Introduction
I mentioned last time that there’s a small group of Davidic psalms right at the end of the psalter from Psalm 138 to Psalm 145. And they were a reminder to God’s people after the Babylonian exile that the Lord had not forgotten his promise to raise up a new and greater king than David who will rule for ever. Though they had returned from exile, the Lord’s people were still living under the power of a foreign king. But the time would come when God would send the new king to save his people. And that new king is the Lord Jesus Christ, who came into Jerusalem on a donkey to give up his life on the cross to save his people, not from foreign occupation, but from their sin and misery in this life and to give them — and us — everlasting life in the new and better world to come.
In today’s psalm, David laments before the Lord because of the trouble he’s in and he looks to the Lord to save him. And the psalm points us to Christ, because, like David, he suffered at the hands of evil men, but God saved him from them by raising him from the dead. And when the church on earth suffers at the hands of evil men, we too can look to the Lord to uphold us.
Verses 1 to 3
In verses 1 to 3, David appeals to the LORD to rescue him from evil men. And he goes on to describe these evil men as men of violence. Back in Psalm 120, the psalmist describes himself as a man of peace and he complained that he lived for too long among those who hate peace. David might have said the same thing: he was for peace, but he was surrounded by men who hated peace. He was surrounded by men of war who wanted to harm him. And so, they devised evil plans in their hearts against him and they stirred up war every day.
He mentions their tongues in verse 3 which, he says, are as sharp as the tongues of serpents. When he refers to their tongues, he’s obviously referring to their speech. And their speech is sharp in the sense that it harms David. It’s like poison. These evil and violent men are speaking maliciously against David. They are attacking him with their words, saying things to hurt him or saying things that will get him into trouble. By the things they say, they are stirring up trouble for David.
And since this is the case, David appeals to the LORD to rescue him and to protect him.
Verses 4 and 5
David repeats his appeal in verses 4 and 5, where he asks the LORD to keep him from the hands of the wicked and to protect him from these men of violence.
And now he tells us that they plan to trip his feet. They have hidden a snare for him and they’ve spread out a net for him. So, he’s comparing them to hunters. Just as a hunter lays a net to capture a wild animal, so these wicked men had laid a net to capture David. They lay a net for him and they have set traps for him along his path.
Of course, David is using an image here. He’s not talking about literal nets and traps. Instead he’s using the image of a net and trap to say to us that they were trying to get him into trouble. And since he refers to traps in the plural, we can take it that they tried many times and he was continually surrounded by danger.
And so, he appeals to the LORD to keep him and to protect him.
Verses 6 to 8
Up to this point in the psalm, David directs his appeal to the LORD, which is God’s special covenant name which speaks to us of his commitment to his people. The LORD has bound himself to his people with an oath to love and care for us. And David addresses the LORD in verses 1 and 4. However, in verses 6 to 8 he refers to the LORD four times in just three verses. All his hopes for deliverance rest on the fact that the LORD has bound himself to his people with an oath. And so, in verse 6 David declares that ‘You are my God’. The pagans trusted in their gods, but David is trusting in the LORD his God. And he appeals to the LORD his God for mercy. So, he’s looking for God’s help.
He then refers to God as Sovereign LORD. That is to say, the God who has bound himself to David is the Lord and Master who rules over all. And so, he’s a strong deliverer. He’s mighty to save. He’s able to shield David’s head in the day of battle. That is, he’s able to protect David. He did it when David faced Goliath and all the other Philistines and God protected his life from physical injury. And he’s able to deliver him again, now that David is surrounded by these wicked men who are plotting evil against him and who are trying to get him into trouble. And so, he asks the Lord in verse 8 not to give them what they desire and not to let their plans against him succeed. Do not let them become proud by letting them succeed against David. And instead of letting them become proud, humble them by frustrating their wicked plans.
Verses 9 to 11
So far, David has only asked for protection. But in verses 9 to 11 he asks for justice and for the Lord to bring down on their heads what they deserve for their wickedness.
So, let their heads be covered with the trouble their lips have caused. Let burning coals fall upon them and may they be thrown into the fire and into miry pits so that they will never rise again. He’s once again using figurative language. So, he’s not really talking about burning coals and fire and pits. He using these images to say that he wants God to punish them in some way. Let them suffer for what they have done to him. And notice that he’s not asking for revenge, but for justice. So, may they be troubled with the trouble they have caused David. Repay them for what they have done.
And in verse 11 he refers to his enemies as slanderers and he asks the Lord to prevent them from becoming established in the land. So, may they be uprooted and removed from the Promised Land so that God’s people are able to live in peace and safety. And may disaster hunt down these men of violence so that they’re not able to spoil the peace of God’s people in the Promised Land.
Verses 12 and 13
And the psalm ends in verses 12 and 13 with David expressing his confidence that the LORD, the covenant-keeping God, secures justice for the poor and he upholds the cause of the needy. That is to say, he will vindicate them. And in the end, the righteous — God’s people — will praise God’s name. They will praise him, because he saved them from the wicked. And so, the upright will live before the Lord. They will dwell safely in the presence of the Lord.
Conclusion
David was surrounded by wicked men who were speaking maliciously against him and they were trying to get him into trouble. And so, he appealed to the LORD his God to rescue him and to protect him and to keep him. He trusted the Lord to protect him and to punish his enemies. And he was confident that in the end God’s people will dwell in his presence for ever.
And in this psalm David anticipates the sorrow and suffering of our Saviour who was surrounded by evil men who spoke maliciously against him and who were trying to get him into trouble. Think of the Pharisees and teachers of the law who tried to get him to say something incriminating so that they could use it against him. Think of how they plotted together to kill him. At his trial, false witnesses spoke against him and the members of the Sanhedrin accused him before Pilate of being a trouble-maker. And they were successful in that they were able to put the Lord to death.
And yet, his Father in heaven rescued him and protected him and kept him by raising him from the dead on the third day and exalting him to heaven, far above his enemies. And by raising him from the dead, God the Father vindicated him and made clear that everything he said was true and he is indeed God’s Spirit-Anointed and Conquering King who was sent into the world to save us.
And when he comes again in glory and with power, all his enemies will be paid back for what they have done wrong. And they will be shut out of the Promised Land of Eternal Life, where God’s people will live in peace and safety in the presence of God for ever and for ever.
And whenever the church suffers in this life, whenever we suffer for our faith in Christ, we too can appeal to God for the help we need. And we can be confident that God will hear us and help us, because we have been reconciled to God through faith in Christ, who has made peace for us with God by paying for our sins with his life. And so, we can appeal to the Lord to strengthen us so that we’re able to take our stand against the devil’s wicked schemes and against all those who have sided with the devil against the church of Jesus Christ. And while our life on earth may be full of troubles and trials and afflictions, we can be confident that, in the end, God’s people will dwell in his presence for ever, where we will praise his name for all of his kindness to us in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
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