O Yahweh, how my adversaries have become many! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.”
Psalm 3
Selah.
But you, O Yahweh, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was calling to Yahweh with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain.
Selah.
I lay down and slept; I awoke, for Yahweh sustains me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who all around have set themselves against me.
Arise, O Yahweh; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to Yahweh; Your blessing be upon Your people!
Selah.
Introduction
In this Psalm, King David is crying out to the Lord because of the tremendous persecution he is facing. You will see throughout the Psalms of David that as he brings his troubles to the Lord, he never fails to bring in praise, adoration, and faith that no matter what he faces, God is sovereign over all and God is faithful above all. That pattern is set forth here in Psalm 3 as it begins with his troubles, then presents evidence of God’s faithfulness, and finally praises the Lord for His goodness.
My adversaries have become many
In 2 Samuel 15, King David’s son Absolom performs a coup d’etat at the end of a series of events where he continually took justice into his own hands rather than appealing to the proper God-ordained authorities. The result is one Absolom likely did not fully anticipate, as in chapter 17 he gives permission to Ahithophel to pursue David with the intention of killing him.
And so we find David in this Psalm. Driven out of Jerusalem and pursued to death by is very son, David cries out to the Lord. His troubles seem to be unending, as support for Absolom grows (2 Samuel 15:12) and support for David wanes. David’s own friends and close advisors were even abandoning him to follow after Absolom instead. And so David rightly declares that many claim God is no longer with him. After all, from the perspective of an onlooker, the Lord has clearly abandoned him in favor of a new king, just as the Lord anointed David in the place of Saul.
Salvation belongs to the Lord
But the Lord never did abandon David. Nor did He make any such declaration that David’s throne would be taken from him like He did to Saul (1 Samuel 15:23). Instead, David turned to recall all the ways God has been faithful to him:
- He has answered David’s calling
- He has sustained David in his sleep and in his waking
- He has struck all David’s enemies
- He has shattered the teeth of the wicked
- He alone owns salvation
Is God not faithful to you in the same manner? If you call, does He not answer? If you sleep, do you not wake up? Has He not defeated your greatest foe by disarming the rulers of this earth? Does He not offer you salvation?
Of course He has been faithful in all these things. So whatever adversity you are facing, know as David knew that God is faithful. Whatever the outcome is, know that God is faithful. And no matter how dire your circumstances might seem, nor how much your troubles pile on top of another, know that in God you will find salvation. Let your prayers reflect this confidence.
May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.
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