Psalms 58:1-59:17

Listen to Psalm 58.

Listen to Psalm 59.

Memory Verse: 56:3

Questions

Outline

I. The Righteous Will Be Glad When They are Avenged (58:1-11)

* The engraving titled "Jesus Tried Before Annas and Caiaphas" is from "Biblia, das ist DJe gantze H. Schrifft Alten und Newen Testaments, Deutsch / D. Martjin Luthers ; Mit dem Anhang des dritten und vierdten Buchs Esra, Wie auch dritten der Maccabeer ... vor wenig Jahren von der Theologischen Facultät zu Wittenberg wie aus Herrn D. Jacobi Welleri, Weiland Churfürstl. Sächs. Ober-Hoff-Predigers vorhergesetzter Vorrede an den Christlichen Leser zur gnüge erhellet, von neuem übersehen und darauff in gross Quart gedruckt, Nun aber durch GOttes Gnade zum erstenmahl in diss bequeme leserliche Format treulich nachgedrucktet und eingerihtet. Auch durchgehends mit eingedruckten grossen alle durch einen Kunstreichen Maler gantz neu gezeichneten und von berühmtesten Künstl. gestochenen Kupfern gezieret"
Luther, Martin, 1483-1546
The attendant scripture is John 18.
Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University: http://www.pitts.emory.edu.

>1. What two questions are asked in verse 1? What is the answer? Why does verses 2 and 3 say they discharge their responsibilities this way? How is is possible "even from birth"? (Psalm 51:5; 1 Peter 1:3)

* Psalm 58:1-5 "Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge uprightly among men? No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth. Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be."

* The title is, "For the director of music. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." Of David. A miklam.

* Structurally, the psalm is framed by a rhetorical address to the wicked judges in their absence and by a reassuring word to "the righteous". The frame also emphasized the fact that those who do not judge uprightly will be judged by God.

* "Even from birth the wicked go astray"

* Romans 3:23-24 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

* "stopped its ears" -Cobras are not known to have the ability to do this. However, judges close their ears, meaning ignoring and not caring about mercy, justice, righteousness, and love.

* David wrote this as a fugitive from King Saul's injustice and abusive courts of law. Even the cities of refuge set up by the Lord through Moses in the covenant were no longer sanctuaries (Numbers 35:6-34). The rulers utilizing the power embedded in courts of law were the mouths, hands, and hearts of unrighteousness, violence, and inequity.

The psalm was applied by the early church to Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:57-68; Mark 14:53-63; John 18:12, 19-24). They took him to one high priest, then another even though the Law commanded that there be only one high priest and he was the only high priest for life. False witnesses came forward with conflicting messages. Disrespect, violence, and intimidation were used against Jesus, the falsely accused. Hate and wickedness poured disgust on the innocent accused. Power fed hate. Hate fed power. Their venomous words are like the venom of a snake.

Jesus promised, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12)

Listen to the above comments on Psalm 58:1-5.

>2. Why might David be asking God to do what is in verses 6-9? Who was the ruler of Israel at the time of this psalm? What kind of man had he become?

* Psalm 58:6-9 "Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; tear out, O LORD, the fangs of the lions! Let them vanish like water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted. Like a slug melting away as it moves along, like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun. Before your pots can feel [the heat of] the thorns-- whether they be green or dry--the wicked will be swept away."

* "teeth... fangs" -The weapons of their mouths. Psalm 57:4 "I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts-- men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords."

* "arrows be blunted" -The teeth and fangs of the previous verse.

* "may they not see the sun" -The men according were working for his destruction during the night, waiting for morning. Another reason the first church applied this to Jesus' trials.

* "the heat of the thorns" -Thorns burn quick and hot compared to the rest of the tree.

