Psalm 56:1-2

Psalm 56:1-2

Fear v Trust

We are back to that time in David’s life when, as a younger man, he had to flee from King Saul. Saul was intent on killing him and relentlessly pursued the young fugitive who was accompanied by a loyal band of followers. David was an outlaw in his own land and constantly on the move as the king’s spies discovered his latest hiding place. It seemed to him and his friends, that there was nowhere to find safety, so they decided to take a gamble and put themselves under the shelter of a foreign nation, in this case the Philistines. The fear in their group must have been incredible, to go over to the Philistines! Why, we all know about David’s reputation with the Philistines, he had killed their talisman, the giant Goliath, an event which led to the rout of the Philistine army and a great victory for Saul. But that was the problem, the Israelites knew it was David who had obeyed the Lord and killed the giant, so they sang his praises. Saul was jealous and that was one of his reasons for wanting to kill the young pretender.

The group of fugitives decided that they would be safer in the land of the Philistines than they were in Israel, it was a bold move but one that was fraught with danger. As David prepared to suck up to Achish king of Gath, he trembled with fear. This could be the end for them all. Initially, he did not reveal his identity but the servants of Achish quickly worked out who he was. The danger increased a hundredfold, surely the Philistine king would kill them all? David had to think on his feet and his simple plan was to feign insanity. He acted like a madman, he scratched at the gate of the house and staggered around with saliva running down his beard! Achish was convinced by the theatricals and berated his servants for bringing a “nutter” into his presence and expelled him. So, David fled to the Canaanite town of Adullum where he hid, for 3-6 months, in a dark miserable cave. See I Samuel 21.

 

v1-2     It is against the backdrop of the story in 1 Samuel 21 that this Psalm was written. It reveals the anguish of David the outlaw. The man with no place to call home, the man who feared for his life during every waking moment and who woke trembling with anxiety in the dark hours. His plight explains his cry to the Lord for mercy, there seemed to be no respite. No sooner had he and his men found a resting place, than his enemies were back on track, bearing down on him and causing yet another frightening upheaval. Where could they go to escape this endless nightmare? Interestingly, David speaks of his pursuers as being men of pride. In other words, they had no doubt that they would succeed in capturing him. They believed in their own abilities, and they had no reason to doubt that they would succeed in hunting down and killing the fugitives. They did not reckon with God! 

Too often it is men of pride who have caused the desolation and calamites that have gripped our planet. Men, and women, who cannot be wrong, who think that they can achieve greatness, who see themselves on a mission to change the world, and anyone who gets in the way needs to be removed. It has happened so many times in human history, and no one seems to learn. God’s way is so different. His way involves the humble submitting to Him and to His commands. It means laying down self. It means serving others. It means letting go of selfish ambition and complying with His will. It is everything that you and I, in our human nature, do not want to do. It is the opposite of the world and that is why it will never gain a popular following.