The story in 1 Samuel 23 is the background of Psalm 54. Reading this will give you the setting and context of what was on David's heart when he wrote the Psalm.
We learned that Psalm 52 was written after the adventures of David detailed in 1 Samuel 22. This was when Doeg the Edomite reported to Saul that Ahimilech the priest had helped David by giving him the showbread and the sword of Goliath. Remember David was fleeing Saul and he went to Ahimelech the priest and asked for help. Ahimelech gave him the bread from the temple and the sword of Goliath and sent him on his way. Doeg saw this happen and ran to report it to Saul. As a result, Saul had Doeg kill 85 priests. And the then Doeg also wiped out the town of
Abiathar was running for his life from Saul and Doeg. He grabbed an Ephod and went to find David. The Ephod is one of the garments worn by the priests serving in the temple. Part of the Ephod was for the Urim and Thummin. This was some sort of device used by the priests for God to reveal his will. It's been speculated that it was a stones that supernaturally lit up, like a red light, green light. Others thought it was a pocket on the Ephod with black and white stones in it. White stones meant yes, the Lord is with you and the black meant 'no' or stop, the Lord isn't with you. The truth is no one really knows what the Urim and Thummin was. The words Urim and Thummin translate to "Lights & Perfections". Whatever it was it was one of the ways God revealed his will.
Psalm 54
To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Contemplation of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, "Is David not hiding with us?"
1 Save me, O God, by Your name,
And vindicate me by Your strength.
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have risen up against me,
And oppressors have sought after my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah
You can imagine the paranoia that might set in for a guy in David's situation. Saul and his men were hotly pursuing David and his men. Then Doeg the Edomite gave them up so they had to flee. He goes to
Isn't it interesting that Saul is chasing after David, it says daily, instead of fighting the Philistines at Keilah. Saul should have been the one protecting his people and fighting but his days were consumed with chasing after David. The Lord directed David to fight that battle then, after David saves them, God revealed to him these men at Keilah would give him up to Saul. They certainly weren't very appreciative. So David has to flee again. This time to the wilderness of Ziph. No one will find him there! Except, the Ziphites know he is there and they run and tell Saul. These Ziphites were Israelites from David's own tribe of
God was teaching David that he could rely only on the Lord. It's no wonder David cried out to God to save him. It seemed like the whole world was against him, between Doeg, the men of Keilah and the Ziphites. All these men were after favor with the king or at least trying to save their own neck from the king. Saul could have easily had the citizens of Keilah and Ziph wiped out just like he did at Nob. These men were taking care of their own interest by seeking favor with the king while David sought the favor of the Lord.
When David was feeling hemmed in he asked God to save him by his name and vindicate him by the strength of the Lord. David asked God to hear his prayer. These men had not set God before them. They had set men before God. When men are set before God there is oppression and deceit. There is self centeredness and pride, money and power are the center of nearly every action. When God is set before men our lives are not characterized by saving our pride or by winning a battle. God chose David's battles, he ran from Saul, fought the Philistines, ran from Keilah and fled
4 Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is with those who uphold my life.
5 He will repay my enemies for their evil.
Cut them off in Your truth.
David names God as the one who was in control. No matter how bleak things looked he would say, God, here I am again, hemmed in and surrounded. It looks pretty hopeless here. These times are lonely and scary, many times God sends encouragement our way. These are godly people, sometimes friends, sometimes strangers to offer a kind word or even a smile. We saw God send Jonathon to David to give Him encouragement when he was down. Jonathon said to David.......Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over
We need to be aware that God may use us this way. It may be the person you bump into at the grocery store or the waiting room at the doctor or someone at church on Sunday, at light the night or café' grace. Do you take those chances to remind someone that if they are in Christ, they aren't at the mercy of the world, but at the mercy of a merciful and kind God. Yes, we know that but we all still need to hear it at times. We need to be encouraged and reminded of our place before a graceful God. Are you open to God using you that way. It's going to be hard to encourage someone else when your so sober and mean looking. Smile, someone is watching.
David received the encouragement from his friend and was reminded that he could count on God to uphold his life in every way. God had done it before, many times. And if this time were different and his life ended, it ended by the will of God, not by the will of a Philistine or Saul or anyone else. David knew God was in charge. No matter what happened before the eyes of David, God would repay the enemies for their evil. God's truth would prevail.
6 I will freely sacrifice to You;
I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good.
7 For He has delivered me out of all trouble;
And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.
David was out in the middle of the wilderness of Ziph. What would his sacrifice be? He was no where near the tabernacle. In the fleeing from Saul and being at the hands of so many who sought after him. David put his life continually in the hands of God. His sacrifice was his own life. He put his life in the hands of God and trusted him with it. Then he praised God. Over and over in David's life he saw God deliver him from his trouble. Over and over, he saw God work through him to bring victory over his enemies and the enemies of God. As with so many of these Psalms and stories, we can identify with David. We can see our lives in his story.
We are constantly surrounded by the enemies of God. A lot of times we don't even recognize these enemies that work against the things of the Lord. Every way we turn there is some thing or some one that is trying to steal our joy, to betray us, place a burden on us or afflict us in some way. Just like David, we need to seek the Lord. Do we fight this battle....... Or do we flee? And whether we fight or flee should be determined by the Lord's will, not by us to save face or preserve our own pride. Verse 1 of this Psalm is David seeking God to save him. By verse 7, he declares that God has delivered him from all trouble.
Just as David continually cried out to God, we should never grow tired of just placing our life and circumstances before Him. To Him we should freely sacrifice. We give our will and our being over to Him and God will deliver us, and we give Him praise.
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