* David looked forward to the day he would be avenged for the injustices perpetrated by the rulers of his day. Their lies which were like the sharp fangs of a lion, were asked to be broken and pulled out. Rather than taking justice into his own hands, David asks God that the wicked rulers and judges vanish like water that flows away and is swallowed by the earth. He asks the Lord to cause their violent plans to not be implemented to their satisfaction. David wants the Lord's righteous plans to enable the wicked leadership to melt away like slugs moving on a hot slab of rock. David waited for God to answer his prayers though this meant he had to live in wastelands on the edges of the promised land. God eventually answered his prayer by removing every wicked opponent from the promised land.

When Jesus was falsely accused before the religious and social leaders of his day he did not say a word in defense. (Matthew 26:53, 63; Mark 14:61) He did not call down a legion of angels to avenge him. (John1 8:10-11) Rather, Jesus trusted God, his Father to judge correctly before him and his accusers. Though he had to go through intense pain and suffering he did not raise a hand or say a word to defend himself. Though this led to his crucifixion and death Jesus waited for God's pronouncement. God, Jesus' Father loudly proclaimed Jesus' righteousness by raising him from the dead and placing him at his right hand.

"Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it." (Psalm 37:34)

Listen to the above comments on Psalm 58:6-9.

>3. How does the conclusion counter the beginning? What does it mean to "bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked"? What truth does David hold onto in verse 11? Why is this important when all seems to go against us?

* Psalm 58:10-11 "The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked. 11 Then men will say, "Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth."

* "avenged" -They do not do it. God avenges them. Very important point.

* "blood of the wicked" -there shall be so great a slaughter of his enemies, that he might, if he so pleased, wash his feet in their blood. See the same or like expressions in Psalm 68:23; Isaiah 63:3; and Revelation 14:20. (Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible.)

* Psalm 52:5-7 "Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at him, saying, "Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!"

* People who are in the right and yet are wronged by the rulers (1) in this world have a promise that they will be to rulers in the age to come. Jesus used several parables to portray the meaning of these verses; The Parable of the Net (Matthew 13:47-52) and The Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matthew 25:31) are good examples.

Jesus said, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Listen to the above comments on Psalm 58:10-11.

II. No Mercy to Wicked Traitors (59:1-5)

* The engraving titled "Episodes from Saul's Conflict with David" is from a book "Biblische Figuren des Alten vnd Newen Testaments : gantz künstlich gerissen / durch den weitberhümpten Vergilium Solis zu Nürnberg."
It is by Solis, Virgil (1514-1562) and is now in public domain. David escapes from the wrath of King Saul on three occasions. In the front right, David evades Saul's spear. In the left rear, Michal lowers David from a window and Jonathan informs David of Saul's plot with a bow and arrow. The artist, Virgil Solis (1514-1562), has placed his monogram in the lower center of the woodcut.
The attendant scriptures are 1 Samuel 19 & 20.
Courtesy of the Digital Image Archive, Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University: http://www.pitts.emory.edu.

>4. What is the incident that precipitated the writing of this psalm? (1 Samuel 19) How would this dramatically change David's life? What were the causes of this life changing event? Was David at fault? Being that this is the catapult of many psalms how does David hold onto his innocence?

* Psalm 59:1-2 "Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me. 2 Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men."

* The title is "For the director of music. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." Of David. A miktam. When Saul had set men to watch David's house in order to kill him.

* A prayer for deliverance when endangered by powerful enemy attaches. Some believe this psalm was revised for use by one of David's royal sons when Jerusalem was under siege by a hostile force made up of troops from many nations - as when Hezekiah was besieged by the Assyrians (2 Kings 18:19). However, the problem with this thinking is that the inscription does not indicate that. Also, the psalm seems to imply that there is a prophetic element that applied to the Messiah, David's descendant and the congregation that believes in him.

* "Deliver me" - repeated twice, thus stressing it's importance.

* How many enemies around me, I do not know.
How many walk beside me, with hands about to blow.
Some smile, others jeer.
They conspire against me, so I hear.
A ruler who hates drives them on.
Though left on their own, evil would not have been sown.

Trusting in God when someone who has power and control over my well-being is not easy. Knowing that a demon-possessed person or at least one who is emotionally and mentally unstable swings power like a sword and finds pleasure in destroying others can depress and paralyze. This doesn't have to be so.

