David

In His time

David said, “Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD” (Psalm 128:1). The word translated feareth, yârê (yaw – ray´) is derived from the word yârê’ which means not only to be afraid, but to stand in awe. “This is not simple fear, but reverence, whereby an individual recognizes the power and position of the individual revered and renders him proper respect” (3372).

To be blessed means to be happy (835), but probably not in the way that most people think of happiness. David said in Psalm 129, “Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me” (Psalm 129:2). Figuratively, happiness is making progress or getting ahead in life (833), what we think of as prosperity, but from David’s perspective, it was not being held back, not hindering God’s plan for his life.

David made it a practice to wait for the LORD. The word translated wait, qâvâh (kaw – vaw´) figuratively means to expect. “This word stresses the straining of the mind in a certain direction with an expectant attitude…a forward look with assurance” (6960). David’s confidence in the LORD was based on God’s power and position. David showed reverence to God when he waited because it showed his confidence that God would come through for him.

David said, “My soul waiteth for the LORD more than they that watch for the morning” (Psalm 130:6). Everyone expects the sun to come up in the morning because it does everyday, day after day, consistently and on schedule. David realized that God’s dependability was based on a perfect track record and he relied on that track record more than anything else while he was waiting.

It’s all about attitude

David is unique among the individuals whose lives are portrayed in the Bible because through his psalms he revealed the inner workings of his heart. In the same way that a surgeon is able to determine the condition of a heart through open heart surgery, we are able to see David’s motives, feelings, affections, and desires in his psalms and therefore, able to determine his attitude toward God.

Psalms 123 – 125 focus on three key aspects of David’s attitude toward God: 1) He is David’s superior, 2) He is on David’s side, and 3) He will always keep David safe. David lived a dangerous life. He was given the privilege of being king of Israel, but along with the privilege came a tremendous amount of responsibility and a life filled with trials and tribulations. It is no wonder David felt the need to pour his heart out and put to music the feelings that often overwhelmed him.

If you think about David’s attitude as his secret to success, then each of these three psalms, 123 – 125 provides insight into how you can develop the same successful attitude. Everyone has adversity in their lives and if you are a Believer, you will have trials and tribulations to get through. The attitude you develop toward God is completely within your control. Whether you have a good attitude or bad attitude depends on the perspective you take in viewing your situation.

More people than you might imagine have the attitude that God is their inferior. They think they can tell God what to do and their prayers are his to do list. David’s prayers were consistent with God’s character and did not dictate the how, only the what David was asking for. Included in David’s petitions were reasons or justification for the request and reverence toward the one he was addressing.

Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud. (Psalm 123:3-4)

In every battle there are at least two adversaries, and therefore, two sides that God can take in providing assistance. Many people go through life with the attitude that God is against them. They think every time they turn around, God is putting another stumbling block in their pathway, continually tripping them up, and making sure they get nowhere in life. David not only believed God was on his side, but every time he escaped from his enemy, he gave God credit for providing the escape route. David said in Psalm 124, “The snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 124:7-8).

When tragedy strikes, the easiest thing to do is blame God. Probably the most common question asked of him is, where were you…? David states in Psalm 125, “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever” (Psalm 125:2). David used the example of the mountains around Jerusalem to describe God’s protection because of the permanence of the natural structure. It is not God who moves, but us when separation occurs. Like a child that wanders off from his parent at the shopping mall, it is possible to be separated from our father, but David knew that it was he that did the wandering, not God.

Church of the firstborn

Psalm 121 is what is referred to as a song of degrees. It was typically sung on a journey, sometimes to Jerusalem when a traveler was ascending toward the city. David opens the psalm with the words, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help” (Psalm 121:1).

David talks throughout this psalm about the LORD keeping his people and preserving them into eternity. Although there is no specific reference to the Messiah, it is possible David was referring to the hill of Calvary on which his savior would die.

One of the meanings of the word translated hill is mount. Jesus spent time teaching his disciples on the mount of Olives and gave his most famous discourse there, what is referred to as the Olivet Discourse. The idea that David’s help would come from the hills is rooted in the fact that Moses spoke to God face to face on mount Sinai and God chose to make a great revelation known to him there.

The book of Hebrews ties together the Old Covenant which applied to David and the New Covenant which applies to believers in Christ by showing that the instructions Moses received for the Tabernacle were to serve as an example and shadow of heavenly things. Speaking of the heavenly kingdom of God, it says in Hebrews 12:18-23:

For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched…But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly, and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the just men made perfect.

