Psalm 7:1-2
     An appeal for justice
       This Psalm is preceded by a note telling us that David sang it to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.  The Benjamites had a chequered history to say the least, but they were of significance at the time of David because King Saul, his adversary, came from that tribe of Israel whereas David was from the tribe of Judah.   Geographically Benjamin was located just north of Judah and was later absorbed into the southern kingdom.   Cush means black although it is unlikely that this man was black in colour.  We know nothing else about Cush, so Bible commentators are left to surmise that he was sent by Saul to give David a hard time, maybe even to kill him!  Maybe we could take this one step further and surmise that David was actually writing the Psalm about Saul and he had nicknamed Saul – Cush, the black one? It is clear that rumours and lies were being circulated and David felt vulnerable and even threatened by this enemy.  If Cush was not black in colour, he was certainly black by nature. 
In v1-2 we find graphic imagery, it reads as if David is being pursued by many enemies and that he fears being ripped to pieces with no one to defend him.  There are a number of occasions in the Psalms where the attack of enemies is likened to that of wild animals, in this case a lion. [See for instance Psalm 22:12-13, 16, 20-21.] It is also quite common in Scripture to find wild animals associated with abandoned, barren, desert places and with areas that have been destroyed and desecrated by judgements. [See Isaiah 3:21-22 for a description of the destruction of Babylon.]  Demon powers are likened to wild creatures that inhabit these desolate locations where men are fearful to go and where feral animals roam with bloodthirsty intent. It may be imagery but in the spiritual realm there are malignant evil powers that are to be feared!  
David’s only appeal is to God Almighty and in Him David takes refuge and seeks deliverance.  It is often the case that when one person accuses us, it feels like the whole world is against us!  If the Satan is behind the accusations, we can be sure that he will taint them to lead us to believe that they come from more than one source. One individual can make a negative or threatening comment and we immediately assume that all their friends and associates are in on it and concur with them! This is a common tactic used against us by our enemy. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 4:1 Smear campaigns

Psalm 4:1    Smear campaigns   The background to this Psalm is so familiar; David is being slandered and maligned by his detractors.  It seems that some calamity has befallen the nation and the king is getting the blame! Lies are being told, a smear campaign has begun, and the reputation of the Sovereign is under threat.  As usual, if something goes wrong, culpability is laid at the feet of the one in charge.  David, quite rightly, turns to the Lord his God and prays for relief and for mercy. The Satan is a master of such campaigns and his emissaries gleefully turn on Christians in leadership positions although the whispering campaign can affect all of us. The whispering starts in our own heads, but it can also come from the lips of our detractors. It goes something like this: - You’re the reason it went wrong You messed up again You should have seen it coming Surely you know better You are not worthy You don’t know what you’re doing Someone else ought to be in c
Read more

Psalm 74:16

Psalm 74:16 God established the sun and the moon “ In  the beginning   God created   the heavens   and the earth.   2  Now the earth was formless   and empty,   darkness was over the surface of the deep,   and the Spirit of God   was hovering over the waters. 3  And God said,   “Let there be light,” and there was light.   4  God saw that the light was good,   and he separated the light from the darkness.   5  God called   the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”   And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” These, so familiar, words from Genesis 1 remind us of who is in charge! There would be no light without God. There would be no day or night without God. There would be no earth without God. And there would have been no living things unless God had created order out of chaos. The sun, moon and stars would not be fixed in their orbits without God and you and I would not exist unless He ordered our conception. It is because we see God as glorious, righteous
Read more
Psalm4:8        I will lie down and sleep                Th ere are times, in the life of all believers, when we no longer have control of situations. We can do nothing more. We have given our all, we have tried every possible solution and now it is out of our hands. As someone has wisely said, “It is time to let go and let God.” If we truly trust Him, if our faith will allow us, we can turn our backs on our enemies. We can block our ears to the threats. We can ignore the lies and the deceit and say,  “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone Lord, make me dwell in safety.” I should imagine that the devil, having sent a hurricane our way is not amused, when we settle in our beds in the midst of it all and drift off into a peaceful sleep! But that is our right and privilege once we let the Lord God Almighty take control. These spiritual attacks are like whirlwinds, they blow with terrifying intensity and threaten to turn us upside down; the disciples witnessed one of thes
Read more