Introduction
Back in Psalm 72, which marks the end of Book 2 of the psalms, we were told that the psalms of David were concluded. However, there were three more psalms of David in Books 3 and 4 and there were a few more near the beginning of Book 5. And now, we have several more psalms of David at the end of Book 5. One commentator (Ash) suggests that by placing a number of Davidic psalms at the end of the psalter, the compiler is saying to the generation of God’s people after the exile in Babylon that they mustn’t forget King David nor God’s promises to his people of a new and greater king to come. It may have seemed after the exile that that the Davidic line of kings was finished and that God’s people would for ever be ruled over by foreign kings. But God was determined to do what he said he would do and to appoint a new king from David’s line to rule over his people and to overcome their enemies. And that means his people should continue to trust in the Lord’s steadfast love and in his faithfulness towards his covenant people.
And in today’s psalm, David anticipates a time when the kings of the earth will praise the Lord. And though David himself will walk in the midst of trouble, he is confident that God will preserve his life.
Verses 1 to 3
In verses 1 to 3 David resolves to give thanks to the Lord. He says in verse 1 that he will praise the Lord with all his heart and will sing his praise before the gods. When he refers to the gods, he’s thinking of the false gods and idols which the pagan nations worshipped. They may worship their gods, but David will continue to declare the glory of Israel’s God. He will publicly praise the Lord and give thanks to him for all that he has done for his people. And David will do this in God’s holy temple in Jerusalem. Of course, the temple was built after David’s death, but the tabernacle could also be referred to as God’s temple. So, David was resolved to go up to the tabernacle — which was God’s dwelling place among his people in those days — where he would praise God for his love and faithfulness.
The Hebrew word translated ‘love’ is that word chesed which refers to God’s never-ending, covenant love for his covenant people. Just as a husband and wife promise to love one another always, so the Lord promises to love his people always.
And David also praises the Lord for exalting his name and his word above all things. God has so acted in the world, that everyone knows his name and his word. He has made himself known in all the world. Think of how the people of Jericho in Joshua’s day were afraid of the Lord, because they had heard what he had done in Egypt to Pharaoh and what he had done to the kings of Amorites. God revealed his greatness and glory to the nations.
And David is thankful, because when he called to the Lord, the Lord answered him. And God answered him by making him bold and stout-hearted. Think of how the Lord gave David the courage he needed to fight Goliath and to fight all the other Philistines who were occupying the Promised Land. God gave him the courage and the strength of soul which he needed.
And so, in the first three verses of this psalm, David resolves to praise the Lord for his love and faithfulness and for exalting his name and word and for making David bold.
Verses 4 to 6
In the next three verses, he anticipates a time when the kings of the earth will praise the Lord. Back in Psalm 2, the kings of the earth stood in opposition to the Lord and to his Anointed King. But David foresees a time when they will give up their opposition and they will praise the Lord.
And they will praise the Lord when they hear his word. What will they hear from the Lord? Perhaps they will hear and pay attention to the warning of Psalm 2, when the Lord warned them to kiss the Son. That is, be reconciled to him! Instead of opposing him, make peace with him, before it’s too late and he destroys you in his wrath. Or perhaps they will hear the command to all the earth, made in Psalm 100, to shout for joy to the Lord and to come before him with joyful songs. While God chose the people of Israel to be his people in Old Testament times, God revealed again and again that all the nations will one day come to him.
And they will praise God for his glory which is great. They will come to see that the Lord is the one true and living God, who alone is great and who is worthy of their praise. And so, David anticipates a time when the kings of the earth will bow before the Lord and they will worship him.
And they will discover that although the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly. So, the Lord lives in a high and holy place, as it says in Isaiah. He is the Most High God who rules over all that he has made. And yet, he looks with favour and kindness on the lowly. He cares for them. On the other hand, he knows the proud from afar. He, in a sense, keeps his distance from them. He does not draw near to help them.
And so, the kings of the earth who humble themselves before the Lord will discover his grace and mercy for themselves, whereas those who remain proud-hearted and stubborn will suffer his wrath. The Lord opposes the proud, but he is gracious to all those who humble themselves before him and seek him.
Verses 7 and 8
And in verses 7 and 8, David expresses his confidence in the Lord. He says that though he walks in the midst of trouble, the Lord preserves his life. Think of David as a shepherd-boy and how the Lord preserved his life from the wild animals. Think of David when he went to fight Goliath and the Lord preserved his life against that giant. Think of David when Saul was trying to kill him and the Lord preserved his life against the king. Think of David when he led his men against the Philistines and the Lord preserved his life. Think of the time when Absalom his son turned against him and he had to flee the city of Jerusalem, but the Lord preserved his life. David frequently walked in the midst of trouble, but the Lord kept him. The Lord stretched out his hand against the anger of David’s foes and with his right hand, the Lord saved him again and again and again.
And so, David is confident that the Lord will fulfil his purpose for him. He will keep David alive until David does everything the Lord wants him to do. And because the Lord’s love for his people endures for ever, the Lord will not abandon the works of his hands. That is to say: he will not abandon David.
Conclusion
David wrote this psalm as a prophet to foretell the suffering of Christ our King, who walked in the midst of trouble throughout his life here on earth. But God preserved his life just as he preserved the life of David.
From the moment he was born, the Lord’s life was in danger, because didn’t King Herod want to kill him when he was only an infant? And in Nazareth, the people were furious with him and wanted to throw him from a cliff. And didn’t the Pharisees try to get him to say something incriminating so that they could accuse him? And didn’t they plot together how to kill him? Throughout his life on earth, he walked in the midst of trouble. But his Father in heaven preserved his life and saved him again and again and again.
And though it was his Father’s will for Christ to give up his life on the cross to pay for our sins, nevertheless his Father did not abandon him, because God raised him from the dead on the third day and seated him in heaven above his enemies.
And so, we can imagine Christ our King singing the words of the first part of this psalm and going into the heavenly temple above to give thanks to his Father for his love and faithfulness and for answering him when he called to him for help against his enemies.
And since we have been reconciled to God through faith in Christ, then we too can trust in God to preserve our life and to hear and answer our prayers. Like David and like Christ our King, we walk in the midst of trouble, because we live in a fallen world with all its daily troubles and trials. And we face opposition from the devil and all who side with him against the kingdom of heaven. As John Calvin says: ‘In the world believers are constantly exposed to enemies….’ And then he goes on to say:
David asserts, that he will be safe under God’s protection from all their machinations. He declares his hope of life to lie in this, that the hand of God was stretched out for his help, that hand which he knew to be invincible, and victorious over every foe. And from all this we are taught, that it is God’s method to exercise his children with a continual conflict, that, having one foot as it were in the grave, they may flee with alarm to hide themselves under his wings, where they may abide in peace.
Like David and like Christ our King we walk in the midst of trouble. And God lets us encounter these troubles so that we will flee to him for the protection and help we need. And in this way, we discover the loving-kindness and faithfulness of our Heavenly Father and the power of his right hand to save us.
And we should remember and believe that our Heavenly Father will fulfil his purpose for us. He will enable us to do here on earth what he wants us to do. And until that day comes, he will not abandon us but will preserve us, just as he did not abandon his Son to the grave.
And we should pray that not only the kings of the earth, but that all the people of the earth will hear the word of God and especially the good news of salvation and that they will believe it and give up their sins in repentance and turn to God through faith in his Son to receive forgiveness and the hope of eternal life. And we should pray that they will praise the Lord and sing of his glory throughout the world. Our prayer should always be: ‘May all the people of the earth praise you, O Lord. May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great.’
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