Psalm 3 – A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son
Comments Dennis Edwards
The word “psalm” is believed to mean in Hebrew “to
sing praise,” or “melody of praise.” Since “psalm” also suggest the idea of
dressing, decorating, or adorning, a psalm was meant to be a song of praise to
God where the words were to be graceful and the music well-executed.
Psalm 3:1-2 Lord,
how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me.
Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
David is crying out to God in one of His moments of
affliction, when Absalom rose up against him in an attempt to destroy him, and
take the Kingdom for himself. The psalm can also be seen as prophetic of the
suffering of Christ, as He enters His moment of Passion and the religious and
secular world rise up against Him. It may even be yet to be fulfilled in the
last days, when the power of antichrist and lawlessness is unleashed against
the true believers during those three and a half years of great tribulation,
which seem to be slowly, but surely, approaching on the horizon.
Psalm 3:3 But
You, O Lord, are a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of my
head.
David
cried unto the Lord as he left Jerusalem for the wilderness in his escape from
the hands of his son, Absalom. Jesus, likewise, as He sweat blood from anguish, cried
out to God in Gethsemane, and angels came and ministered to Him, and
strengthened Him for the battle that was ahead. Finally, when a band of men and
officers come from the chief priests and Pharisees with weapons to capture Jesus, Jesus goes forth to meet them. He says to them, “Whom do you seek?” They
respond, “Jesus of Nazareth.” When Jesus answers, “I am He,” they go backwards
and fall to the ground, John 18:3-6. Such, was the power of the Holy Spirit
that was anointing Him for the moment. We have seen martyrs like Joan of Arc
and Martin Luther, and others, waver in their faith under prosecution, but then,
after spending time with God, recommit, and come back with faith unmoveable and
full of glory. They loved not their lives even to the death.
Psalm 3:4 I
cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill.
Selah.
Apostle
Paul explains in his epistle to the Philippians that once we have cast our
cares upon the Lord through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, God
responds by giving us a supernatural peace that passes all human understanding,
Philippians 4:6-7.
Psalm 3:5 I
laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.
We can
lay down in sleep and peace, because we know the Lord is keeping us safe. He
doesn’t slumber or sleep. He preserves us from all evil. He preserves our soul.
He watches our going out and coming in. We can therefore sleep without fear. Proverbs
3 has an interesting commentary on the subject.
Proverbs
3:21-26 "My son, let not them (my law and
my commandments) depart from your eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:
So, shall they be life unto your soul, and grace to your neck. Then shall
you walk in your way safely, and your foot shall not stumble. When you
lie down, you shall not be afraid: yea, you shall lie down, and your sleep shall
be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither
of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes. For the Lord shall be your confidence, and shall
keep your foot from being taken."
Proverb 3 gives an example
of lying down in trust, because trust and confidence is the fruit of living a
life in relationship to God and His word. We can rest with out a fearful
looking to of judgment, because we have been abiding in His word and His word has
been abiding in us. Therefore, we fear not, because we know that God is with
us. It is He that strengthen us, that helps us, that uphold us with the right-hand
of His righteousness, Isaiah 41:10.
If you cannot sleep at
night, maybe God wants you to get up and call out to Him in prayer. Maybe there is
some disobedience in your life, and you need to reflect upon the way wherein
you are walking. Maybe God wants to speak to you. Make it a habit to pray and
or read your Bible in those moments when sleep flees from you. You’ll soon be
sleeping well, as you deepen and strengthen your relationship with the Lord. But
if not, and you still have difficulty sleeping, don’t worry about it. In
everything give thanks. Count it one of God’s blessing to you and see how you
can redeem the extra time He’s giving you.
Psalm 3:6 I
will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against
me round about.
When we
have a deep personal relationship with God, we can go to Him in desperate
prayer during moments of physical and emotional upheaval and have complete
trust that He is in control. “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind in
stayed on You because he trusts in You,” Isaiah 26:3. Thus, we see David, as a protype
of Jesus, and both of them exhibited extraordinary calm in the face of their enemies.
Psalm 3:7 Arise,
O Lord;
save me, O my God: for You have smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; You
have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
David
saw God arise in his defence and in the defence of Israel, the young nation
state. Jesus knew the time would come when He, too, would crush all His enemies
under His feet. We must, also, hold to the promises of God in the face of the
world-wide persecution foretold to come to pass in the last days of Antichrist.
Psalm 3:8 Salvation
belongs unto the Lord: Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah.
Therefore,
we shall fear not those that can kill the body, but are not able to kill the
soul. We will fear and adore Him that is able to cast both body and soul into
hell. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His
commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work
in judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil,”
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.
Deuteronomy
28:1-2 And it shall come to pass, if you
shall hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord your God, to observe and to
do all His commandments which I command you this day, that the Lord your God
will set you on high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessing
shall come on you, and overtake you, if you shall hearken unto the voice of the
Lord your God.
God’s
blessings are conditional. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness; and all these things (or blessings) shall be added unto you,” Matthew
6:33.
Solomon
wrote, “The blessing of the Lord, it makes (one) rich, and He adds no sorrow
with it,” Proverbs 10:22. If we let God increase our blessings and don’t
strive for them in our own strength, but let Him bless us; He will bless us
without the sorrow and strife we will experience in trying to gain the blessings
through the arm of the flesh.
Jesus
said, “The spirit quickens (or makes alive), the flesh profits nothings.”
Apostle John added, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the
world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but whosoever does the
will of God abides forever,” 1 John 2:16-17.
I would like to add one
more point about “Your blessing is upon Your people.” Apostle Paul in his
writing to the Galatians wrote, “That the blessing of Abraham might come upon
the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the
Spirit through faith,” Galatian 3:14. He continues, “For you are all the
children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been
baptised into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there
is neither bond nor free, there is neither male or female; for you are all one
in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s seed, and
heirs according to the promise,” Galatians 3:26-29.
In Romans, Paul had said
something similar. “For he is not a Jew, (a member of God’s chosen seed), which
is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart,
in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God,”
Romans 2:28-29.
God’s blessing has been and is upon those that believe. "For what says the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness," Romans 4:3 and Genesis 15:6. "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith," Romans 4:13. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him,” Hebrews 11:6.
"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boost," Ephesians 2:8-9. “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name,” John 1:12. “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him,” John 3:36. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, and your house,” Acts 16:31. “Lord, I believe, take away my unbelief,” Mark 9:24. In Jesus’ name we pray.
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