According to the notes on Hebrews 12:23, it is believed that the spirits of the just men made perfect were pre-Christian believers such as Abel and Noah. “They are referred to as ‘spirits’ because they are waiting for the resurrection of the just because God credited them with righteousness, as he did Abraham (see Romans 4:3). Actual justification was not accomplished, however, until Christ made it complete by his death on the cross (see 11:40, Romans 3:24-26; 4:23-25).”

It is unknown how much God revealed to these pre-Christian believers, but it seems likely that they knew there would be a human sacrifice and that the Messiah would be referred to as the perfect lamb of God that would shed his blood to take away the sins of the world. Whether or not David had a vision of Calvary or mount Sion in mind when he wrote Psalm 121 is unclear, but his reference to eternity leaves no doubt that the help which would come from the LORD would be the LORD himself.

He came down

He bowed the heavens also, and came down. And darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly. Yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. (Psalm 18:9-10)

This picture of God’s active, sovereign, and mighty involvement in the affairs of men may conjure up images of Superman, but David’s vision of being rescued by his redeemer is not fiction. It is likely that David was imagining a time in the future when the Lord, Jesus would be actively engaged in the affairs of men.

David’s statement, “The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me” (Psalm 18:20) might seem pretentious unless you understand that David had devoted his heart and life to the service of the LORD and his godliness was the fruit of God’s gracious working in his heart.

The word translated recompense, shûwb (shoob) means to turn back. “The process called conversion or turning to God is in reality a re-turning or a turning back again to him from whom sin has separated us” (7725). David experienced conversion, not in the same way a New Testament Believer does, but he gave his life to the Lord and I believe he had a rebirth or regeneration of his spirit.

What David was lacking in the process of salvation was remission of his sins. It says in Hebrews 9:22, “almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” The Greek word for remission, aphesis (af´- es – is) “denotes a release, from bondage, imprisonment, liberation from captivity and remission of debt. It also means forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed)” (859).

David proclaimed, “I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God” (Psalm 18:21). David did not say he kept the laws of the LORD, he said he kept the ways of the LORD and did not depart from his God. David’s perfect record had to do with his relationship with the LORD. David walked with the LORD and kept to the path that God had chosen for him. He was obedient to the will of the LORD and confessed his sin throughout his entire life.

David said, “As for God, his way is perfect: The word of the LORD is tried” (Psalm 18:30) and concluded Psalm 18 by saying, “Great deliverance giveth he to his king, and showeth mercy to his anointed, to David, and his seed for evermore” (Psalm 18:50). The word evermore or ‘ôlâm in Hebrew means eternity. David knew that in eternity Christ would reign over Israel, therefore, David is stating that the Messiah would come from his seed or be one of his descendants. This must have been an amazing revelation for David. It is clear that David’s understanding of being God’s anointed meant that his seed or one of his offspring would eventually give birth to Jesus Christ who would come down from heaven and complete the process of salvation for David.

The path of self destruction

When Saul took his sword and fell upon it (1 Samuel 31:4), it was the culmination of a long process of self destruction. It is hard to understand how a man anointed by God to be king of Israel could come to such an end, but it makes sense given that Saul was determined to keep David from inheriting the throne.

Saul made himself an enemy of God. In much the same way that Satan rebelled against God’s authority, Saul would not submit himself to God’s will and was a bad influence on everyone around him.

When Saul and his three sons were killed in battle, it says in 1 Samuel 31:7, “the men that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.” The word dwelt means that they took up residence there, the land became the Philistines possession.

As a result of their conquest, the Philistines became arrogant and gave tribute to their gods for the victory. This worst case scenario outcome probably caused more spiritual damage than anything else and was a turning point for the nation of Israel. King Saul’s reign proved to the people that no man was qualified to be their savior. It was God and God alone that could deliver them from the hands of their enemies and he was not going to until they acknowledged his kingship and rule over the nation.

Be encouraged

When it comes right down to it, in order for God to be for someone, he must be against another. It says in James 4:5 “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”  And in Romans 9:13, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

During the final days of king Saul’s life, he had to face off against his worst enemy, the Philistines. The entire Philistine army gathered together and camped on the border of Israel. “And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled” (1 Samuel 28:5).

In desperation, Saul had a woman with a familiar spirit, or what we would refer to today as a medium, call up Samuel from the dead in order to get his advice about what to do. “Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee and is become thine enemy” (1 Samuel 28:16).

