Hymns from Adullams Cave (2)
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Psalm 57
Psalm 57
Psalm written in the cave of Adullam when David fled from Saul.
The first five verses are a prayer - the last six verses are a hymn. Both the prayer and the hymn are ended with the phrase
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!
The whole theme and tenor of this Psalm is that God is glorified in David’s deliverance.
God is a God who seeks His own glory. Psalm 46:10
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
Is God wrong to seek to glorify Himself? If a creature seeks it’s own glory we call it pride or narcissism. Isaiah 14 - King of Babylon/Satan - was judged for attempting to glorify himself above God. So is God wrong to seek His own glory?
9 remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
ii. God has chosen to glorify Himself through saving a people for Himself. John 17:24
24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—
iii. God alone receives all the glory in our salvation. Even though there were secondary and tertiary causes in David’s deliverance (David feigning madness before Achish, the cave providing a hiding place) he never attributes any portion of glory to his own good sense or good fortune, but to God alone. Isaiah 42:8
8 I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
We are to give God all the glory for our salvation, just as God provided the cave for David which was the means of His salvation, so to God provides the means for your salvation.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
This Psalm is a messianic Psalm. When Augustine read this Psalm he didn’t just hear the words of David, he heard the words of Christ. It’s a foreshadowing of The Father delivering His son from death and the enemy. Instead of Saul persuing Him there was Satan and instead of a cave there was a tomb.
David cries out to God - Psalm 57:3
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
Or in the NASB - ‘who accomplishes all things for me.’ God fulfilled all His purpose for David, the Father fulfilled all His purposes in Christ. And what was the Father’s purpose in Christ? That He might bring about the salvation of all the elect. John 6:37-40
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
God has left nothing to chance in salvation - He’s not taking a gamble, He will accomplish all His purpose in salvation - He will save all those who He has elected, and He will not be thwarted in this by any man or spirit.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
God will fulfil all His purposes in you - He will be glorified in showing you mercy in Christ Jesus! Forever the angels and all the redeemed will sing praises to the God who accomplishes all His purposes.
God has accomplished all things for you - all that you will ever want or need is in Him.
He has accomplished victory for you:
Over sin and the flesh
Over satan
Over the world
David likened his pursuers to lions in verse 4 - Psalm 57:4
4 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.
Lion’s are fearsome predators, ravenous, ruthless killers. Not to be trifled with.
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Martin Luther said - “Would any man take the Church’s picture? Then let him paint a silly poor maid sitting in a wood or wilderness compassed about with hungry lions, wolves, boars and bears.”
The only reason that we need not fear the lion that hunts us, is that we have a greater lion who has accomplished victory on our behalf - The Lion of Judah. As long as we stand behind Him, no enemy can do us harm.
iv. Spurgeon gave comfort and advice to believers who felt they were among lions: * If you are among lions, you will have fellowship with Jesus and His church. * If you are among lions, you will be driven nearer to your God. * If you are among lions, remember that God has them on a leash. * If you are among lions, remember there is another Lion, of the Tribe of Judah.
6 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. Selah
The enemy is crafty, he doesn’t fight fair, he sets traps. He looks to catch you when you least suspect; he takes opportunity in a temptation or a trial. He digs a pit in your way - a hole in the road that you’re walking down. You’re following God, doing all the right things but there’s a hole in the way. But David says - they have fallen into it themselves. Saul ended up exposing himself to David and his men instead of vice versa. Satan entered Judas and had Christ given over to those who would kill him, not realising that he was falling into a trap himself. Through having Christ crucified satan ended up helping God acheive His ends! Don’t worry about the traps - if you’re following Christ the enemies traps will end up trapping him!
17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”