Jesus taught his disciples, "But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life." (Luke 21:12-19)

Listen to the above comments on Psalm 59:1-2.

>5. What does David tell God in verses 3-4? Considering David's interactions with King Saul up to this point, was he correct?

* Psalm 59:3-5 "See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, O LORD. 4 I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight! 5 O LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to wicked traitors. Selah"

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* What wrong did David do to King Saul? David did all the monarch asked and more. He was diligent at his army post. He played music for the king when asked. He kept the king's honor and daughter in high regard. Yet, the king wanted him dead. What did David do besides what the king needed and wanted to deserve the king's hate?

Power wakes some of the most evil tendencies in the human soul. The thoughts of the low and poor reveal that these tendencies are in their souls, too. If they had power and authority, the hidden thoughts would be put into motion. A good leader who lives in fear of God and love of neighbor is only found in Jesus. And yet he was despised. and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering... and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3) Let not the evil tendencies in my soul eliminate Jesus from my heart today.

Listen to the above comments on Psalm 59:3-5.

III. I Watch for You (59:6-17)

>6. Consider verses 6-10. How can this be applied to your life?

* Psalm 59:6-10 "They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city. 7 See what they spew from their mouths-- they spew out swords from their lips, and they say, "Who can hear us?" 8 But you, O LORD, laugh at them; you scoff at all those nations. 9 O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress, 10 my loving God. God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me."

* Part 1.

I sat on a cold floor with my right shoulder against one wall and my back against another. I surveyed the surroundings. I was in a long one room log cabin. I noticed how it portrayed my circumstances.

The cabin was lit by eerie moonlight. The window to my right and in front of me was the only window that allowed the full moon's shine to enter the room. Each wall had two windows with the exception of the wall to my right. In the place of my wall's second window was a closed wood door. A few small slits between the door's boards allowed a little more light into the cabin; not enough to give comfort, enough to reveal my location.

The bottom half of my window let a light breeze flow past and through sheer window dressings. The breeze carried a strong scent of pine and moss. The window's dressings were the only motion in the room besides my rapidly pulsating chest.

The cabin was furnished with rustic furniture. To my left was a couch made of varnished logs and thick, fluffy violet cushions. The couch was paired by a chair. Between the pair was a small end table comprised of logs and an old crate. On the table sat a just-emptied kerosene lamp and a stack of misaligned hardback books that could give my mind an escape if there was no reason to stay alert.

The center half of the far end of the cabin consisted of a stone fireplace. Red coals slowly increased and decreased in luminescence. The coals shed little light on a very old rocking chair placed before the fireplace. Over the fireplace were two five-point deer antlers. I dared not expose my location by rekindling the fire.

In the left corner of the same wall that contained the fireplace, I saw the silhouette of a small unused bed. The bed was made of logs and covered with an unseen quilt and a long pillow. I longed to enjoy the bed and the comfort of sleep that it used to bring. Yet, I longed to but dared not walk to it, lay in it, and fall asleep.

Although the right corner of the opposite wall was dark I knew that it possessed a tall dresser and a small desk. I wished the desk contained a radio, a phone, or some other means to call for help. The only thing it contained was blank sheets of paper. Writing a letter for help would do no good. The closest post office was so far away I knew not where it was. I would remain alone.

The corner opposite the couch next to me contained a black iron stove, a small porcelain sink, a small wash tub, and a small wood table with two wood chairs. The silhouetted iron stove was the only item visible in that corner. It looked like a frozen soldier. Why couldn't he come to life and fend for me? He would not. I would have to fend for myself.

The only other items in the dim room were wood shelves that lined the upper ends of all four walls. The shelves contained canned food, dishes, kerosene, rifle shells, traps, fishing gear, an ax, and other items necessary for an extended stay in the wilderness. It seemed that I had prepared for everything. I had not.

Fear, anxiety, and weariness caused me to stink of sweat. Was it the rank dampness in the breeze? "No," I told myself. "The potent smell was fear and anticipation."

