¹Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me …¹⁷O my strength, I will sing praises to You; for God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.

Life is hard—and the Old Testament gives us stories to teach us how to respond to difficult situations, as the apostle Paul pointed out in the NT:

Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. (1 Cor. 10:11)

 The narratives are not mundane, but outsized, fierce struggles that gain our attention and keep us fixated like a mystery novel with excitement, intrigue and conflict. The life of David gives us many examples of how a godly man deals with adversarial conflicts. Despite being a mighty warrior, he was human and, at times, deeply feared those who were against him. This is especially true in his younger years before he rose to kingship, when his military exploits provoked the reigning king Saul to jealousy—extreme jealousy. The king’s threats drove him to run for his life.

David did not fear losing a battle against Saul; his military and personal prowess were well known. But he was bound by his commitment to the Lord not to harm Saul. God had appointed Saul to be king, even though he turned out to be an insecure ruler who tracked David down and insanely sought to kill him. The young warrior’s hands were tied, and the military disadvantage jeopardized his life. It was like a boxing match, where one competitor was not allowed to strike the other.

This is the last of five psalms whose inscription identifies the context as David fleeing from Saul (see Psalm 18, 52, 54, 57, 50). David begins with an extended request for help, asking God to rescue him by lifting him to higher ground. Literally, he asks for a geographically higher ground, a better defensive position to control. An army on top of a hill has an advantage over the opponent trying to scale the hill. For the latter, we call it an “uphill battle.”

He lays out the charge: his opponents “practice injustice” – David has a keen sense of justice and how it plays out in those who deal wrongly with others. They are men characterized by bloodshed, ironically the same charge God later would lay on David, keeping him from building the temple of the Lord (see 1 Chron 22:8). However, these men under Saul’s direction were wrong in their intentions. In contrast, David fought righteously for the Lord’s honor. In this case, he was completely innocent of any wrongdoing—he didn’t deserve this injustice of Saul and his army against him!

At this juncture, David turns to a loftier issue than his immediate predicament, so that the “Lord God of armies, the God of Israel” would be stirred up and punish not just the errant Israelite army but all the nations who were rebelling against God’s righteous reign (vs. 5). In other words, David sees his conflict as emblematic of the larger picture. Saul, as the king of Israel, should have been leading his armies against the nations of the world who rejected Yahweh, the God of Israel, but instead, he was directing his troops against David, his most loyal subject. Isn’t it true that so often Christians today fight against each other rather than engage in a spiritual battle for the souls of our fellow human beings? May our Lord lift us to higher ground to see the true warfare.

David continues with a graphic description of his opposers (vs. 6-8); they are like a pack of wild dogs who arrogantly boast that they are getting away with their nefarious actions. Yet, they fail to understand that God mocks them for their attitude and actions.

 Asking God for help must be accompanied by our confidence that He can and will help. David strengthens himself in his faith and declares, “For God is my refuge” or “stronghold” (vs. 9). He writes of the Lord’s faithfulness to him (vs. 10) and being “our shield (vs. 11b). He knows whom he is asking for help. He requests that God not immediately annihilate his enemies but make their punishment drawn out so that the people of God would have this judgment event branded in their memories. Essentially, as he wrote earlier, he expands his petition to God:

You, Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to punish all the nations; do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity. Selah. (Ps 59:5)

Notice carefully that he calls down this judgment on those who are “treacherous in iniquity.” Of course, we know that God is gracious in offering forgiveness to all who come humbly to him, but those who are “treacherous in iniquity” are not humble, nor do they seek God’s forgiveness. To these, David’s heart reflects God’s ways: withhold grace from those who audaciously hold on to their sin and refuse to turn to God.

In the end, David closes with exultation over God, His strength, His faithfulness and for being David’s refuge (vss. 16-17). In contrast to God withholding gracious favor to his enemies, David finishes by asserting, in faith, that God is the one who shows him favor (that is, grace). David is not expressing a sub-spiritual or anti-Christian invective, but is reflecting a great theological truth, affirming God’s justice. God will reject those who reject Him. Those of us who are saved cannot gloat that we are somehow better than others. David recognizes he doesn’t deserve God’s protection or grace; all he has done is run to God as his refuge, something the unrighteous refuse to do. He knows God to show favor and act in lovingkindness. That is simple trust. Likewise, we do not benefit from God’s grace unless we appropriate it to ourselves, that is, believe and fully trust in Him.

We may not be experiencing the same situation as David, but none of us escapes deep problems and complex conflicts of various sorts. Like David, we should not compromise our convictions before the Lord for self-defense but trust God for those things beyond our control.

Lord, I trust You for my present difficult circumstance, for You are my shield and stronghold on higher ground.