Psalm 57 Commentary
Another hunting expedition. It’s King Saul on the hunt. David is the hunted.
Another petition. Another deliverance. Another praise song.
In the historical record of the first volume of Samuel, we don’t have the details we have here. These songs were written in real-time. They are raw and flow from a troubled but trusting heart.
Go to the Psalms when you want to know the heart of David. The emotions are real – a real heart before a real God!
The psalmist has escaped death, but he is still on the wanted list. It isn’t his first deliverance, and he knows it won’t be his last. So the language is in the present continuous tense. “Have mercy on me,” he prays. It is a petition to the God Most High.
This psalm may suggest that God is the aggressor. It is a natural thought. If the bank has threatened to take your house because of unpaid dues, you want to write them for a grace period.
The fact that the psalmist petitions God, not the bank, means he perfectly understands the hierarchy of authority in creation.
The words “mercy” and “grace” appear when one thinks of guilt or deserved repercussion. At the same time, the psalmist prays that God vindicates him. The thought here is that he is innocent. The saint may combine these thoughts in one prayer, though it tastes terrible.
Regardless, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.”
In the first stanza, God sends from Heaven and rebukes David’s enemies. He sends forth His love and faithfulness.
In the second stanza, David is steadfast. He summons strength from within. He sings. He makes music from his circumstances. This should be the saint’s reaction. Put your life in a song, and it will be similar to this psalm.
It is often a combination of danger and fear, petitions and deliverances, and then more danger and fear, followed by more petitions and deliverances. It is always in the present.
At some point in our existence, deliverance will be complete. But for now, we know deliverances come in installments. Regardless, the LORD is faithful. His love is great. Let the saint’s soul awaken to the sound of petitions and praise.
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