My stench was because wolves came every night. For many months they came. They were as regular as clockwork. They became my clock. I purposely did not keep a clock in the cabin. The twenty-four hours in the day did not mean anything to me when I first arrived. I woke up when the first sunlight and the first birds rose. I ate when I was hungry. I worked when needed. I read in a chair on the porch when I wanted to relax. I fished and hunted when I wanted meat. I worked the garden and groves so I could eat vegetables and fruit. I went to sleep when the sunset.

Listen to the above comments on Psalm 59:6-9, Part 1.

* Part 2.

Time was unimportant until the wolves came. They made themselves a clock. They told me it was time to fear, time to fight, and time to stay awake. They disrupted my night and my day. They made havoc on my schedule - what little of one I had before they came. The wolves made it unpleasant to live in the woods. They made it unpleasant to live at all. Soon they will come and tell me the time of day, like a grandfather clock clanging against the wall.

I hate the wolves. Yet, I've relinquished that nothing can be done about them. Physically they come in the silence of night just before dawn. Mentally they stay with me all day long.

I hate the wolves. They control me. They take the pleasures of life from me. They threaten to end my life.

"Why don't you leave?" you ask.

"Because I can't. There is no way to leave; no way to escape. I do not know where to go or how to leave.

I tried to leave, several times. It is a long and winding trek out of the wilderness where the wolves live, many days and many nights. Eventually, each time I tried to escape, I was reminded of the wolves and lost my way out. No matter how hard I tried, I would eventually think about the wolves while hiking my way to freedom and revisit the fear and dread they bring. When I awoke from those awful day-mares I would discover that I was lost. The path out of the wilderness was lost.

I was lucky I suppose. Each time I tried to escape only to get lost, I found my way back to the cabin. Cabin? No, not a cabin. This place once a haven of leisure and pleasure has become a dark dank cell. Yes, I am trapped here in this wooden jail in the middle of the wilderness; just me and the wolves.

There! Do you hear it? The first sound, the first hint that they are out there, the beginning. "Who can hear us?" is how they reveal their appearance. I know the meaning. They are saying, "Neither the fearful man nor God can hear us. So we may speak and act what we think fit." They encourage each other with their evil plans for me.

I whispered, "God I hate the wolves. Why won't they leave me alone? Why do they keep coming? What wrong have I done? What ill did I do to deserve the wolves?"

I stood and looked out the window, shaking my fist as I shouted, "I hate you wolves! Die be damned you! Die!"

I stopped, shivered, stepped back out of the window, pressed my butt against the couch, and looked down. That was a mistake. My battle cry told them I was here and ready to fight. They love a good fight, the wolves do. I suppose that's why they have not kill me yet. Without me, they would not have anyone to fight, to harass, to maim, and to bring fear. They love the smell of fear, and I reek of it.

Discouraged I sank to the floor and whispered, "Damn you for sweating fear." Once again I lean against both walls, hiding in my dark dank corner.

I lowered my head scolding myself, "What have I done? I've given them a battle cry. Now they're singing it with their hunting cry, 'Sweating fear, sweating fear. Now he's sweating fear. Still and rank. Still and rank with sweating fear.' Damn."

I pulled my thoughts together, searching for sounds. The First was standing alone just outside the door. I could hear him breathing. He was the bravest and the strongest, which says a lot because all of them are stronger and braver than I. I could hear him breathing the smell of my fear. The rest were pounding the ground as they were running around the cabin. They are howling, "Sweating fear, sweating fear. How he's sweating fear. Still and rank. Still and rank with sweating fear."

A thought came to me; a ray of hope; a cleverly devised plan. I crawled over to the door so only the First could hear me; just he and I would have words. I made sure to keep myself lower than the window. I did not want the others to see me crawling over to the First.

When I reached the door he sniffed deeply. He knew I was there. He could smell my fear and anxiety. For him it was no better place to be; an inch from me, smelling me through the thin cracks in the door.

