Reflections on Psalms 57

 Psalms 57(Contemporary English Version)

1. (For the music leader. To the tune "Don't Destroy." A special psalm by David when he was in the cave while running from Saul.) God Most High, have pity on me! Have mercy. I run to you for safety. In the shadow of your wings, I seek protection till danger dies down.
   
2. I pray to you, my protector.
   
3. You will send help from heaven and save me, but you will bring trouble on my attackers. You are faithful, and you can be trusted.
   
4. I live among lions, who gobble down people! They have spears and arrows instead of teeth, and they have sharp swords instead of tongues.
   
5. May you, my God, be honored above the heavens; may your glory be seen everywhere on earth.
   
6. Enemies set traps for my feet and struck me down. They dug a pit in my path, but fell in it themselves.
   
7. I am faithful to you, and you can trust me. I will sing and play music for you, my God.
   
8. I feel wide awake! I will wake up my harp and wake up the sun.
   
9. I will praise you, Lord, for everyone to hear, and I will sing hymns to you in every nation.
   
10. Your love reaches higher than the heavens; your loyalty extends beyond the clouds.
    
11. May you, my God, be honored above the heavens; may your glory be seen everywhere on earth.

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The occasion of this psalm is again David's flight from Saul's pursuits to kill him. On this occasion David had taken refuge in a cave. While David's psalms were often written while he was still waiting for God's deliverance, it seems God's deliverance had already come when he wrote this one. Speaking metaphorically, David says his enemies had prepared a net for him and dug a pit, but they had fallen into the pit themselves. Deliverance had already come. In light of God's deliverance he would always "seek refuge in the shadow of (God's) wings until danger passes." (57:1) He called to God, for it was God who fulfills His purpose for him. What God began for David, God would complete. David had not been anointed king of Israel only to be killed at the hands of his enemies before he ever became king.

In the second half of the psalm, verses 7-11, we can hear David's elation at being delivered. In verse 7 he says, "My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident. I will sing; I will sing praises." This was not just a private worship he had in mind for he planned to praise the Lord "among the peoples" and even "among the nations." But he wanted God to be exalted not only among the nations, but even "above the heavens." He wanted God's glory to be "over the whole earth."