Psalm 3 - When David fled from Absalom his son
Tell the Lord all your troubles.
Title - This is the 1st Psalm with a title.
"The first word, MIZMOR, or "Psalm", is the designation of forty-four sacred poems, thirty-two of which are ascribed to David. The English reader must observe, that this word is not the same in the original Hebrew as that which forms the general title of the book of Psalms, tehillim; the latter expressing a Hymn of Praise. The word "Psalm", however, as used both in the context and in the titles of the individual compositions, is uniformly Mizmor in the original; a term which accurately defines their poetical character. To explain its proper meaning, I must have recourse to the beautiful and accurate definition of Bishop Lowth. "The word Mizmor signifies a composition, which in a peculiar manner is cut up into sentences, short, frequent, and measured by regular intervals." ...He adds that Zamar means to cut or prune, as applied to the removing superfluous branches from trees; and, after mentioning the secondary sense of the word, "to sing with a voice or instrument, "gives it as his opinion, that Mizmor may be more properly referred to the primary sense of the root, so as to mean a poem cut up into short sentences, and pruned from all superfluity of words, which is the peculiar characteristic of the Hebrew poetry." John Jebb.
v1 - What could be a worse trouble than to have to flee from his beloved son? Many had joined his son's conspiracy to take over the kingship. 2Sam 15:12
This short psalm uses the word "many" negatively 4 times (v1 2x, v2 & v6). We should not change what we think is right in order to align with many.
v2 - It is not a small thing for the Lord to lift our head out of depression and anxiety.
This short psalm of 8 verses has 3 Selah's. That is the most Selah's per verse of any psalm or Bible passage. Selah means to think about what was just said.
After David's horrible sin in 2Sam 11 and his repentance in ch12, David shows no action by faith. In chapter 13 David's son Amon rapes his 1/2 sister, Tamar, and David does nothing. Then Absalom, Tamar's brother, kills Amnon, and flees to his grandfather in Geshur in Syria. Then in chapter 14 David lets Absalom return to Jerusalem without Absalon having any remorse, and then David restores Absalom to full fellowship for no good reason. Then in chapter 15, Absalom promotes himself to be king, and David does nothing. But once David is told that Absalom has taken over, David takes decisive action by faith to flee Jerusalem immediately. ( 2Sam 15:13-14). From then on David sees the Lord work and answer his prayer. Thus the Lord lifted David's head. (2Sam 15:21-34)
v4 - lit. With my voice I call to the LORD and He answered me from the mount of His holiness.
v5 - In troubles, we are thankful for little things: being able to sleep at night and wake up in the morning. Every morning we wake because the Lord holds us.
David is able to sleep securely because he has seen the Lord help him and answer his prayer in 2Sam 15:21-34.
At the time David wrote this Psalm, he probably did not realize how close he was to being killed that night. ( 2Sam 17:1-16)
v7 - This 1st line of v7 is the only request in this psalm. The next 2 lines of this verse are what God has done in the past with David.
v8 - The conclusion of this trouble: Your blessing is on Your people.
1/4/2011 Steve Miller
copyright voiceInWilderness.info
|
Psalm 3 A Psalm through David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
1 1 LORD, how many trouble me!
Many rise up against me.
2 Many saying to my soul,
God won't save in his trouble.
Many saying to my soul,
God won't save in his trouble.
<Selah>
2 3 Thou, LORD, art a shield for me,
Who lifts my head and glory.
4 With my voice, I call the LORD,
From His holy mount He heard.
With my voice, I call the LORD.
From His holy mount He heard.
<Selah>
3 5 I laid down and fell asleep.
I woke for the LORD holds me.
6 I'll not fear many people
who surround and watch my soul.
7 Arise, LORD. My God save me,
for You smote all my foes' cheeks.
4 You shattered the wicked's teeth.
8 From the Lord, cometh relief,
the salvation in trouble.
Your blessing's on Your people.
the salvation in trouble.
Your blessing's on Your people.
<Selah>
---------------
2Samuel 15:12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, from Giloh, while he offered the sacrifices. And the conspiracy gathered strength; and the people increased continually with Absalom.
13 And there came one to David who reported saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
14 And David said to all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Rise up and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Be quick to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.
...
21 And Ittai answered the king and said, As Jehovah liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.
22 And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.
...
24 And behold, Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had passed completely out of the city.
25 And the king said to Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city. If I shall find favour in the eyes of Jehovah, he will bring me again, and shew me it, and its habitation.
26 But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good to him.
...
31 And one told David saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. Then said David, Jehovah, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
32 And it came to pass, when David had come to the summit, where he worshipped God, that behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head.
33 And David said to him, If thou passest on with me, thou wilt be a burden to me;
34 but if thou return to the city, and say to Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so now will I be thy servant; then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.
2 Samuel 17:1 And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me, I pray, choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David to-night;
2 and I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid; and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only;
3 and I will bring back all the people to thee. The man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: all the people shall be in peace.
4 And the saying was right in the eyes of Absalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.
5 And Absalom said, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and we will hear also what he says.
6 And Hushai came to Absalom, and Absalom spoke to him saying, Ahithophel has spoken after this manner: shall we carry out his word? If not, speak thou.
7 And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good.
8 And Hushai said, Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are of exasperated spirit, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field; and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
9 Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or some such place; and it will come to pass, when some of them fall at the first, whoever heareth it will say, There has been slaughter among the people that follow Absalom,
10 and even the valiant man whose heart is as the heart of a lion shall utterly melt; for all Israel knows that thy father is a mighty man, and they that are with him are valiant men.
11 But I counsel that all Israel be speedily gathered to thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.
12 And we shall come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one.
13 And if he withdraw into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the torrent, until there be not one small stone found there.
14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. And Jehovah had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, in order that Jehovah might bring evil upon Absalom.
15 And Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.
16 And now send quickly, and tell David saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.
Post comment:
2009 copyright voiceInWilderness.info
|