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Psalms 7, 27, 31, 34, 52    Listen Podcast

Psalms that go with the Book of I Samuel?
As we read through the Bible chronologically, we seek to read the writings of David during the period of his life in which his Psalms were written. While some of the Psalms are quite specific in their introductions regarding the occasion of their writing, we are left to conjecture on others. Here are five Psalms that were likely written as David was on the run from Saul. You may want to read the historical back drop for these Psalms in I Samuel 21-24 (see notes).

 

A note about the words written between the chapter numbers and the first verse:
Not all of the Psalms have introductions, but Psalms 7 says, "A MEDITATION OF DAVID, WHICH HE SANG TO THE LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite." These words serve as Psalm introductions, and are part of the Hebrew text.

God Loves the Righteous (Psalm 7)
See notes at top regarding the circumstances of this Psalm.

A MEDITATION OF DAVID, WHICH HE SANG TO THE LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.
1 ¶ O LORD my God, in You I put my trust;
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me,
2 Lest they tear me like a lion,
Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3 O LORD my God, if I have done this:
If there is iniquity in my hands,
4 If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me,
Or have plundered my enemy without cause,
5 Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me;
Yes, let him trample my life to the earth,
And lay my honor in the dust.
Selah
6 Arise, O LORD, in Your anger;
Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies;
Rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded!
7 So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You;
For their sakes, therefore, return on high.
8 The LORD shall judge the peoples;
Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness,
And according to my integrity within me.
9 Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
But establish the just;
For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.
10 My defense is of God,
Who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
12 If he does not turn back,
He will sharpen His sword;
He bends His bow and makes it ready.
13 He also prepares for Himself instruments of death;
He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.
14 Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity;
Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.
15 He made a pit and dug it out,
And has fallen into the ditch which he made.
16 His trouble shall return upon his own head,
And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.
17 I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

The Bible elsewhere makes no mention of “Cush, the Benjamite.” Obviously David is distressed in this Psalm. While it is impossible to know for sure, it is certainly likely that this Psalm was written by David when he was fleeing Saul's wrath. He puts his case before the Lord, and he believes in his own heart that he has not done anything to deserve the ill-treatment of his adversaries. David makes a strong appeal in verses 4 and 5 when he says, in essence, "If I'm the aggressor here, bring on my punishment." Of course, he was convinced that he was not. He makes this case in verse 8 when he says, "The LORD shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, And according to my integrity within me."

God takes care of me (Psalm 27)
See notes at top regarding the circumstances of this Psalm.

A Psalm of David.
1 ¶ The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.
4 One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.
5 For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.
7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the LORD will take care of me.
11 Teach me Your way, O LORD,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
14 Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!

In verses 1-6 David shows great confidence in the Lord's protection. He cries out for communion with God in verses 7-12, and he tops it off with a final expression of confidence in the last two verses. Again, it seems likely that this Psalm was written by David as he was fleeing Saul. I memorized verse 14 back in my early 20's as a reminder not to "jump the gun" on decisions after committing them to God in prayer, "Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!"

A prayer of expression toward God's faithfulness (Psalm 31)
See notes at top regarding the circumstances of this Psalm.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1 ¶ In You, O LORD, I put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness.
2 Bow down Your ear to me,
Deliver me speedily;
Be my rock of refuge,
A fortress of defense to save me.
3 For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me.
4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
6 I have hated those who regard useless idols;
But I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,
For You have considered my trouble;
You have known my soul in adversities,
8 And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a wide place.
9 Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble;
My eye wastes away with grief,
Yes, my soul and my body!
10 For my life is spent with grief,
And my years with sighing;
My strength fails because of my iniquity,
And my bones waste away.
11 I am a reproach among all my enemies,
But especially among my neighbors,
And am repulsive to my acquaintances;
Those who see me outside flee from me.
12 I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I hear the slander of many;
Fear is on every side;
While they take counsel together against me,
They scheme to take away my life.
14 But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in Your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
And from those who persecute me.
16 Make Your face shine upon Your servant;
Save me for Your mercies’ sake.
17 Do not let me be ashamed, O LORD, for I have called upon You;
Let the wicked be ashamed;
Let them be silent in the grave.
18 Let the lying lips be put to silence,
Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
19 Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!
20 You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion
From the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the LORD,
For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!
22 For I said in my haste,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried out to You.
23 Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!
For the LORD preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
24 Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the LORD.

