December 31
Reading: Psalm 59
To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
protect me from those who rise up against me;
2 deliver me from those who work evil,
and save me from bloodthirsty men.
3 For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
fierce men stir up strife against me.
For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD,
4 for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
Awake, come to meet me, and see!
5 You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel.
Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
spare none of those who treacherously plot evil.
Selah
6 Each evening they come back, howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
7 There they are, bellowing with their mouths
with swords in their lips—
for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”
8 But you, O LORD, laugh at them;
you hold all the nations in derision.
9 O my Strength, I will watch for you,
for you, O God, are my fortress.
10 My God in his steadfast love will meet me;
God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
11 Kill them not, lest my people forget;
make them totter by your power and bring them down,
O Lord, our shield!
12 For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
let them be trapped in their pride.
For the cursing and lies that they utter,
13 consume them in wrath; consume them till they are no more,
that they may know that God rules over Jacob
to the ends of the earth.
Selah
14 Each evening they come back, howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
15 They wander about for food
and growl if they do not get their fill.
16 But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.
In 1 Samuel 19:11 we read of David hiding in his house after King Saul had tried to kill him with a spear. The king had sent spies who were watching David’s house so that they could kill him in the morning. With the help of his wife, David escaped through a window. It was during this night of fear that David wrote this psalm, again to the tune of “Do Not Destroy.”
Psalm 59 has an interesting structure that is worth learning from. There are two stanzas, each followed by a “selah” (an instrumental interlude) and then a refrain. Each refrain portrays the enemies of David, like animals, returning, bellowing, growling.
The first stanza (vss. 1-5) is a prayer for deliverance from these enemies; bloodthirsty, murderous, scheming people who want to kill David even though he has done them no wrong. The second stanza has moved on. David is no longer really praying, but rather he is confident that the Lord who reigns over the nations will be his fortress and will consume his enemies. The final two verses serve as a conclusion. Now, David’s enemies are no longer even mentioned. He is singing of God’s love and protection over him. The psalm moves from fear to triumph because of prayerful faith in God.
Have you even been under attack from people who are not following God? Are you in such a situation now? You need to learn what it means to have the Lord as your fortress.
David sings of God’s “steadfast love” in both verses 16 and 17. The English is a translation of the Hebrew word “hesed.” This word shows up often in the psalms, translated “lovingkindness,” “steadfast love,” or “mercy.” It is the word used in the Bible for the love God has for His children to whom He has made covenant promises and will keep those promises. This is the love that a good father has for His kids. David is secure in the Lord, who is his fortress, because he knows by faith of the Lord’s “hesed.”