“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me; deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men. 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, for no fault of mine, they run and make ready. Awake, come to meet me, and see! You, Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel. Rouse yourself to punish all the nations; spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Kill them not, lest my people forget; make them totter by your power and bring them down, O Lord, our shield! 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, 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. Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. They wander about for food and growl if they do not get their fill. 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. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.” (v1-5,11-17)
This Psalm is likely one of the first that David wrote after discovering Saul was out to kill him. According to the title it refers to the incident in 1 Sam 19:11-12 where Saul sends men to kill David and his wife Michal has to help him down through a window to escape.
David prays for a combination of things here: deliverance from enemies, closeness to God, justice from God, righteousness from God, protection from God, and God’s glory to be made known. Yet despite desiring his enemies to be condemned for their sin, David still asks God for mercy and leniency that He would not outright kill them. That’s kind of odd, why would you say “For the cursing and lies that they utter, consume them in wrath; consume them till they are no more” and also “kill them not”? Is David just confused here as to what he wants? No, I think, believe it or not, he has a heart for those that are trying to kill him. Why does he ask God to punish them? So “that they may know that God rules over Jacob to the ends of the earth”. Why doesn’t he want God to kill them? “Lest my people people forget”.
It sounds like David wants his people to remember that God is not only righteous and just, but He is also merciful. I think David too is being merciful in interceding for these people, wanting them punished but not killed, so that they may have a chance to know God as David does.
Father God we come before You today, praying for deliverance from our enemies. Father we ask for Your firm yet merciful hand against them, so that they may come to know You by Your righteousness and the glory that they see. May Your justice convict their hearts so they may accept You as Lord, Savior, Fortress, Shield, and escape eternal death because of Your steadfast love. Praise be to You O God of David who is our strength each day in the face of trouble.
~ Conqueror in Training