Psalm 56

March 08, 2024

1 Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up: he fighting daily oppresseth me.

2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O Thou Most High.

3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.

4 In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust: I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

5 Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.

7 Shall they escape by iniquity? in Thine anger cast down the people, O God.

8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?

9 When I cry unto Thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know: for God is for me.

10 In God will I praise His word: in the LORD will I praise His word.

11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto Thee.

13 For Thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not Thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

The Point:

I am not afraid of what the enemy will do to me because I trust in God.

How do we feel in the recitation of this psalm?

You feel threatened by the enemies of your body and soul. In this case, these are serious enemies who are out to take your life. Every day, all day long, they conspire, they watch your steps, ever seeking an opportunity to destroy you. For a moment you feel a surge of fear, maybe even panic, but as you assume the courage and faith to sing this psalm of faith, a deep sense of peace sweeps over your entire being.

What does this psalm say?

Verses 1–4. At the time he writes these words, David finds himself in the untoward circumstance of being hated by just about everybody. His own father-in-law from Israel wants him dead. Having escaped from the clutches of those who seek his life in Israel, now he finds himself in the hands of the Philistines, the enemy of Israel. This is the setting for the psalm.

The psalm begins as a prayer, “Be merciful to me, O God!” From this statement, it is apparent that these attacks of the enemy are coming with relentless force on this man, David. The opposition may not come in the form of violent, bloody attacks on a real battlefield—but the attacks of slander and gossip can be just as brutal and harmful! Three times in the psalm he mentions that the attacks come daily. Even worse, his pursuers are many in number. Anyone who serves Jesus will be subject to the attacks of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Maybe you are not commissioned to a high position of leadership in Israel as David was, and thereby subject to the most intense attacks of the enemy. But rest assured, during your life, you will be the object of some of the enemy’s attacks.

What do you do when the enemy attacks? David follows up this description of his own predicament with these heart-warming, comforting words, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in You.” This trust begins with a reliance upon and appreciation of the Word of God. As you read God’s Word, you must believe that God is true to His Word, that God will keep His promises, and that He is who He says He is in that Word. This is where true faith begins.

In verse 4 he reiterates his confidence in God on that battlefield. Because he trusts in God, he doesn’t have to fear mere mortal men.

Verses 5–9. The focus remains on David’s enemies throughout this section, as he describes their evil conniving and conspiracies. It is usually leaders who are subject to slanderous attacks. Taking what they say out of context, their words are twisted and then used against them. In no time at all, public opinion is turned against them. This is how churches are ruined and reputations are shattered.

Imagine how difficult it would be for you if somebody was watching your every step, listening to your every word, ever trying to find some fault with you. Of course they would find some things they could magnify into something significant and then use it against you to destroy you. But there is One who follows these enemies more closely than they follow the one they seek to destroy—that is God in heaven, and David pleads with Him to not allow these wicked men to escape His righteous judgment. David wants God in close relationship with him, close enough to count his tears and feel his pain as he deals with these enemies. If God is as close to him as a father is to his son, then of course He will intervene and save David in the day of battle.

Verses 10–13. The remainder of the psalm contains a testimony of David’s faith in God. Again, he testifies to his steadfast fearlessness before men, which holds as long as he maintains that stalwart trust in God. The worst thing any man could do to him would be to take his life, but that would give him immediate passage to heaven. As long as he trusts in God’s Word, he doesn’t have to worry about what men can do to him.

An important characteristic marking the true man of faith is that he is faithful to pay his vows. He is a man under obligation, and he is a man that has the integrity to fulfill that obligation. Even as a husband is doggedly persistent to fulfill his marriage vows for sixty-five years, so the believer commits to the vows he made when he stood before men and publicly declared his allegiance to God (Neh. 10:29: Matt. 10:32). He feels bound to fulfill these vows.

The last verse of this Psalm is an excellent synopsis of the Christian faith. God has indeed delivered our souls from death, so that we may walk before Him in the light of life. You will find a similar synopsis in Exodus 20:1–20, where God tells His people, “I have delivered you from Egypt, therefore keep My commandments.” This is the very same message Paul delivers to the church at Ephesus when he says, “You have been saved by the grace of God, therefore walk in good works” (Eph. 2:8– 10). So you see that God requires the same faith and obedience of His people in the New Testament as He did in the Old Testament.

How do we apply this psalm?

1. Without God’s Word there can be no trust, no faith, and no true confidence in God’s salvation. It is imperative for Christians who live by faith to root their faith in the truths of God’s Word. This is why we must be careful not to drop the ball when it comes to personal devotions, family devotions, and corporate worship in the body of the church.

2. Men today do not want to make any promises or vows concerning anything, because they do not want to bind themselves to a lifetime commitment—to marriage, or to God. For this reason, their lives are vacillating and lacking in integrity.

How does this psalm teach us to worship God?

Worship includes prayers, statements of faith in God, and praise for God’s deliverance in the past—all three of these are included in this psalm. Such psalms teach us a good balance in worship. If our worship was void of praise, prayers, or confessions of faith, it would be impoverished worship indeed!

Questions:

1. What sort of attack is the enemy bringing against David here?

2. Why is the Word of God so important to David in the face of these attacks?

3. How does David describe a man of faith in verse 11?

4. How does this psalm describe the Christian faith?

5. Give several examples of Faith psalms.

Family Discussion Questions:

1. Where has our family been subject to attacks from the enemy lately?

2. In what situations might we begin to fear what men can do to us? How important is it to hold on to God’s Word throughout the day? Do we ever forget God’s Word, or forget to trust God’s Word?