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59 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
protect me from those who rise up against me;
deliver me from those who work evil,
and save me from bloodthirsty men.
For behold, they lie in wait for my life;
fierce men stir up strife against me.
For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD,
for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
Awake, come to meet me, and see!
You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel.
Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah
Each evening they come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
There they are, bellowing with their mouths
with swords in their lips—
for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”
But you, O LORD, laugh at them;
you hold all the nations in derision.
O my Strength, I will watch for you,
for you, O God, are my fortress.
My God in his steadfast love will meet me;
God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
Kill them not, lest my people forget;
make them totter by your power and bring them down,
O Lord, our shield!
For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
let them be trapped in their pride.
For the cursing and lies that they utter,
consume them in wrath;
consume them till they are no more,
that they may know that God rules over Jacob
to the ends of the earth. Selah
Each evening they come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
They wander about for food
and growl if they do not get their fill.
But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.
(ESV)
Twice in the first two verses, David cried out for God to deliver him. In verse 2, he cries out for God to save him.
Deliver me from those who do iniquity And save me from men of bloodshed.
Psalms 59:2 NASB
The phrase “save me” is a term known in the NT as Salvation. It literally means “to give room to” or “to expand an area to breathe.” David cries out, not because of his own sin, but because he is being attacked without cause. This may seem arrogant, but David was not one to pretend. He owned up to his sin when he was at fault (Psalm 32). The merciless attacks on him were not justified and so he cried out to God for refuge.
But I will sing of Your strength and will joyfully proclaim Your faithful love in the morning. For You have been a stronghold for me, a refuge in my day of trouble. 17 To You, my strength, I sing praises, because God is my stronghold— my faithful God.
Psalms 59:16-17 HCSB
A powerful response of faith is our decision to sing of God’s strength during our weakest moments.
Spiritual worship and spiritual warfare should be carried out with singing.
John Piper
As evidenced in the OT story of King Jehoshaphat leading his people in song as they walked into battle, and the NT story of Paul and Silas praising God while locked away in prison, it is obvious that God has ordained worship as a means to utterly destroy the attacks of enemy.
“Music is a fair and lovely gift of God which has often wakened and moved me to the joy of preaching… Next after theology I give to music the highest place and the greatest honor. I would not change what little I know of music for something great. Experience proves that next to the Word of God only music deserves to be extolled as the mistress and governess of the feelings of the human heart. We know that to the devils music is distasteful and insufferable. My heart bubbles up and overflows in response to music, which has so often refreshed me and delivered me from dire plagues.”
Martin Luther
Theology and worship. These are the two principles that lead most church services for good reason. When we read the Psalms, we get a picture of spiritual warfare. David praised God during his darkest moments. His warfare was not human but spiritual. He appealed to God and praised Him even before the desired outcome. This is the challenge. When we face spiritual warfare, we must not give in to the attacks that come hot and heavy from the enemy. Our response is critical. Worship God and meditate on His Word.
“We have two great weapons in worship: the word of God and song. So let us give heed to the Word of God and let us sing with all our heart.”
John Piper