Cast Your Burden upon the LORD (2 Samuel 17:15-29)
For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.
“Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea. Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they release disaster upon me and revile me in their anger. My heart murmurs within me, and the terrors of death assail me. Fear and trembling grip me, and horror has overwhelmed me.
I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest. How far away I would flee; in the wilderness I would remain. Selah I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.”
O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city. Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within. Destruction is in the midst; oppression and deceit never leave the streets.
For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion and close friend. We shared sweet fellowship together; we walked with the crowd into the house of God. Let death seize them by surprise; let them go down to Sheol alive, for evil is with them in their homes.
But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. He redeems my soul in peace from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. God will hear and humiliate them—the One enthroned for the ages—Selah because they do not change and they have no fear of God.
My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.
Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken. But You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.”
“Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea. Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they release disaster upon me and revile me in their anger. My heart murmurs within me, and the terrors of death assail me. Fear and trembling grip me, and horror has overwhelmed me.” Once more, David is in trouble and feels there is no way out. Not only are David’s enemies accusing him, but now he is even questioning and doubting himself.
“I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest. How far away I would flee; in the wilderness I would remain. Selah(Pause and calmly think on that.) I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.” Most of us can readily identify with David as we face problems that make us want to do nothing so much as run someplace and hide! We long for a safe place and for someone who can defend us from our attackers.
“O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city. Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within. Destruction is in the midst; oppression and deceit never leave the streets.” When we are attacked, we can pray as David has for our attackers to be confused and confounded.
“For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion and close friend. We shared sweet fellowship together; we walked with the crowd into the house of God. Let death seize them by surprise; let them go down to Sheol alive, for evil is with them in their homes.” There’s nothing so painful as betrayal by a fellow believer.
“But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. He redeems my soul in peace from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.” God’s help line is open 24/7. No matter when we cry out to God, He hears and redeems us, no matter how vicious the opposition.
“My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.” Few things are more discouraging than being attacked by friends who violate covenant agreements. You swiftly learn to disregard their fine phrases.
“Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken. But You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.” What a relief to know that God understands our problems even better than we do and that He will give us the strength to be faithful. We can trust the evil to God, knowing that He can sort things out far better than we can.
APPLICATION: Several years ago, Maria Anne Hirschmann wrote a book entitled Please Don’t Shoot! I’m Already Wounded. The author and her husband were in joint ministry when her husband misconducted himself, leaving her with no choice apart from divorce. While Ms. Hirschmann was still reeling from the shock of the breakup of her forever marriage, her fellow Christians proceeded to castigate and shun her, leaving her friendless and without refuge at a time when she needed help the most. The title came from a remark someone made indicating that “Christians are the only people who shoot their wounded.”
Sadly, the same people who had previously welcomed Hirschmann and her husband into their churches immediately began ostracizing her as soon as the divorce was announced. Hirschmann was actually very reluctant to enter on divorce proceedings until she was given a release to do so by the Lord. It took long years before Hirschmann was able to return to ministry of any kind.
Rushing to judgment is generally a sad mistake. One set of missionaries were sent into a difficult situation by a newly-formed mission group, despite warnings by experienced observers familiar with the situation. When the couple encountered problems with the project, the mission group blamed the couple, even going so far as to claim that the couple’s marriage must be unstable because they were previously divorced and remarried. Ironically, one of the board members pushing this claim later saw his own marriage fall apart; meanwhile, the couple remained married and in ministry decades later.
There are many gems in this psalm; however, my personal favorite remains “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.” That’s a promise that we can count on.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we praise You and bless You for Your watch care and Your concern. Thank You that we can always call on You and that You can redeem us from any problems or give us the grace, courage, and strength to endure them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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