Pastor John Mochel

January 5

Reading: Psalm 64

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

 

1  Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;

   preserve my life from dread of the enemy.

2  Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,

   from the throng of evildoers,

3  who whet their tongues like swords,

   who aim bitter words like arrows,

4  shooting from ambush at the blameless,

   shooting at him suddenly and without fear.

5  They hold fast to their evil purpose;

   they talk of laying snares secretly,

   thinking, “Who can see them?”

6  They search out injustice, saying,

   “We have accomplished a diligent search.”

   For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.

 

7  But God shoots his arrow at them;

   they are wounded suddenly.

8  They are brought to ruin,

   with their own tongues turned against them;

   all who see them will wag their heads.

9  Then all mankind fears;

   they tell what God has brought about

   and ponder what he has done.

10 Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him!

   Let all the upright in heart exult!

 

In Psalm 64 David moves from complaint to confidence.

Again, David is writing while beset by enemies.  What are they doing to him?

  1. They are plotting against him among themselves.
  2. They are speaking words that are meant to injure and they do this from hiding. They have “sharpened their tongues like swords.”  These people have practiced their insults.  They think about how to more effectively hurt others with their words.
  3. They are wickedly laying traps for David, hoping to get him to fail and fall. A person who is trying to cause others to stumble and sin is evil indeed.  Jesus warns against people who try to make others stumble.
  4. They are seeking out new ways to work injustice. God gives us our minds to work out how to creatively bless others.  When we turn this creativity toward causing pain to others it is horrible to behold.

This is David’s complaint, and he is asking God to save him “from the fear of the enemy.”  Notice that David’s enemies are neither courageous not honest in their activity.  People might not see this, but God does.  His opinion is the one that matters.

Verse 7 begins with an irony.  These opponents of David are speaking words aimed like arrows at David, but God is going to shoot His arrow at them.  The movement from the elaborate and labored scheming of the evildoers in verses 1-6 and the effortless single shot from God in verse 7 is instructive.  It is not the least bit difficult for God to bring all the schemes and devious plans of man to a swift end.

Notice that it is not David who is defending himself, but God is his warrior and refuge.  God turns their own tongues against them.  When people in this world attack God’s people, they often end up saying things that only embarrass or incriminate themselves.  All we need to do is cling to the truth and wait and pray.