Softly and cockily I spoke to him, the First one, "I know something about you. You are brave and strong. You love fear and you love to invoke it. If fear were meat you would live forever on it. But there's something else I know about you. You are brave and strong because there are many of you. You always come in a pack you wolves do. If there was just one of you, then things would be different. If it was just you and me the tables would be turned. You would not be brave. You would not be strong. You would stink of fear. You would reek of anxiety. You would be hiding in this jail and I would be on the outside smelling you."

With ferocity, the First smashed into the door. The door splintered and cracked. I slid away from the door. Then I knew I was wrong. Even if there was just one wolf and it was he, he would be on the outside and I would be on the inside sweating fear, sweating fear. Now once again I am sweating fear.

The First licked the door. I scurried into the same corner that I was in before. Banishing myself I thought, "Damn you for challenging the Wolf. He will make the game of you tonight. Perhaps you will die." Fear and anxiety poured off my brow.

The wolves control me. They are my clock. I hate the wolves.

Listen to the above comments on Psalm 59:6-9, Part 2.

* Part 3.

One final mighty thrust and the First came through the door. The increased moonlight entering the cabin illuminated splinters flying in the air. The rush of fresh oxygen made the coals in the fireplace flash bright enough to make it hard for the First to see. He paused at the threshold to allow his eyes to focus.

The pause in the action allowed me to see one of the wolves that haunted me night after night and day after day like I had never seen them before. In the past I only caught glimpses of them; their teeth, their shiny fur, their muscular legs and sharp claws, their glowing eyes and their flaming nostrils, the pointy ears that crown their triangular heads, and the stank damp breath that came from their mouths. How I hated, feared, and revered the wolves.

As I sat there cowering in my corner I marveled at something that I had never seen before. The four legs of the First were attached to a board and his body was as stiff as the board. I shouted out loud in fits of self rage and excitement, "The wolves were taxidermy and the boards that they are mounted on are held by two large hands!"

My shout caught the wolves' attention. The First quickly turned toward me. I panicked as I grabbed my rifle. I used this rifle every time the wolves came. It was the lamest rifle one could imagine. Its barrel was made of coiled leather and it contained no stock. If I wasn't careful the barrel would go limp and fold down. The only way to make it stiff again was to snap it like a whip.

I snapped it and shouted, "Bang, bang! Crack, crack!" There was no need to load it because it fired imaginary harmless bullets. My only weapon against the wolves for all this time was a fake rifle, imaginary bullets and a loud cry, "Bang, bang! Crack, crack!"

My rifle and bullets did no harm to the wolves. It only scared them away. I knew the truth. My weapon was useless. So, the fear I had most was that one day the wolves would learn my defenselessness and kill me for the deception.

Yet, now I had just learned, the wolves had a deception of their own. They were not real. Sure, they were real in the sense that they could be sensed and feared. But they were not real wolves. Perhaps at one time they were real. But now they were dead and mounted on a piece of wood. Their only mode of transportation was someone else's hands.

The relief I felt at the discovery was short-lived. With my cry, "Bang, bang! Crack, crack!" the First learned of my location. He turned and showed his death. In new fear and anxiety, I snapped my rifle and shouted, "Bang, bang! Crack, crack!" My deception worked again. The First turned and exited through the front door.

"Sun will be rising soon. Light will come and the wolves will go. I've lived to escape another night of fear." Some relief came to me and some time to think.

"They are not real! They are not real! Why then be afraid?" A glimpse of confidence entered my heart. More confidence than my rifle and bullets gave me. "The wolves are not real! You are not real," I shouted out with all my remaining strength.

"Crash!" Glass flew from the window before me. The wolves had broken down another barrier between me and them.

"First the door, now the window. I'm dead for sure!" The greatest fear I had ever known since the wolves started to come entered my heart. "I'm dead for sure!"

"You reek of fear and anxiety," the one who crashed through the window sang.

Just as I was about to close my eyes fearing the worst, the new morning light coming from the rising sun blinded me.

