Psalm 3:1 ¶ «A Psalm of
David, when he fled from Absalom his son.» LORD, how are they increased that
trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. 2 Many there be which say of my soul, There
is no help for him in God. Selah. 3
But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter
up of mine head.
The traditional preview for this Psalm gives the context as far as
David was concerned, the civil war started by Absalom. What happened started
many years before when David attacked the Geshurites, Canaanites who were not
expelled by the invading Israelites.
Joshua 13:13 Nevertheless
the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites: but
the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.
Much later, fleeing Saul, David would live with the Philistines
and attack these Canaanites making a great slaughter so that no witnesses could
tell the Philistines what had happened so they would not realize that he was
pursuing his own agenda and not theirs.
1Samuel
27:8 ¶ And David and his men went up,
and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those
nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even
unto the land of Egypt. 9 And David
smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep,
and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and
came to Achish. 10 And Achish said,
Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah,
and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the
Kenites. 11 And David saved neither man
nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us,
saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in
the country of the Philistines. 12 And
Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor
him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.
Obviously, he did not kill everyone because he took a wife of the
daughter of the king of Geshur who would be the mother of Absalom.
2Samuel 3:3 And his second,
Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the
son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
After Amnon raped Tamar Absalom took his revenge by killing Amnon
and then fleeing to his mother’s homeland.
2Samuel 13:37 But Absalom
fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned
for his son every day.
He would return and forty years after David’s slaughter of the
Geshurites, Absalom, perhaps filled with bitterness at the storytelling of his
mother’s beleaguered countrymen about the slaughter mixed with his own
bitterness, Absalom foments rebellion against David.
2Samuel 15:1 ¶ And it came
to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty
men to run before him. 2 And Absalom
rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when
any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom
called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is
of one of the tribes of Israel. 3 And
Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man
deputed of the king to hear thee. 4
Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every
man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him
justice! 5 And it was so, that when any
man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him,
and kissed him. 6 And on this manner did
Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the
hearts of the men of Israel.
7 ¶ And it came to pass after forty years, that
Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have
vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron. 8 For
thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD
shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD. 9 And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So
he arose, and went to Hebron. 10 But
Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye
hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron. 11 And with Absalom went two hundred men out of
Jerusalem, that were called; and they
went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing. 12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite,
David’s counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered
sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually
with Absalom.
This shows that the narrative that has its fulfillment in 2Samuel
15:7 had its beginning in 1Samuel 27 revealing that there are many overlapping
narratives in the Bible which we should pay attention to.
This civil war brought out the treachery in several important
people who went along with Absalom.
One possible prophetic view of this passage is the lamentation of
those people who run to the wilderness from the clutches of the Beast of
Revelation, whom we call The Antichrist. See here what may be metaphorical
references to supernatural deliverance.
Revelation 12:14 And to the
woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the
wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and
half a time, from the face of the serpent.15
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman,
that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth
opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his
mouth.
But, from our own personal perspective this is a promise we cling
to. The world says we are weak for having faith in God while they have faith in
all sorts of human institutions that fail constantly. They attack Christians
even verbally when they cannot do it physically. But, God is our strength. He
is our shield. He will lift us up if we humble ourselves before Him.
James 4:10 Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
1Peter 5:5 ¶ Likewise, ye
younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to
another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth
grace to the humble.6 Humble yourselves
therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth
for you.
Here is a Psalm that was a great blessing to me at a time when I
was in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 ¶ «To the chief
Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.» God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help in trouble. 2
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the
mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be
troubled, though the mountains shake with the
swelling thereof. Selah. 4
There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God,
the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be
moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6 ¶ The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved:
he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7
The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD,
what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9
He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow,
and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be
exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of
Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
Psalm 3:4 ¶ I cried unto
the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. 5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the
LORD sustained me. 6 I will not be
afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me
round about. 7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O
my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou
hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. 8
Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy
people. Selah.
What does David mean when he says that God heard him out of His
holy hill? Go back to Psalm 2:6 for the complete phrase.
