This is likely a Psalm written as Saul pursued David. It is an appeal to God in heaven by the man of God as he is forced to deal with a situation he seems to have little or no control over. Saul was bound to kill David, yet David had done nothing to Saul. David was oppressed, slandered and forced to run and hide.
This Psalm is classified as an imprecatory Psalm.
A Psalm of David.
1 Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler,
And stand up for my help.
3 Also draw out the spear,
And stop those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
"I am your salvation."
David lays his concern out before the Lord. You can almost feel David's frustration of being unable to control what was going on. David couldn't stop Saul without killing him. He couldn't stop the slander that went out against him. And he couldn't control the deceit that was spoken. David lays it before the Lord and asks that the Lord take up his cause. David asks God to stand between him and his enemies. The shield and he buckler and defensive weapons. The buckler was a tall shield that a person could hide behind. The picture is the Lord taking up the shield and spear, standing between David and his enemy. The Lord standing up is active, engaged and on the watch. He holds the spear to keep the enemies at a distance and stop those who are in pursuit. This defense speaks to David's soul, like the Lord saying, "I am your salvation."
4 Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor
Who seek after my life;
Let those be turned back and brought to confusion
Who plot my hurt.
If the Lord fights this battle then those men trying to kill David will be put to shame and dishonored. These enemies thought they could find honor in what they were doing, but the Lord will disappoint their intentions. Those who plot the destruction of David will be turned back and brought to confusion. The Lord brings many ways and means to the battle. These enemies will be turned back and brought to confusion, and they probably won't even be sure what happened.
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind,
And let the angel of the LORD chase them.
Chaff is the useless hulls, stalks and foreign matter mixed with the good grain. On the threshing floor it is tossed in the air and the blown away in the wind. These enemies that come in great numbers and feel as though they can overcome anything will be quickly turned away. Not only that, they will be pursued by the angel of the Lord in which there is no escape. There will be no retreat from Him.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
And let the angel of the LORD pursue them.
7 For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit,
Which they have dug without cause for my life.
8 Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly,
And let his net that he has hidden catch himself;
Into that very destruction let him fall.
This enemy that came with great numbers or great confidence came for a victory. They came to destroy David and find honor in that. Instead they were brought to confusion, they were turned away. Instead of walking with confidence in the light they are running for their life in the dark. Their path is now dark and slippery. The relentless pursuit of the angel of the Lord wears them out. The evil men set their traps with no cause. Now, as they flee they fall prey to their own traps. They are captured in their own pit and been captured by their own net. The destruction that was laid for David became the destruction for the men who set the trap.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD;
It shall rejoice in His salvation.
10 All my bones shall say,
"LORD, who is like You,
Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him,
Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?"
As the Lord fights this battle David becomes joyful. He rejoices in the salvation that has comes to him. He's not boasting over his enemies but boasting in the Lord. "Who is like you, Lord?" No where in the ways of man do we see the poor delivered from the strong. By the ways of man, the strong get stronger and oppress the weak. In this case, God had other plans. Many times it seems like we see the strong continue in their ways as we wait on the Lord. God takes care of the poor. All accounts will be balanced in the end.
11 Fierce witnesses rise up;
They ask me things that I do not know.
12 They reward me evil for good,
To the sorrow of my soul.
We don't have to look very far to find this still going on today. There will always be people willing to lie for a cause. They will bring charges and false witness for an unseen benefit or agenda. They work diligently to bring a reward of evil to those who do good. This is what the Psalmist felt. It was the helpless feeling of being rewarded for your good by having to endure an attack by evil.
13 But as for me, when they were sick,
My clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting;
And my prayer would return to my own heart.
14 I paced about as though he were my friend or brother;
I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.
When Saul was sick, David showed him concern and compassion. He had shown great concern for Saul and fasted and prayed for his recovery. David had a couple opportunities to kill Saul but didn't do it. This was a man showing concern like a friend or a brother yet Saul acted wickedly toward David.
15 But in my adversity they rejoiced
And gathered together;
Attackers gathered against me,
And I did not know it;
They tore at me and did not cease;
16 With ungodly mockers at feasts
They gnashed at me with their teeth.
The enemy created a web of deceit. They gathered against David without his knowledge and made plots against him. They attacked him and became his mocker and acted in evil and malicious ways.
17 Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue me from their destructions,
My precious life from the lions.
18 I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
I will praise You among many people.
David trusts God and knows He will fight this battle because He's done it so many times in the past. The Lord will take up the shield and buckler on David's behalf and stand between him and the enemy. Yet, David asks, when? How long does this have to go on before the Lord steps in? When will the Lord make the rescue that David relied on? He felt his life was in peril, as if he was being torn by a lion. David looked forward to that time of rescue and salvation so he could give thanks to the Lord among the people; telling everyone what the Lord had done in his life.
19 Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies;
Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause.
20 For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful matters
Against the quiet ones in the land.
21 They also opened their mouth wide against me,
And said, "Aha, aha!
Our eyes have seen it."
David was clearly bothered by those who he thought were his friends who now were taking sides against him. They formed alliances that were confirmed with a wink of the eye. These people weren't interested in peace. They devised deceit and turmoil among the people who were the 'quiet ones' in the land. The evil men brought false charges against David saying they saw something that didn't happen.
22 This You have seen, O LORD;
Do not keep silence.
O Lord, do not be far from me.
David was right ….. the Lord had seen all this. Nothing escapes his gaze.
23Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication,
To my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness;
And let them not rejoice over me.
David wanted vindication. He asked the Lord to not be silent and to awake and move according to his cause. David wanted vindication according to the Lord's righteousness and not his own righteousness.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, "Ah, so we would have it!"
Let them not say, "We have swallowed him up."
On one hand David worries about his himself. Then he shows concern for the Lord and His name. Now, David just doesn't want his enemies to have satisfaction. With every satisfaction drawn from an evil deed…… another evil scheme is born.
26 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who rejoice at my hurt;
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor
Who exalt themselves against me.
Shame, confusion and dishonor will hold the evil intentions of man. Men who rejoice in hurt and exalt themselves over others must be dealt with straight up. David wants them clothed in the dishonor they schemed so others would recognize them.
27 Let them shout for joy and be glad,
Who favor my righteous cause;
And let them say continually,
"Let the LORD be magnified,
Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant."
28 And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness
And of Your praise all the day long.
With the victory comes the shout for joy. The Lord should be magnified, not men, not David, not luck, or coincidence. God draws pleasure from the prosperity of His servant. And the servant must remain a servant and recognize what the Lord has done. Then, the servant of God will speak of Him and His righteousness all day. And the name of the Lord will be praised.
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