Saul was distressed because when he inquired of the LORD, “the LORD answered him not” (1 Samuel 28:6). Saul’s attempt to get help from Samuel showed that he did not understand that his relationship with the LORD was not based on his effort to communicate with God, but God’s effort to communicate with him. When the LORD had previously given Saul instructions, he chose to disobey and so the LORD stopped talking to Saul and found someone who would follow his commands, David.

Obedience is important in our relationship with the LORD because it establishes the basis for ongoing communication. If the LORD is our Master, then we must obey him. If we do not obey him, then we are making it clear that the LORD is not truly our Master.

While the Philistines were preparing to invade Israel, the Amalekites attacked the city where David and his men were living and took their wives and children captive. “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God” (1 Samuel 30:6).

The word translated encouraged, châzaq (khaw – zaq´) means to fasten upon or take hold of. “In the sense of personal strength chazaq is first used in Duet 11:8 in the context of the covenant” (2388). I believe what David did to encourage himself in the LORD was to read the Torah and refresh himself in God’s commandments. David’s recommitment to the LORD included a renewed interest in obedience and seeking God’s counsel in times of trouble.

And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all. (1 Samuel 30:8)

All is not lost

When you reach the limit of what you think you can handle and you begin to feel that a situation is hopeless, it is then that you must choose to let yourself sink into depression or hang on to the belief that all is not lost. Even when we know there is nothing we can do to change things, it is still possible for God to step in and rescue us.

The feeling of being stuck in a hopeless situation can be very painful. It is not until we realize that we are stuck that we are willing to ask for help. The reason why I think God often lets us get ourselves stuck is because he wants to move us in a new direction.

After David escaped from Achish the king of Gath, he sent his parents to Moab, the home of his great grandmother Ruth, and he took his men to a hold or fortress where he thought they would be safe. While David was in the hold, it says in 1 Samuel 22:5, “And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold, depart, get thee unto the land of Judah.”

David’s family were members of the tribe of Judah and his family had an inheritance in that land. David had disassociated himself from his inheritance by sending his parents to Moab and taking up residence in the hold. Although the hold felt safe at first, it became a prison that kept David locked up in fear and immobilized in despair.

When David was in the wilderness of Judah, he wrote psalm 63 which begins with the declaration, “O God, thou art my God” (Psalm 63:1). Once David was back where God wanted him to be, his relationship with the LORD was restored and David said, “early will I seek thee” (Psalm 63:1).

I think it is interesting that human nature sometimes causes us to wait until there is no hope left to seek God’s help. We are so used to depending on our own resources and capabilities that we forget there is a God available to us, one that is much better equipped to handle adversity. The word translated seek, shâchar (shaw – khar´) means to dawn and in a figurative sense it implies to be up early at a task (7836). It would be so much better if we would look for God’s help in the morning rather than at midnight, in the middle of a sleepless night.

David used the phrase “My soul followeth hard after thee” (Psalm 63:8) to describe a recommitment of himself to his relationship with the LORD. The term followeth hard means to cling to and is symbolic of glue wherein two things or people are permanently attached as in a marriage bond (1692). This kind of attachment is representative of love, a permanent love that can never be lost.

No other name

What does it take to be a savior? David said, “Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength” (Psalm 54:1). The first thing a savior has to do is determine if something or someone is savable. For example, when a doctor discovers that a person has cancer, he has to determine what stage the cancer is in to know if there is anything he can do to treat it and save the person’s life.

When David said judge me by thy strength, he was acknowledging that God’s strength is what determined his ability to save David. Just as a doctor has certain medicines and treatments at his disposal to save his patient, God has certain things that he can do to save a person’s life.

God’s strength or power is limitless. He can literally do anything he wants to, but God does not do just anything, he uses his wisdom to determine the best course of action and does what will bring the best possible outcome. When God determines if someone can be saved, he looks at their sin record to see what stage of destruction the person has reached. Although it is true that no one is beyond redemption, a person’s heart can become so hardened that nothing can be done to penetrate the barrier he has put up between him and God.

The word translated judge, dîyn (deen) “implies a settlement of what is right where there is a charge upon a person. Diym is a judicial word marking the act whereby men’s position and destiny are decided” (1777). David asked that God judge him by his strength because he knew that one day God was going to provide a Messiah that could erase every sin on David’s record and make it possible for him to have eternal life.

When David said, “Save me, O God, by thy name” (Psalm 54:1), he was talking about God’s reputation. The second thing a savior has to do is establish a track record of saving people. It wouldn’t make sense to go to a doctor that has no experience saving lives. If you know your chances of survival are slim to none, when your life is on the line, you are going to look for a doctor with the most experience, the one that has already saved people in similar situations.