Then came a pause, a silence, a stop in the action. When I opened eyes again the wolves were gone. The window I looked out of was different. Not only was it not broken; it was not made of wood. It was made of plastic. The next thing I noticed was that I was not sitting in the corner. I was in my bed. I was not in the cabin's bed. I was in my house's bed. In fact, I had no cabin at all. I had been dreaming again.

I got up to relieve myself and drink water from the bathroom sink. The dream was so vivid. My fear of the stuffed wolves was so great. How could I forget a dream and feelings like that?

When I set down the glass of water a thought was spoken into my mind, "Why do you fear and have anxiety over things that are not real? Why are you anxious when I am around? I, the Lord Jesus am your God always. You have nothing to fear, nothing to be anxious about. I am your protection. With me, the wolves are not real. Be safe. Be still. Find pleasure and comfort in me."

I considered those words. I thought about my fears and what made me anxious. Yes, in Jesus they are not real. Sure, they are real in that they could be sensed and feared. But they are not real because in Jesus they are dead. Once they were a real threat. They could have killed me. Yet, now in Jesus, they are dead objects manipulated by the Evil One's hands and he cannot touch me. He can only wave dead objects of fear and anxiety at me. In Jesus I am safe.

Listen to the above comments on Psalm 59:6-9, Part 3.

>7. What was David's request? Why didn't he want his enemies dead? Why did he want the tables turned?

* Psalm 59:9-13 "O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress, 10 my loving God. God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me. 11 But do not kill them, O Lord our shield, or my people will forget. In your might make them wander about, and bring them down. 12 For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter, 13 consume them in wrath, consume them till they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Selah"

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* Can the evildoers and bloodthirsty be witnesses to the truth and Jesus? Anything is possible with God. Perhaps they will submit to the grace and truth of Jesus with a confession of faith, like Saul, who became Apostle Paul, or Peter who fell before Jesus after the great catch of fish. "Go away from me Lord for I am a sinful man," Peter prayed (Luke 5:8).

David believed that even if they did not repent, all the earth could know that God ruled over Jacob because of what would happen to the unrepentant if his prayer was answered. (13) He prayed that they would not be killed, but rather wander hopelessly about the earth becoming a reluctant witness to God's faithfulness to his people. (11) Either way David asks God not to allow the enemies to escape the full consequences of their malice (12-13).

The choice is mine. Will I submit to the grace and truth of Christ? Or will I become a wandering homeless man? Will I speak words of kindness and truth? Or will I be a blaspheming liar and gossip? Hosea 9:17 says, "My God will reject them because they have not obeyed him; they will be wanderers among the nations."

Listen to the above comments on Psalm 59:10-13.

>8. What does he call the enemies outside his door? How was this fitting with their actions? Though they howled what did David say he would do? What will be the topic? Why? What does he call his God once again? Though threatened by the king and his men what does it say about David when he calls the Lord a loving God?

* Psalm 59:14-17 "They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city. 15 They wander about for food and howl if not satisfied. 16 But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. 17 O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God."

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* David wrote in verses 9-10a, "O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God." Then in verse 17, "O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God." The only different words are "watch" and "sing"; "shamar" to "zamar" in Hebrew. He was playing with words, perhaps to emphasize faith that brings the deliverance and salvation of his God.

Jesus often praised people's faith. "Your faith has healed you," was often repeated (Matthew 9:22; Mark 5:34, 10:52; Luke 8:48, 18:42). The first definition of faith in the AHD is, "Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, an idea, or a thing." Hebrews 11:1-2 defines it this way, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." Then the rest of the chapter gives many examples.

My faith in Jesus is not a crutch or a scapegoat. Rather, it is a strength that makes me well. Faith in Jesus is what gives me eternal life. I am sure that Jesus is the Creator Word who came in the flesh as Immanuel God, died for the forgiveness of my sins, rose from death on the third day, and ascended to heaven where he sits at the right hand of God. I believe he will come again, transform my body to be like him to be with him for eternity in eternal bliss. Jesus is my fortress and my loving God. He is my strength that delivers me from my enemies, the dogs that prowl about the city outside my home every evening howling unsatisfied.

Listen to the above comments on Psalm 59:14-16.