Psalm 2:6 Yet have I set my
king upon my holy hill of Zion.
Psalm 15:1 «A Psalm of
David.» LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy
hill?
Psalm 43:3 O send out thy
light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill,
and to thy tabernacles.
Psalm 99:9 Exalt the LORD
our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.
The assumption is that God dwells with the children of Israel at
this time even though He is pleaded with to come down from heaven at times.
This usage of the holy hill of Zion shows that the expectation is that God is
immanent and right there with the kingdom of Israel. Remember what I noted
previously.
David is God’s king on God’s holy hill of Zion which is Jerusalem.
Psalm 51:18 Do good in thy
good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Isaiah 10:32 As yet shall
he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the
daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
Isaiah 31:4 For thus hath
the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his
prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be
afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the
LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
David is able to sleep because he feels confident in God’s
protection. Look at what appears to be Solomon’s security.
Song of Solomon 3:7 Behold
his bed, which is Solomon’s; threescore valiant men are about it, of the
valiant of Israel.
David here is confident that God will protect Him from all of his
enemies.
Psalm 91:7 A thousand shall
fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come
nigh thee.
This confidence is expressed repeatedly in the Psalms. See 23:4; see
27:1-3; & Psalm 46 as examples.
All Israel seems to be against David but God sustained him from
his enemies. Verse 8 reminds us almost all of the time in the Old Testament
salvation is referring to be saved from a temporal danger and not to eternal
life. David is grateful and thankful for God’s deliverance.
Prophetically, we can see Christ crying out from the Cross and
then in verse 5 we get perhaps a picture of the Resurrection.
Verse 6 reminds me of how we have seen in the years since the
formation of Israel how such a small force can take on many nations at one time
backed by international powers like Great Britain. It happened at the nation of
Israel’s birth and in the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War. And now, Israel
is the strongest nation in the region. Israel appears to be a truly blessed
nation in God’s protection although they are almost completely secular and
their government does not seem to honor the God of the Bible.
Verse 7 reminds me of the events of the end when Christ will take
vengeance on the wicked world, the kingdom of the Beast. Although not
specifically stating that He will break their teeth this could be a metaphor
for breaking their power, their strength, and the instruments of their cruelty.
Notice a similar phrase for rendering lions relatively harmless.
Psalm 58:6 ¶ Break their
teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O
LORD.
The word salvation in verse 8, from a prophetic point of view may
mean the temporal salvation of the remnant in the Tribulation by a final
Rapture which I discuss in the comments on Revelation.
From a personal point of view, though, we can see that God will
hear us when we call out to Him. Verse 5 may be an assurance not just that we
will wake up in the morning but that we will be resurrected at the end of days,
so often mentioned in the Bible and discussed previously on several occasions.
Job 14:14 If a man
die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till
my change come.
Job
19:25 For I know that my redeemer
liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this
body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27
Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not
another; though my reins be consumed within me.
Isaiah speaks of a resurrection.
Isaiah
26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together
with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for
thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
Daniel speaks of a resurrection.
Daniel
12:2 And many of them that sleep in the
dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and
everlasting contempt.
Hosea speaks of a resurrection.
Hosea
13:14 I will ransom them from the power
of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O
grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
Martha declared it;
John 11:24 Martha saith
unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
And Jesus makes it clear that the God’s dead
have not ceased to exist and the following passage makes it plain that the Jews
knew of the resurrection, although some did not believe, as it is today.
Matthew
22:23 ¶ The same day came to him the
Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die,
having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto
his brother. 25 Now there were with us
seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and,
having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: 26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto
the seventh. 27 And last of all the
woman died also. 28 Therefore in the
resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye
do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry,
nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead,
have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
33 And when the multitude heard this,
they were astonished at his doctrine.
Verse 6 through 8 gives us a hope that God will protect us from
those many that surround us who hate us because of Christ. Yes, they can also
hate us because we can be obnoxious and self-righteous but they will eventually
hate us no matter what our personality quirks simply because the spirit of the
world, guided by Satan, hates followers of Christ, hates His people with a passion.
No comments:
Post a Comment