Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Reflections on Psalms 64

 Psalms 64(Contemporary English Version)
  1. (A psalm by David for the music leader.) Listen to my concerns, God, and protect me from my terrible enemies.
  2. Keep me safe from secret plots of corrupt and evil gangs.
  3. Their words cut like swords, and their cruel remarks sting like sharp arrows.
  4. They fearlessly ambush and shoot innocent people.
  5. They are determined to do evil, and they tell themselves, "Let's set traps! No one can see us."
  6. They make evil plans and say, "We'll commit a perfect crime. No one knows our thoughts."
  7. But God will shoot his arrows and quickly wound them.
  8. They will be destroyed by their own words, and everyone who sees them will tremble with fear.
  9. They will be afraid and say, "Look at what God has done and keep it all in mind."
  10. May the LORD bless his people with peace and happiness and let them celebrate.

David was again in the cross-hairs of enemies taking aim at him. And again, David took his plight to the Lord in prayer. It appears that David was experiencing what those who are in the public eye often experience. There are those with malicious intent and likely a malicious agenda who take aim at the public figure and use evil schemes to try to bring them down. Although in David's initial outcry in verse 1 he speaks of "the terror of the enemy" as if he were in physical danger, the schemes of the wicked to which he refers have to do with using their tongues against him and setting traps in which to catch him in a situation which they can use against him.

David was the king. He was not without the power to defend himself or to go on the offensive against these "evildoers" and catching them in their own devises. But this is not what David did. Instead he took it to the Lord. He trusted that the Lord would take up his defense and would "shoot them with arrows" and "suddenly, they will be wounded." (64:7) Furthermore, God would cause them to stumble in their schemes and make "their own tongues work against them." (64:8)

The outcome would be that by giving his plight over to the Lord rather than trying to solve it himself, everyone would see God's intervention and would "tell about God's work, for they will understand what He has done." (64:9) In verse 10 David says, "The righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in Him; all the upright in heart offer praise." It was the "righteous" and the "upright in heart" who would recognize God's intervention and offer Him praise. Those caught up in evil schemes against the righteous would not recognize God's hand in these events. They would have another explanation for these events. Having chosen darkness over light, they are unable to see.

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