God’s reputation for saving the Israelites began when he delivered them from bondage in Egypt. The ten plagues that he brought on Pharaoh, the parting of the Red Sea, and the manna that came from heaven for 40 years in the desert were all miraculous demonstrations of God’s power or capability to save lives. When Moses asked God why he was using miraculous signs to deliver the Israelites, he basically told him it was so that his name would become famous throughout the whole world.

God has revealed himself to us using many names that reflect something of his person and work. David understood that his Messiah would have a name and it would be the greatest name of all because it would reflect God’s work of salvation. Soon after Jesus ascended into heaven, his disciples discovered the power inherent in his name.

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Who is like unto thee…Jesus

It is a mistake for Believers to assume there will be no judgment of them in the afterlife. Christians do not escape judgment, they are judged like everyone else, but anyone that has received salvation will be pronounced innocent when the verdict is rendered.

David knew that he would face judgment in the afterlife and believed he would be found innocent. He said in Psalm 17, “Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal. Thou hast proved my heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing” (Psalm 17:2-3).

In addition to the final judgment, David understood that each person would be judged according to his behavior and would receive rewards in this life and for those who had received salvation, rewards in heaven. David asked for deliverance from the wicked who he describes as “men of the world, which have their portion in his life” (Psalm 17:14).

Another word for portion is inheritance. People that do not have salvation receive the only inheritance they will ever get during their lives on earth. Believers have an eternal inheritance that they will receive after they die.

David concludes Psalm 17 by saying, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied when I awake, with thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15). David is describing the transformation that would occur when he arrived in heaven. One of the disadvantages that Believers had before Jesus died on the cross was that they could not be regenerated or have their sins forgiven until after that event. When David died, he  did not immediately go to heaven to be with the LORD. It wasn’t until righteousness became available that David was able to enter into his presence and be transformed into his image.

In Psalm 35, David talks about salvation as a future event. He said, “And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: It shall rejoice in his salvation” (Psalm 35:9 emphasis mine) because it had not happened yet. The word translated salvation, yeshû‘âh (yesh – oo´ – ah) means something saved. Jesus is a Greek form of the word yeshu‘ah (3444).

David knew that he was involved in two wars while he was living among the Philistines. The battle over the Promised Land was obvious. It had been an ongoing struggle for hundreds of years for the Israelites to gain control of the land God had given them. The battle that David was more concerned about was the battle for his soul. David is describing spiritual warfare in Psalm 35:4-5 when he says, “Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: Let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt. Let them be as chaff before the wind: And let the angel of the LORD chase them.”

In spite of the disadvantage David had in not being able to overcome his sin, he lived with a victorious mindset. David was able to exercise great faith and believed that his salvation was certain. When David said, “who is like unto thee,” (Psalm 35:10) he was not asking a question, he was making a statement, actually declaring that there was no question about it, no one is like Jeshu‘ah…Jesus our deliverance!

Safe at last

“And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul” (1 Samuel 27:1). Satan’s two primary methods of attack are fear and doubt. If he is unable to sway you with fear, he will try to shake you with doubt. David’s belief that he would perish by the hand of Saul negated his belief that God would deliver him from the hands of his enemies, so both could no be true. There is no other explanation for David’s change of heart than doubt.

Essentially, doubt is a lack of belief or faithfulness. During times of doubt, it is possible to veer off course or take matters into your own hands as David did by going to live among the Philistines (1 Samuel 27:2). Although David was in no danger at the time, he thought it was necessary for him to deliver himself out of Saul’s hands.

“And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months” (1 Samuel 27:7). The time that David spent living among the Philistines is comparable to a Christian that is in a backslidden state. David’s behavior shows that he has come under the influence of Satan because he lies and uses deception to accomplish his goals. The result is that Achish the king of Gath believes David is serving him instead of God.

Some people may think David’s behavior was justifiable, even necessary for him to avoid being killed by Saul, but the bottom line was that God was not glorified by what David did. Although David did annihilate some of Israel’s enemies, his motive for killing everyone was to perpetuate his deception of Achish (1 Samuel 27:11). David’s main objective was to appear to be loyal to Achish so that he would not have a problem living in the land of the Philistines as long as he wanted to.

“And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him” (1 Samuel 27:12). The word translated believed here is the same word used to describe Abraham’s belief in God. David’s effort to deceive Achish was completely successful. David no longer had anything to worry about, he was safe at last.