Psalm 56 – 4 Questions
— Historical
This Psalm was written when David ran to Ziglag. He has no home, he has been running from those who seek his life for some time now. He feels alone. No one understands him and the weight of the world is crashing down. He is afraid and probably emotionally and physically tired. But still, he trusts in the Lord and praises Him.
— Theology
* Our God has mercy on us even though we do not deserve it. He has mercy simply because He is a good God to us. We can’t earn it and never will be able to. He says “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.” (vs. 1; Ex 33:19; Ex 34:6)
* God wants us to place our trust in Him and nothing else. Not money, fame, status, or people. Our trust should always be placed in the one Who has the power to deliver us. (vs 3, 4, 11; Pro 3:5)
* God wants us to praise Him even in the hard times. We praise God for what He has done and what He will do. He is the One that will fight for me. He pays attention to my pain and tears. (Vs 4, 10, 12; Isa 25:1; Acts 16:25)
* God wants us to “fear” Him. The fear God desires of us is not a trembling fear but more of a respective fear. Our fear should not be in our enemies who can only hurt the body. God is able to destroy body and soul. But we have no need to fear Him in that way if our trust is in Him alone. He is good to us and takes care of us. We have safety in Him. (vs. 4; Ps 118:6; Heb 13:6)
* God has anger and in His anger, he “cast down” the enemy and they will not escape. God in our western world is painted to be this loving teddy bear but that isn’t what He is at all. He has anger and it is not the anger of a small dog with no bite to his bark. No, The Lord’s anger is greatly to be feared. (vs. 7; Ex 15:7; Job 4:9; Eze 7:8)
* God is for me. He loves me and gave Himself to die in my place for my sin and iniquity. The Psalmist says “I know God is for me.” He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to know Him. (Vs 9; Ps 118:6; Eze 36:9; Ps 124:1; 2 Pet 3:9)
— How is it fulfilled in Jesus
As I read this chapter, my mind couldn’t help but wonder to Jesus during His three years of earthly ministry all the way to the cross. A group called the Pharisees daily oppressed Him with their cunning ways and tricky words. They desired to “swallow Him up” and tried to twist “wrest” His words. All their thoughts toward Him were evil and they would gather themselves together to eventually put Him to death. He was just as David in the fact that He had to keep moving from place to place because people would seek to kill Him early. (John 8:48-59)
Yet, in all of this, Jesus did not leave us. When He was the One being oppressed by our sin, He still chose to stay. His mercy toward us brought Him to the cross. The anger of God should have been placed on me yet Jesus took my punishment. Christ is the reason I no longer need to fear, in trembling, the anger of God. I escaped my iniquity because of what Jesus did for me on the cross. But those who deny Christ, they shall not escape God’s anger. It is clearly because of Jesus that God is “for us.” God is the One who loved us first. He sought us first. He gave Himself for us even though we chose Sin and ourselves over Him. HE IS FOR US and there is no way to hide that from scripture!
— Application.
With a God like this, how could I not place my trust in Him when things are not as they seem they should be. When I am being attached or it seems there are those who would swallow me up. I must remember that Christ Jesus went through this same exact feeling and problem for me! This should make me want to Praise His Name even when hard times come! We shall not fear what flesh and people can do to us. He has overcome them! For me, while I write this, we are going through the Covid 19 problem. I have been brought low because it seems as of now we will not get to leave in October as we had hoped. Will I dwell on this? No! I will trust in the One Who knows what He is doing! I will praise Him for He is good! I know He is for me and that thought right there is enough for me!