Psalm 57 "Living with Lions"

Psalm 57 is said to be "a Miktam of David when he fled from Saul in the cave"

"Miktam" is probably a sort of song (Psalms 16 and 57-60)

But it is said to be connected to David's encounter with Saul in the cave.

There is one problem with our version of Psalm 57.

Verses 5 and 11 function as the chorus in the Psalm,

but they do not function that way in the Psalter.

We may need to work on this!

1. David in the Lions' Den (57:1-5)

Be merciful to me, O God,

be merciful to me,

for in you my soul takes refuge;

in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,

till the storms of destruction pass by. (57:1)

The title to Psalm 57 invites us to use David as an example for this Psalm.

David had been pursued by Saul,

because Saul envied David's growing popularity,

and because Saul perceived that God was going to give the kingdom to David.

While David was hiding in a cave in the wilderness,

Saul came into the cave to relieve himself.

And David cut off a corner of Saul's garment,

later showing it to Saul to demonstrate that he was no enemy of Saul.

He could have killed him,

but he respected the LORD's anointed.

He will wait for the LORD to deal with Saul.

And until that day, he will take refuge in the LORD,

"Until the storms of destruction pass by."

It is not your job to fix everything that is wrong with the world.

David had been anointed by God to replace Saul.

You would think that David would be happy to kill Saul and get it over with!

But he will not.

Saul was a tyrant who oppressed his own people,

and even killed the priests of God-men, women, and children! (1 Sam 22:17-19).

But David refuses to put out his hand against the LORD's anointed.

Instead,

I cry out to God Most High

to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

He will send from heaven and save me;

he will put to shame him who tramples on me.

God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

David trusts that God will put Saul to shame.

God is faithful to his covenant.

He will do as he has promised.

It is not your job to make God's word come to pass!

David says that he cries out to "God Most High"

-the God who fulfills his purposes.

It is not David's job to make himself king.

It is God's purpose to make David king.

So David must wait for God to "send from heaven and save me"

He must wait for God to "put to shame him who tramples on me."

Because David's present situation is not very pleasant:

My soul is in the midst of lions;

I lie down amid fiery beasts-

the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,

whose tongues are sharp swords.

David lives in the lions' den.

Saul is trying to kill him.

The man David is supposed to replace is trying to kill him.

And yet David can do nothing to stop him!

Now that would be frustrating!

And yet David's response is:

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Let your glory be over all the earth!

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name!

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven!

David prays for the exaltation of God's holy name above earth and heaven.

Yes, he is living in a cave.

He is running for his life.

He is being chased by a wicked king,

against whom he may not lift his hand.

And yet he prays that the glory of God would be exalted.

There is a man whose priorities are in the right place!

But Psalm 57 is not just about David.

He writes it for Israel.

This is Israel's song.

Israel dwells in the midst of lions-

the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,

whose tongues are sharp swords.

And in Jesus, this is your song.

Because Jesus is the one who dwelt in the midst of lions.

He is the one who cried out to God Most High-

to God who fulfills his purposes for me-

and he is the one whom God heard and delivered from death.

Therefore you may sing this with confidence,

knowing that because God heard Jesus' cry,

he will also hear your cry.

2. The Pit-iful End of the Wicked (57:6-11)

Part two of the Psalm recounts the conclusion-

even before it happens!

They set a net for my steps;

my soul was bowed down.

They dug a pit in my way,

but they have fallen into it themselves.

Such is the way of the wicked (as we've seen from Proverbs).

Their own traps and pits become snares for their own steps.

Therefore David sings:

My heart is steadfast, O God,

my heart is steadfast!

I will sing and make melody!

Awake, my glory!

Awake, O harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn!

We saw this morning that the Psalmist desired to remember Jerusalem,

so that his hand would not forget its skill,

and that his tongue would not stick to the roof of his mouth.

Here as well we hear voice and harp together making music before the LORD.

Even before he sees the final fulfillment of all that God had promised,

he sings praises to God.

And so do we.

We have received the firstfruits in the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We have received a far better anointing-

and so we sing and make melody to the LORD!

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;

I will sing praises to your among the nations.

For your steadfast love is great to the heavens

your faithfulness to the clouds.

We sing to God because of his steadfast love.

We sing to God because he has been faithful.

And because he has been faithful to the Son of David,

in exalting him above the heavens,

therefore we know that he has seated us in the heavenlies in Christ.

And so we sing his praises among the nations-

not just to Israel, but to the Gentiles as well.

Having spoken in verses 1-4 of the problem,

and in verses 6-10 of the solution,

David echoes the refrain once again:

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Let your glory be over all the earth!

As we sing God's praises, we sing as those who share in his glory-

as those who have beheld the face of the one and only Son of God.

And in Jesus Christ, God's glory indeed is over all the earth!

He has been faithful to David,

and has seated David's son on his throne.

Never will that throne fail.