Fleeing Saul's pursuit is a likely setting for this Psalm of David as well. Notice Psalm 31:5, "Into Your hand I commit my spirit." Jesus used these words from the cross regarding his death in Luke 23:46 (see notes). Notice how David establishes the premise upon which he seeks relief from God in verse 3, "For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me." David uses that ol' argument used by Moses every time God was inclined to destroy Israel for their rebellion, "How is it going to look, God, if your people don't succeed?". So David here says, "Everyone knows my faith in God; how's it going to look if you don't deliver me?" Hey! Let's face it; the quality of one's life changes when the head of state has a bounty out on your head. Feel David's pain as he says in verse 11, "I am a reproach among all my enemies, But especially among my neighbors, And am repulsive to my acquaintances; Those who see me outside flee from me." After Saul slaughtered the priest's entire family (except for one escapee) because of their assistance to David (I Samuel 22, see notes), it's obvious that friendship with David has its risks. Even the king's own son has to play "dodge the javelin" because of the kindness he demonstrated to David (I Samuel 20, see notes).

Taste and See That the Lord Is Good (Psalm 34)
See notes at top regarding the circumstances of this Psalm.

A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.
1 ¶ I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Who is the man who desires life,
And loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20 He guards all his bones;
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

The introduction to this Psalm says, "A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed." Following is an excerpt from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: "The title of Psalm 34 mentions another Abimelech, who in all probability is the same as Achish king of Gath (I Samuel 21:10-22:1, see notes); with whom David sought refuge when fleeing from Saul, and with whom he was dwelling at the time of the Philistine invasion of Israel, which cost Saul his kingdom and his life (I Samuel 27, see notes). It appears from this that Abimelech was the royal title, and not the personal name of the Philistine kings."

So, we see from the introduction to this Psalm that these words are penned by David at the same time he was faking mental illness before the Philistine king. That ploy didn't work out, but David's faith in God, nonetheless, remained strong.

There are some great deliverance verses in this chapter. Here are some memorization suggestions.

Psalms 34:4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
Psalms 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
Psalms 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Psalms 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.

Here's another interesting aspect of this Psalm. This is an acrostic poem; each verse begins with the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. That's why there are 22 verses in this Psalm - one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet in order. You know, that's not easy. Try composing a poem about deliverance from God using all the letters of our English alphabet as the first letter of the first word of each verse - especially when you get to "x" and "z." How poetic for a man faking insanity and on the run!

This Psalm has a history (Psalm 52)
See notes at top regarding the circumstances of this Psalm.

To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of David when Doeg the Edomite went and told Saul, and said to him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.”
1 ¶ Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?
The goodness of God endures continually.
2 Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3 You love evil more than good,
Lying rather than speaking righteousness.
Selah
4 You love all devouring words,
You deceitful tongue.
5 God shall likewise destroy you forever;
He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place,
And uproot you from the land of the living.
Selah
6 The righteous also shall see and fear,
And shall laugh at him, saying,
7 “Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his wickedness.”
8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.
9 I will praise You forever,
Because You have done it;
And in the presence of Your saints
I will wait on Your name, for it is good.

The term "Contemplation" appears in the introduction to this Psalm, as it does in 13 Psalms altogether. It describes a song which enforces some lesson of wisdom or piety - a teaching song.

Back in I Samuel 21-22 (see notes), when Saul was on David's trail trying to kill him, David makes a visit to the priest, Ahimelech. David lies about his visit - says he's on a special secret mission for Saul. He gets some food from Ahimelech and takes Goliath's sword (Goliath was finished with it) which was in his possession. While Ahimelech hardly had a choice but to help David, and did so without knowledge of David's outlaw status before Saul, one of Saul's employees, Doeg the Edomite, told Saul about the secret meeting. Subsequently, Saul had Ahimelech and his family executed for helping David. Given those circumstances, you'd be distraught as well. According to the introduction, this is the setting in which Psalm 52 was written. Incidentally, in I Samuel 22:17-23 (see notes) when Saul commanded his soldiers to slay the priests and their families, they refused. So who did Saul get to perform this atrocity? That's right, the spy Doeg. Given those circumstances, I think David shows a good bit of restraint in this piece dedicated to Doeg.