Psalms 55-57 (Week 19)

1. Trust in God Concerning the Treachery of Friends

A year in the Psalms, Psalms fifty-five. Trust in God concerning the treachery of friends. Give ear to my prayer, O God, and do not hide yourself from my supplication. Attend to me and hear me. I am restless in my complaint and moan noisely. Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked, for they bring down trouble upon me, and in wrath they hate me. My heart is severely pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fearlessness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me. So I said, O that I had wings like a dove, I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off and remain in the wilderness. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.

Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I have seen violence and strife in the city. Day and night they go around in all its walls. Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it. Destruction is in the midst. Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets. For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, then I could bear it, nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me. Then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together and walked to the house of God in the throng. Let death seize them, let them go down alive into hell, for wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.

As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray and cry aloud, and he shall hear my voice. He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me. For there were many against me. God will hear and afflict them, even he who abides from old, because they do not change, therefore they do not fear God. He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him. He has broken his covenant. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he shall sustain you.

2. Prayer for Relief from Tormentors

He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. But you, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction, bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days, but I will trust in you. Terrors of death is a strong expression of the intense feelings of David caused by his trials. He was not actually expecting death at the hands of his enemies, but the anxiety that was crowding upon his heart was such as to suggest the extremity of death or the approach to it. These feelings pertained to David’s fleshly neighbor nature. His inner self had not given away to doubt as to the continued support from God. A year in the Psalms, Psalm 56. Prayer for relief from tormentors. Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up.

Fighting all day he presses me. My enemies would hound me all day. For there are many who fight against me, O Most High. Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God I will praise his word. In God I have put my trust, I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? All day they twist my words. All their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather together, they hide, they mark my steps when they lie in wait for my life. Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, O God. You number my wanderings, put my tears into your bottle. Are they not in your book? When I cry out to you, then my enemies will turn back. Then I know because God is for me.

In God I will praise his word. In the Lord I will praise his word. In God I have put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Vows made to you are binding upon me, O God. I will render praises to you, for you have delivered my soul from death. Have you not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? You have doubtlessly observed that David’s conflicts with his enemies make up by far the greater portion of the book of Psalms. I know of no special reason for his troubles except his vigorous activities in behalf of the Israelite nation. There were many heathen nations in the land and surrounding territories, and they were envious of the success that David was having.

He is only trying to make Israel great again. He was a successful warrior, yet he relied chiefly on the help of God for victory. Hence such prayers as of this verse one.

3. Prayer for Safety from Enemies

Therefore David called upon the most high for help. A year in the Psalms, Psalm fifty seven. Prayer for safety from enemies. Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for my soul trusts in you, and in the shadow of your wings I will make my refuge until these calamities have passed by. I will cry out to God most high, to God who performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me. He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. My soul is among lions. I lie among the sons of men who are set on fire, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.

Let your glory be above all the earth. They have prepared a net for my steps. My soul is bowed down. They have dug a pit before me. Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. My heart is steadfast. O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and give praise. Awake my glory, awake loot and harp. I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O Lord, among the peoples. I will sing to you among the nations, for your mercy reaches unto the heavens, and your truth unto the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be above all the earth. The bodily parts of God are like those of a human being and not a dumb creature. The comparison to wings, therefore, is figurative and means that as the wings of a bird would provide a shelter, so the Lord would protect David in his trials.

The cry was an earnest prayer to God for help. God is the one who performeth whatever is done to protect the righteous from their enemies. Sin from heaven signifies that source from which all true help must come. The mercy that God will send forth will be according to his truth. Lions are devouring beasts, and fire is a tormenting, destructive element. Spears, arrows, and swords are instruments of death. All of these things are used to compare the character of David’s enemies.