BOLDNESS!
Psalm
3:1-8
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
1
O LORD, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against
me. 2Many
are saying of my soul, "There is no deliverance for him in God." Selah.
3But
You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my
head. 4I
was crying to the LORD with my voice, And He answered me from His holy
mountain. Selah.
5I
lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.
6I
will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves
against me round about
7Arise,
O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies on the
cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.
8
Salvation belongs
to the LORD; Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah.
A prayer in need!
Just think of what the beginning of this psalm
reveals: “David, when he fled from Absalom his son”
Also
David had to experience this, because he was anointed by God!
As he complains:
“O LORD,
how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against
me.” (v.1), - also his own son!
It is not rare phenomenon that the highest seats are
the most sought after. It is really a normal pattern, but David was
also a target for hostility simply because of his relationship with
God!
We
always meet this phenomenon - also in the new religious movements
- among people who is not in a true relationship with God, that they
always think that a good relationship with God, shows on the outside
in earthly prosperity and progress.
We so often hear when people have crisis and troubles
in life, which is evident to all: “He who is a believer - why does
not God help him out of his trouble?” Just think about the parable
about Lazarus and the rich man; - first Jesus points to a person:
“Now there was a rich
man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously
living in splendor every day.”
(Luk. 16:19). This is exactly
how many Christians consider a life blessed by God! But hear how this
man ends: “In
Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far
away and Lazarus in his bosom.”
(Luk. 16:23). In torment
– and Abraham (heaven) far away!
Yes he had lived his life far away from heaven,
precisely because he had seen the joy in his earthly possessions!
It had satisfied his soul, so that he did not seek anything else.
And then we hear about the other person whom the rich
man sees in Abraham’s bosom, namely in
heaven: “And a poor
man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,and longing
to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man's table;
besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.”
(Luk. 16:20-21). Can you
imagine such existence! – Who would think that this man was the subject
for God’s blessing! No, not until you read:
"Now the poor man died and
was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man
also died and was buried.“
(Luk. 16:22).
No, the natural mind could not grasp this, there
had to be a revelation.
What do you see? How do you think about
these things? Are you like those whom David speak about in this Psalm:
“Many are saying of my soul:” There is no deliverance for him in God."
(v.2).
They were thinking just as we mentioned - that if David
was in a right relationship with God, and therefore under His blessing,
this could never have happened to Him! They did not know Him, of whom
it says: “For whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges
every son ho He recieves“ (Hebr. 12:6), and which says: “Those
whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.”
(Rev. 3:19).
They were thinking just the way the Pharisees did,
concerning the blind at birth Jesus and His disciples ran into: “And
His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his
parents, that he would be born blind?“
(John 9:2). They are completely
taken by the Pharisees doctrine! – A doctrine that Jesus completely
rejects.
We also find a good example about this in the Word, with
Job’s friends who were convinced that Job had to suffer for his sins!
In other words that it was God who was against him!
But
David is a true believer, which means one who knows God, so that he
turns to the Lord with boldness right in the midst of this
terrible situation! Despite what these unbelievers thought about it:
“But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who
lifts my head.” (v.3). Therefore, no matter what happens to me now,
you remain the same towards me, because You are faithful! – You cannot
deny Yourself!
We can say: What you have given me by Jesus, cannot be
shaken by anything! You must never heed the teaching of those who
say that God’s salvation has its foundation in you! How will you then
be bold in a similar situation like that! No, listen to what David
is teaching about this: “Salvation belongs to the Lord” (v.8).
Because this will also come to you, when the difficulties turns up,
either from “Job’s friends” or your own false heart. “Our darkened
mind cannot know the truth, Unless Your good Spirit will lit up its
light in us!”
He testifies: “But you, O Lord,
are a shield about me!” – Which preserves me! It is very good of him
to say that, considering the situation he is in.
Is it really this God you and I knows? We have to ask ourselves!
Has the Gospel dawned to you, in your heart? That God
is your friend, in Jesus Christ! – That God is a reconciled God, in
Him! – That He now comes forth before you, like One who never will
be angry with you! – As He testifies in Isaiah 54: “For
this is like the days of Noah to Me, When I swore that the waters
of Noah Would not flood the earth again; So I have sworn that I will
not be angry with you Nor will I rebuke you.“
(v.9).
Do you really hear what is being said here: “I have
sworn,” He says, - and for what? That He will not be angry
with you nor scold you! Has this dawned on you? And then He substantiates
this: “For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But
My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of
peace will not be shaken,"
Says the LORD who has compassion on you.“
(v.10).
My Covenant of peace! The Lord will not depart
from what happened one day on Golgotha! You say that you know the
Lord! – Let us then hear if you know His name, He told you in the
verse we just read; - Listen!: “He who has compassion over you!” Is
not that a blessed name to know? Therefore David turned to the Lord
with such boldness, because He knew the Lords true name, - he was
a man after God’s own heart! (1 Ps. 13:14; Acts 13:22).
“I was crying to the LORD with my voice, And
He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah.” (v.4). He was crying
to the Lord, he said. This was real need! Not just fear, which comes
when you see death before your eyes, but a deep sorrow, because it
was his son Absalom who was behind this, he whom David loved. - He
says to his men, in spite of this riot, where Absalom wanted to take
his life: “The
king charged Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently
for my sake with the young man Absalom." And all the people heard
when the king charged all the commanders concerning Absalom.“
(2 Sam. 18:5).
- And when Absalom is dead because of his own riot, not
just against his dad, but also against God, we hear about and of David:
“The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate
and wept. And thus he said as he walked, "O my son Absalom, my
son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my
son, my son!" (2 Sam. 18:33).
We see a hint of God’s love towards the fallen and
rebellious mankind in this: “O, if I had died instad of you!”
David speaks of one that he was a prototype for, the Messiah!
It is Jesus desire from eternity: O, if I was dead in your place!
– Instead of you! And it was exactly what He completed on Golgotha
an appointed day in history.
Are
you a bold Christian? - You have at any rate all reason to be, you
who have taken your refuge in Jesus!
E.K.
Holy Bible, New American
Standard Version
Translator: Benedicte Holtan Smart |
