But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the LORD with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah . . . I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the LORD; Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah. (Psalm 3:3-4, 6-8, NASB)
While listening to music on Pandora on Friday morning, I heard The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir’s rendition of “Thou, O Lord,” and I had to write about Psalm 3 (Holy Spirit?). The title of Psalm 3 is “Morning Prayer of Trust in God.” It’s described as “A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.” I’ve included my highlighted portions in the text above.
Absalom, King David’s son, decided that he would succeed his father as king of Israel, even though God had told David that his successor would be Solomon. Absalom got the support of several influential people, including from David’s court, and proclaimed himself king. When King David heard the news, fearing Absalom would kill him, he decided to escape to the east of the Jordan River, with those who were loyal to him. The psalm reflects his trust in God in dire circumstances.
David proclaims that God is a “shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.” To declare God as one’s Shield is the ultimate in protection; it doesn’t get any better than that! God is David’s Glory. God is the One he boasts in, and Nobody else! When he feels like he can no longer go on, God is the “One who lifts [his] head.” When David cries out to the Lord, He answers “from His holy mountain.”
Further, David says he “will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about.” Why not? Because King David trusts in the Lord to strike “all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.” David trusts in God completely to deliver him from his enemies. He had had much experience with running from his foes (King Saul) and he knew in Whom he could trust!
Finally, King David states that God is the ultimate source of salvation; and he prays “blessings be upon Your people.” What impresses me is that despite the dangerous circumstances in which David finds himself, he takes the time to pray for others. That’s selflessness!
King David’s lessons to us? No matter the circumstances, we can put our trust in the Lord. He is our Protector. Second, God hears the prayers of His people, and He answers. Third, even when we find ourselves in a bind, we should pray for others. When we do that, it might take our minds off ourselves. And last, “Salvation belongs to the LORD.” God’s plan of salvation requires that we place our faith, hope and trust in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no Other by Whom we may be saved!