I’m going to cover the psalms in this particular order because of the events to which they relate. This is a LOT of content so get comfy.
PSALM 52
Psalm 52 was written about the events of 1st Samuel 21-22, when David fled the Capitol and went to the Tabernacle at Nob and Ahimelek the priest. And Doeg the Edomite was there and went straight to Saul to tattle.
This led to the massacre of the priests and their families. David only found out after the deed was done. This psalm is David working through those tremendous emotions and reminding himself of the eternal big picture.
Doeg was the “chief of Saul’s herdsmen,” 🐏so, basically like a ranch foreman; a pretty important position. You’d think that Saul could’ve found an Israelite for that job instead of bringing in a descendant of Esau. It’s clear from his actions in murdering unarmed priests and their families that he is a man with no compassion or fear of Yahweh. What’s a man like that doing on Saul’s payroll? 🤔
David comforts himself and Abiathar, (the son who escaped), by taking an eternal view. In the end, Doeg does not win. He loses and God wins.
And that is something we must do as well when tragedy strikes and it seems as though the wicked have (perhaps literally), “gotten away with murder.”
Their triumph will be brief. The Lord will not allow them to get away with it.
Just a couple hours ago I was singing hymns at the nursing home. One lady asked if we would sing “Farther Along.” It’s a song with a similar idea as Psalm 52. (The link will take you to a fabulous bluegrass rendition on YouTube). The wicked might seem to be favored in a crooked world but “farther along” we’ll have an eternal perspective and we can trust that the Lord will make everything alright in the end.
PSALM 120
We shift here from a psalm of David to an unknown author. This psalm fits well here because of its theme.
It is the first of 15 Psalms of Ascent written by multiple writers including David and Solomon but most are anonymous.
The Ascent Psalms are thought to have been written for pilgrims to sing as they were making their ways up to Jerusalem to worship.
There are at least 10 mountains higher than Jerusalem in Israel, so it’s definitely not the highest point in the land. But, when you approach Jerusalem – no matter what direction you come from – it is always from a lower elevation. This is why in the Bible we have lines like “let us go UP to the mountain of the LORD,” and “He went UP to Jerusalem,” or “He went DOWN FROM Jerusalem.” In the western world, we tend to use “up” for north and “down” for south. In Israel, you could be traveling south toward Jerusalem but you’re still going UP in elevation. You could leave Jerusalem and travel east, like the man in the parable of the Good Samaritan, and be said to be going “down” from Jerusalem to Jericho even though you are going east. But you’re going down in elevation.
In case you’d like to hear how our spiritual forefathers in the 1600’s would’ve sung Psalm 120, here is an English translation of a German setting by Heinrich Schutz. At this period, Protestants were great singers of the psalms and would often slightly rephrase them so that they would rhyme. These rewritten texts, sometimes with printed vocal music were called “Psalters.”
PSALMS 56 & 34
These two were written when David went to Gath and – oopsie, they recognized him as the giant slayer, arrested him and brought him before King Achish. Don’t let the name “Abimelek” in the heading of Psalm 34 confuse you. We’ve run into a bunch of Abimeleks already. It’s a compound word and a title, not a name. Ab is Hebrew for “father.” Melek (or melech) means “king.” If your father was the king, that makes you next in line. And if you are the father of the king that means your dynasty will continue.
So David gets hauled in before King Achish and has to think of something fast to get out of the jam so he fakes insanity. 🤪
Psalm 56 sounds like David giving himself a pep talk. And I suppose you would too if you’re in a Philistine jail about to be taken before a king who can order your instant execution.
On a contemporary chord chart, verses 4 and 11 would be called “Chorus 1” and “Chorus 2.” They are almost identical.
“In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
Psalms 56:4 NASB2020
“In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can mankind do to me?
Psalms 56:11 NASB2020
Interesting that THIS Psalm and not a weeping psalm of lament is where David mentions God collecting his tears in a heavenly bottle. Only, don’t think of a glass bottle. Glass hasn’t been invented yet. David’s “bottle” would’ve looked like this:
Psalm 34 – written on the heels of David’s narrow escape from Achish – bursts out of the gate with jubilant praise. He’s probably giddy with relief as he gets clear of Gath and says to himself, “I can’t believe that actually worked!”
I mentioned the Psalter above. If you have the Bible app (YouVersion), you can tap on the Version menu and scroll down to MP1650 or MP1781 for the Scottish Psalter version of the psalms. Here’s a little bit of Psalm 34 from the 1650 Scottish Psalter:
(Oh and a tip – shamed is pronounced with 2 syllables: shame-ed)
God will I bless all times; his praise my mouth shall still express.
My soul shall boast in God: the meek shall hear with joyfulness.
Extol the Lord with me, let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, he heard, and did me from all fears deliver.
They look’d to him, and lighten’d were: not shamed were their faces.
This poor man cry’d, God heard, and sav’d him from all his distresses.
The angel of the Lord encamps, and round encompasseth
All those about that do him fear, and them delivereth.
Psalms 34:1-7 MP1650
I know it sounds a bit like Yoda talking but how cool is that?!
There are SO many songs based on parts of this psalm! Old ones, new ones, but this 3000 year old hit is the original.
Here are some verses from this psalm that we all should have on “speed dial.”
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
Psalm 34:18-19 ESV
It’s a reminder that no one is promised an easy life. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous…” It reminds me of this:
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” 1 Peter 4:12 ESV
Hardship is normal. Affliction is normal. We live in a broken world and difficulty is par for the course. It’s only a cushy, entitled culture and wonky doctrine that tries to tell us that life is supposed to be “too blessed to be stressed.” That’s a cute saying for a t-shirt but it’s not realistic. I’m not saying that we should be stressed. But I am saying that you’re not a failure as a Christian if trials come your way. Our faith has to be refined. It must go through the crucible and heat and pressure to force the slag out of our souls.
