READ: Psalms 57-59
These three psalms were written by
David when he was on the run from Saul. Interestingly, each psalm has a heading
informing the reader these songs can all be sung to the same tune. It appears
everyone would have known the song “Do Not Destroy”.
Psalm 57 is a song of praise. In it
David recounts how he called out to God for mercy and safety and God came
through. He explains he is in the midst of danger, yet chooses to praise God.
In verse 6 he tells how his enemies were caught in their own snare. Because he
is exalting God, we can see he gives God full credit for not only his safety
but also the punishment of the wicked.
David has a clear and concrete
understanding of God’s faithfulness and love. He is moved to song. David wants
to sing and make music – and he is still in the midst of danger. He fully
trusts God to save him from his enemies and to make him king.
Psalm 58 is one many might not enjoy
reading. The words and content grate harshly against our North American
political correctness. David is begging God to do terrible things to the
wicked: to break their teeth, to make them vanish, to sweep them away and
basically get rid of all the wicked. How can this be? Is David singing to the
same God of love we serve today? It’s not hard to think what might happen in
today’s news if we sang a song similar to this in our churches today! It seems
so harsh and cruel to have a man after God’s own heart sing a song asking God
to exact such awful punishment.
Yet in verse 10-11 we see this is fully
within the scope of a God of Love. God loves the righteous passionately. He
takes it very personally when one of His precious children are hurt or taken
advantage of. He has promised to take revenge on our behalf – to be our
Vindicator. So as David sings he is not singing just of the people who are on
his case that day. He is actually singing for every single righteous person to
ever live. He is singing out his encouragement, “Keep going! Don’t mind the pain right now because God is going to
make it right in the end. These wicked people will be judged!” This chapter, although it may seem
foreign to us, is actually one of hope and encouragement.
In Psalm 59 we encounter a very
interesting verse. Verse 11a says, “Don’t kill them, for my people soon forget such
lessons”. On one hand David is crying out for help and
deliverance, yet here we see something different. David is actually asking God not to eliminate the enemy because it
would be too easy to forget their need for God.
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1. Has God given you a promise, or called
you to something that hasn’t yet happened? Do you ever feel like David who was
anointed king but spent the next many, many years running for his life like a
fugitive? David shows us how to live in the in-between. Ask the Lord to review
with you the promise or calling He gave you that hasn’t yet materialized. Then
ask Him to give you an enduring promise and sense of His glory and goodness
that will carry you through the toughest days of your life. Journal what He
tells you.
2. In the end of time God will judge all
people – and it won’t be pretty. Our culture doesn’t like to think of The
Judgment and the horrors of it. Ask the Lord to give you a clear understanding
of how His justice is perfect, and how He will never, ever give anyone a
punishment they don’t deserve. Write down what He tells you. Now ask Him to
speak to you with a word, thought, picture or song regarding the blessing He
has planned for those who follow Him.
3. Is there a difficult situation or
person that is just not going away no matter how much you pray? Ask God if this
problem is supposed to stay there to help remind you to lean on Him. If yes, give
Him praise! If not, Ask God to show you which situations in your life have
proven to be the ones that created the most growth. Spend time thanking Him for
giving you opportunity to grow strong in Him.
