted to be a guest in God’s house, he wanted to dwell in God’s tent forever. Not for a short time but always. He wasn’t speaking about attending the tabernacle or temple for seasons of worship, but continually dwelling in the presence of God. Sometimes we consign our relationship with God to attending a church service once a week, that is the time we set aside to meet with God and even then, we might find other things to do instead. David could not be satisfied with that, and neither should we. Meeting together with others so that we can worship God, is essential and valuable, and should be the priority of our week. But God wants us to live in his tent, as a guest all of the time. It is in this place that we experience the intimacy of relationship with a father who loves us unconditionally, who covers us in the shadow of his wings and keeps us in his perfect peace.
David insists that he will praise God’s name forever and that he will fulfil his vows. Ecclesiastes 5:4,5 advises us: “When you make a vow to God, don’t delay fulfilling it, because He does not delight in fools. Fulfill what you vow. Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it”. Promises and vows are made to God sometimes too casually – ‘if you get me out of this mess, I promise to do better; If I get this job, I will give more’, for example. Even vows made in marriage are often exchanged without any real intention to fulfil them completely. God tells us be careful about making vows, he hears them, and he expects us to keep them. David knew that his future depended on him keeping his word and in doing so he knew God would attend to his prayers.

1. Do you need a rock to run to?
2. Do you want to dwell with God forever, or are your content to catch up once a week?
3. Have you made vows to God you didn’t intend to keep?

7. In God alone
   Psalm 62

This Psalm is a reminder to David and all those who read it that God is their only hope. Four times in the first six verses David refers to God alone: In verse one it for God alone that he waits, verse two declares that God alone is David’s rock and salvation. He repeats this in verses five and six and declares that God is his hope. This Psalm is unusual in that there is no specific request, nor is there a complaint. There is no distress, no fear just an expression of confidence and trust.

Twice in the psalm he refers to waiting. Once in the first verse and then in verse four. In the in between verses he asks of his tormentors ‘how long will you keep this up?” He seems to be asking, “can’t you see you have no chance of success, God is on my side, give up you will never win”. These enemies were intent on bringing David down, they schemed and cursed, conspired with others and spread rumours, but David was going to wait on God. Everything depended on God coming to David’s aid, he was his refuge, his deliverer, in him, and in him alone he would trust.

The confidence that David has he offers to those were listening. They too should pour out their needs to God, to wait on him and trust him for their protection. There was no need to seek the help of others, God was their very present help in times of trouble. Some of them seemed to think that their wealth or position would save them but David said that whether they were poor or wealthy these things wouldn’t help. They might be tempted to use their money deceitfully to bribe their way out of trouble or to rob and extort those who were oppressed so that their wealth would buy them influence. David tells tell them not to trust in these things, they will come to nothing.

Power belongs to God, says David, he alone lifts or tears down. Nations rise and fall, but God holds their future in his hands. We see in our world today nations conspiring against one another, using economic pressure to force poorer countries to do their bidding. When that fails then force may be used. They think that they can secure their future by increasing the wealth, but God claims that he owns the silver and the gold. The prophet Haggai twice stated that God would shake the heavens and the earth, he would upset rulers and authorities, disrupt economies and then he will declare peace (Haggai 2). We look forward to that day, but until then we will see nations compete for power and influence, they will rise, but they will fall again. Only God’s kingdom will abide forever.

David ends by saying that God will reward people according to their work. By this he meant that the actions of people will reveal the state of their heart. Men and women of faith produce things that reflect their faith, just as ungodly people produce ungodly work. God sees the heart and expects our behaviour to reflect what we say our heart holds dear.

David’s hope was in God alone. He would wait until God acted, even if it meant enduring struggles. Not only would he wait, but he would do it silently. David was not perfect and while his heart was entirely committed to God there were times when he didn’t wait in silence, when he acted inappropriately. But God knew his heart and he never turned from him, he was always his refuge and strength and his deliverer.

1. David trusted in God alone, who do you trust in?
2. Are you able to wait silently in confident hope?
3. What sort of behaviour should reflect a life of hope?