I remember praying (on a regular basis) in Bible College, “Lord, whatever junk I have in my soul, burn it out now. I don’t care if you have to put me in the pressure cooker til I nearly explode, just get it out now while nobody is following me, nobody is listening to me, and if I fall flat on my face and make a train wreck of things I won’t take anyone down with me.”
And boy did He ever answer that prayer. 😅
I grew up in the era of big-time tv ministers getting caught in sin and their huge international ministries collapsing and people using their failures as an excuse to dismiss the Gospel. I never figured on being famous or anything but still, I didn’t ever want to be a stumbling block.
A real challenge for the Christian is to discern if my current predicament is because…
- I did something stupid and this is just the consequences of my choices.
- If so, I need to humble myself, learn from my mistakes, and try to fix the mess I made if I can.
- The Lord is allowing a hardship to test and refine my character.
- If so, I need to really lean into prayer, fasting, scripture, journaling, and meeting with mentors so I can grow stronger through it.
- Some malevolent spiritual force is attacking me.
- If so, have I given it access because I’ve compromised with evil?
- If I honestly have not compromised with evil, see #2.
At the end of the day, whatever the cause of the affliction, we should always remember:
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
And here we are, just going along, being blessed and encouraged by this psalm and again – BAM! 💥 A Messianic prophecy just jumps out at us:
“He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” Psalm 34:20 ESV
“But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.”
John 19:33-36 ESV
In the context of the psalm, the “He” who is keeping the bones from being broken is the LORD and the “his” is the righteous one.
So if we retrofit that meaning backwards into the previous verse, then the “many afflictions” that are happening to the “righteous” is talking about Jesus.
And really, Jesus is the only truly righteous human who ever lived. And He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
But here’s the beauty of scripture- this passage does not have to be an either-or situation. Many texts have multiple levels of meaning and application. Some prophecies are dual in nature. They have an immediate fulfillment and also a Messianic fulfillment. And BOTH are correct. No humanly-created writing can do that.
Psalm 34 ends with this radiant promise that fills our hearts with hope:
“The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.” Psalm 34:22 ESV
PSALM 140
This is a psalm of David but we aren’t given a specific event as the inspiration for it. The opening lines certainly fit his several close brushes with death at the hands of Saul.
“Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually.”
Psalm 140:1-2 ESV
After asking for protection from these violent, wicked people and expressing his faith in God, David prays against his enemies.
I don’t know if you do this, but based on psalms like this (there are many more!) I think we have permission to pray against wicked people.
And yes, I know that we do not battle flesh and blood and all that. But most of the difficulty we have to deal with has a human face; flesh and blood. And some of them need to feel the full weight of the consequences of their actions before they can begin to question whether or not they may be on the wrong path.
A few people are so aligned with evil, and their conscience so seared, that there is nothing to be done but to hope for their destruction as a mercy to keep them from pulling others down into hell with them.
David is praying against people like these.
“Lord, do not let evil people have their way. Do not let their evil schemes succeed, or they will become proud.
Let my enemies be destroyed by the very evil they have planned for me. Let burning coals fall down on their heads. Let them be thrown into the fire or into watery pits from which they can’t escape.
Don’t let liars prosper here in our land. Cause great disasters to fall on the violent.”
Psalms 140:8-11 NLT
These are harsh prayers, but let’s pause to remember: this is divinely inspired. This is the Word of God from the Heart of God.
Yes, God is more merciful and kind and gracious than we can comprehend. Yes, He is so good, that if you saw the full glory of His goodness, your heart would stop.
But God is ALSO more just and fierce and terrifyingly holy than we can possibly grasp. His wrath is not a separate compartment from His love. God is whole. And perfect. It is because of His great love that He has great wrath. You don’t get too worked up if a random stranger is being insulted. But if it’s your kid getting insulted, look out – Mamma or Papa Bear is about to go scorched earth. You get more angry because you love your kid more than a random stranger.
God’s wrath is not in contradiction to His love.
And so David’s hardcore prayers to have the plans of the wicked thwarted, to see them fail to succeed at anything, and even for them to be destroyed – these prayers partner with the LORD in seeing righteousness established.
In order for righteousness to be established, the wicked MUST be kept in check. Sin cannot be slapped on the wrist. It is out to steal, kill, and destroy. Only one side is walking away alive from this fight. It’s either you or it.
In my own small way, as I walk the streets of my little town, I can pray that the demonic strongholds of drug addiction be broken. I can pray that those who are aligned with evil (and have no desire to be otherwise) would be so uncomfortable in my town, that they can’t bear to stay and sow their seeds of wickedness.
“May they find no resting place, no place to receive them and their wickedness. Take away every comfort until they are so destitute that they finally ask themselves, “what am I doing? There must be something better than this” and they begin to search for the truth. And may they find it if they seek. And if they refuse to seek, if they have so hardened their hearts and so shut their eyes to the light and their minds to the truth, and if all they will do is drag more people into the net of sin, Lord, may You cut them off out of mercy for those who would be drawn to destruction by them. We take no delight in the death of the wicked, but for the sake of those who could be saved and for righteousness sake, may the wicked come to their end.”
I pray these kinds of prayer. A lot.
Some people might find it offensive.
And, well, it is – in the football sense of the word. It’s a prayer that is playing offense, not defense.
Just because our true enemy is a spiritual one, doesn’t mean that we should just stand and shrug and let the minions of Evil and the humans they control to run rampant through our land.
I for one have had enough. If David could “put his foot down” in prayer about nasty people, then (unless someone can show me where God cancelled the psalms), I will continue to pray offensive prayers too.
To The Reader 