Psalm 54 comments

 

Psalm 54:1 ¶  «To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?» Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength. 2  Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. 3  For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.

 

1Samuel 23:14 ¶  And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. 15  And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood….19 ¶  Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? 20  Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand. 21  And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me. 22  Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly. 23  See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah. 24  And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon. 25  Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

 

David pleads for deliverance from the disaster of being caught by Saul. This is a Psalm we can claim in times of trouble. He calls on God to save Him by His name, the only person who could save him. It is God’s goodness, power, and mercy that can save and God’s name is invoked as being Himself.

 

David not only pleads with God to save David by God’s name, being Himself, but to judge David’s cause by His strength. He asks that God hear his heartfelt prayer as he calls Saul’s forces foreigners and oppressors who do not care for God. Remember Doeg the Edomite? Saul uses Canaanites in his military and in the administration of his kingdom, probably most who do not honor the God of Israel.

 

Psalm 54:4 ¶  Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul. 5  He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth. 6  I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good. 7  For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.

 

Psalm 118:6  The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?  7  The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me….13  Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.

 

David affirms his confidence in God’s help in David’s time of trouble. He knows that God will take care of those who oppose him and seek his death. David praises God and declares that he will offer sacrifices, confident beforehand that God will deliver him and deal with his enemies.

 

It is David’s confidence in a praise of God that we should emulate. Most of us are not being chased by the chief executive of a country and his minions in government to our destruction.

 

But my point is here that we can use this prayer to express our confidence in God’s mercy and deliverance from the evil that threatens us.