To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.
1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in Thee: yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
2 I will cry unto God Most High: unto God that performeth all things for me.
3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.
4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
5 Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let Thy glory be above all the earth.
6 They have prepared a net for my steps: my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
8 Awake up, my glory: awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
9 I will praise Thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto Thee among the nations.
10 For Thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and Thy truth unto the clouds.
11 Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let Thy glory be above all the earth.
Our hearts must be riveted upon God in praise and adoration even when we are surrounded by roaring lions with six-inch teeth.
Towards the beginning of the psalm, the focus of your mind’s eye oscillates between war and worship. Your faith is strong but it is still under assault. Surrounded by lions and men who are intent on killing, fear stands at the door. At first, you pray for God’s deliverance, but you can’t help but worship God in the middle of the field of battle. As the lions roar and the guns blaze, you are extraordinarily calm, because your heart and mind are fixed on God, on His mercy, truth, and glory.
Verses 1–3. Although this is a psalm of praise, it does not appear to be so in the first few verses. Evidently, these are harrowing times for David, who, as he writes this psalm, is hiding out from the armies of King Saul in the cave of Adullam. You may recall that Saul was intent on killing his son-in-law and had attempted it several times. You may have never experienced this kind of a threat to your life, where a king puts a contract on you. Still, there isn’t one of us who is exempt from such distressing circumstances, for the Bible tells us that the devil is ever seeking to destroy us. We are always beset by the tempters of the world, our own flesh, and the devil.
A good many psalms begin with these words, “Be merciful to me, O God!” What good father would reject a son who came to him and said, “Have pity on me, Dad”? Certainly our Heavenly Father will turn to the cries of His own children. God rejects the proud, but draws near to the humble, and this is the position we ought to take before our Heavenly Father.
There is no fear or wavering of faith in this psalm, unlike several of the others we have studied recently. “My soul trusts in You, God,” says David. Like a little chick tucked under its mother’s feathers, David hides under the shadow of God’s wings. He is confident that God will take care of him and save him out of his troubles.
Verses 4–6. For the next three verses, David appears to waver between fear, faith, and worship—between the reality of his situation and a desire to worship God. He faces two realities. On the one hand, there is no denying that life is really dangerous. This is no dream, for he stands in a field surrounded by fierce lions. Every one of his enemies’ hearts are filled with malicious hate and their mouths contain sharp teeth and an evil tongue set to do much harm. David is entirely realistic in his perception of the danger but there is another reality that is far more significant than the field of lions. It is the absolute sovereignty of God that will turn these enemies to their own destruction. Here is a God worth worshiping. The size of the lions’ teeth are impressive. But if you want to see something really impressive, you ought to see God who created heaven and earth. Thus, mid the lion’s roars and the clashing of swords on the battlefield, David feels impelled to cry out to God in praise and exaltation.
For a brief moment in verse 6, David’s focus reverts back to the enemy and the traps they have set for him. But it is only for a moment. After this, he ceases to waver between fear and faith for worship.
Verses 7–11. The remainder of the psalm is praise and worship. A vision of the glories of God has overcome him so that the words of the psalm are utterly saturated with exaltation in God. After speaking of the enemy again in verse 6, he takes a Selah pause to meditate for a moment. Then, he fixes his heart on God and commits to God’s praise (v. 7). It is as if he were saying, “Enough about them, and enough about me. I want You exalted, God, for you are completely sovereign over every sharp-toothed enemy that lays their traps in my way. Even these enemies could not exist without You!”
Henceforth, he commissions his attention, gifts, skills, and abilities to the worship of Yahweh. God’s worship should never be done while we are half asleep. In our lives, we are driven by what we value most, by that which is most important to us at the time. David is realigning his priorities in this passage. He cries out, “God, my life is worth nothing without you! For my life is more about worshiping you than it is about studying the enemy and bringing him down!” As fear turns to praise, do you see how the threats of the enemy fade and roaring lions look more like yipping chihuahua dogs?
David sings of both the mercy and truth of God. God is glorious in the salvation He provides His people and He is ultimate in His truth. Contrast these two beautiful gifts that God provides His people in the covenant. Truth is unbending, while mercy bends. God’s mercy works truth into the hearts and lives of men who start out ignorant, rebellious, and hardened to the truth. As God shepherds His people in mercy, they begin to believe His truth and walk in it.
While some might be embarrassed to speak of God in the United Nations building in New York City, David would stand up and shout the praises of the Creator even among those that mocked the sovereign God Who created heaven and earth. Indeed, God deserves to be praised everywhere in the world— in every corporation, every home, every capitol building, and every school. If we really believe that God created the heavens and the earth and that He rules over all, then we ought to follow through and exalt Him as the Creator in our words and thoughts.
The psalm ends with a confession of the desire of a true praising heart. This is a heart that wants to see God’s glory and God’s greatness proclaimed everywhere. It is the heart that wants to see God high and lifted up even among the wicked. It is the heart that is not content with the size of the choir until it has millions shouting the praises of God.
This psalm gives you a choice between fearing men and worshiping God. David plainly takes the latter approach in the midst of his severe trial. Do not allow your mind to linger on your troubles, your enemies, or even your own comforts. When trials overwhelm you, it must be that you have not returned to the worship of God. As long as you return your focus to God, you will be consumed with His praise, instead of with your own worries.
1. First, we need to stay awake in God’s worship. Three different times, David shouts out to his own soul to wake up for the worship of God. There seems to be a natural sluggishness that falls over us whenever we enter the worship of God. Think about how easy it is for us to be distracted by our own thoughts or by the threats of the enemy in the middle of our own devotions, family worship, or corporate worship in the body of the church.
2. Our preaching and singing in worship should never linger upon ourselves. While it is appropriate to spend a little time speaking of our own trials, we should inevitably turn back to God and exalt in His beauty, power, and grace in salvation.
1. Name a few Praise psalms.
2. Where was David when he wrote this psalm?
3. How does David describe the danger of his situation?
4. What picture does David use to describe his trust in God? See verse 1.
5. Where is David’s focus in this psalm?
1. When we have the choice between fear and worship, which do we choose and why?
2. Do you have trouble staying awake in worship? Why do you think it is difficult to focus upon the worship of God? Where does your mind turn in worship?