Deliver Me, O LORD!
A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom
“O LORD, how my foes have increased! How many rise up against me! Many say of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah (Pause and calmly think on that)
But You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy mountain. Selah
I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the myriads set against me on every side.
Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the LORD; may Your blessing be on Your people.” Selah
Although King David was wildly popular at the beginning of his reign, now a new problem has surfaced. David has an incredibly handsome and charismatic son named Absalom. Absalom realizes that if David dies, he will not be first in the line of succession because David has already promised to make Solomon king in his place.
The story is told in 2 Samuel 15-18. Absalom craftily plans a campaign to win the love of the people. “Some time later, Absalom provided for himself a chariot with horses and fifty men to run ahead of him. He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out and ask, “What city are you from?” And if he replied, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,” Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king has no deputy to hear you.” And he would add, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land, then everyone with a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would give him justice.” Also, when anyone approached to bow down to him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him. Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to the king for justice. In this way he stole the hearts of the men of Israel.”
Absalom goes down to Hebron, ostensibly to offer sacrifices; however, he brings a number of people with him. Once in Hebron, Absalom proclaims himself as king and recruits David’s most trusted counselor Ahithophel as his advisor. When David hears the news, he and his court flee Jerusalem. David is so distraught that he walks barefoot and weeping over the Mount of Olives. David’s life is falling apart. His beloved son whose name means “Father of peace” has turned out to be a scoundrel and a betrayer. For David, it appears that all is lost and that his life has been a complete failure. It is at this point in David’s life that he composes this psalm.
If the expression “lower than a ditch digger’s boots” had been in use during David’s day, he might have used it to describe his condition as he wrote this psalm. For David, it appears that all his friends and supporters have deserted him, although that is not really the case. A large group of people are accompanying David, and all of them are ascending the Mount of Olives barefoot and weeping. As David and his followers continue eastward and cross the Jordan, powerful people come to their aid, bringing food and drink and sheltering them.
David’s fears are realistic because Ahithophel counsels Absalom to immediately send soldiers after David’s group to seize David and kill him. David’s life is spared because David’s friend Hushai suggests that they defer Ahithophel’s plan until the following day. Hushai then messages David to cross the Jordan as quickly as possible to avoid attack. Even amid this disaster, God is still working to preserve David’s life. Ultimately, David returns to Jerusalem. Absalom is killed during a battle when the long hair of which he is so proud gets caught in tree branches as he is fleeing the battle on his mule. Joab, David’s general, kills Absalom as he is hanging in the tree.
APPLICATION: Reading Psalm 3, we can see why the Book of Psalms is the most widely-read and widely-quoted book of the Bible. No matter what is happening in your life, you can find a psalm that will speak to your condition.
For many of us, David’s condition might be ours as well. Through the years, we have sponsored a number of young people to professional courses in nursing. Some of these same people have then turned around to bring false accusations in hopes of somehow gaining more money from the hospital or from us. In at least one such case, the individual has left nursing to become a pastor. We can only wonder what might happen if this man continues to pursue his rebellious and ungrateful behavior in his new profession, not to mention how he will feel if someone else treats him as he has mistreated us.
We can testify to the truth that God HAS been a shield around us, our glory and the One who lifts up our heads when we have felt defeated. Were these struggles easy? No! Would we willingly go through them again? Not if we have a choice. Will we face other trials in the future? Most likely! But God remains faithful, no matter what happens, and this is the ultimate message of this psalm. “Salvation belongs to the LORD…” Interestingly enough, that is the very same thing Jonah says in his prayer while he is still in the belly of the big fish. (Jonah 2:9) Paul, writing to Timothy from prison in 2 Timothy 4:18 says, “And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, let all those who are suffering or are persecuted trust You, knowing that You will be a shield around them, their glory, and the One who lifts up their heads. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment