Psalm 56 For the choir leader; according to “The Dove of Distant Oaks;” David’s inscription when the Philistines arrested him in Gath.
This psalm makes me think that faith in God and in God’s promises has us have a much wider berth than we think He gives us. We often think if we have faith in God then we will be doing everything perfectly. The context of this psalm tells me apparently not. Think of Abraham and his life. In his faith, he was no way perfect in all his actions. He feared kings taking his life and he lied to them, yet the LORD does not reprove him for these things. His faith was counted to him as righteousness. Same with David here. He fears Saul killing him, even though he believes in God’s promise to make him king. So he is in Philistine country and is arrested and then he fears them and feigns madness to avoid being killed by them. It is at this point David prays this psalm.
Be kind and help me, O God, men trample on me. They fight all day long and they oppress me; 2all day long my enemies hound me, as many fight against me.
So David is running from Saul here. He cries out to God to be kind to him and help him. Ever since God rejected Saul and accepted David, David’s life has been one running away from Saul after another. He is constantly trying to kill David. All day long he has to deal with this and all day long he has to fight with them.
As David flees into Philistine territory in hopes of getting away from Saul, he is arrested by the Philistines who bring them to the king of Gath. Hearing they know who he is, as they quote the songs the women of Israel sing about him, “Saul killed his thousands and David his tens of thousands,” he gets fearful in his heart and he feigns madness. After all, he just got Goliath’s sword from the tabernacle, is probably wearing it, and Goliath was the champion of Gath. What was David thinking going there?
O Most High, 3when I’m afraid, I put my trust in You. 4In God – I praise His Word– In God I trust — I’m not afraid; what can flesh do to me?
Yet, I imagine David is praying this after he is let go by the king of Gath. He immediately prays to God. He tells God how when he is afraid, he puts his trust in Him. Him running from Saul and feigning madness is him trusting in God. I guess we should remember David is running from Saul and not killing Saul because he is still the LORD’s anointed king. David is waiting for the LORD to remove Saul. He is not going to do it by his own hand.
In faith, it seems, David is feigning madness so the king Achish does not kill him. David does not think God thinks less of him doing this. David is declaring he trusts in God, he praises His Word, he is not afraid, what can flesh do to me? Ye, I’m scratching my head reading this. He believes the LORD had the king believe his act. In all his actions, David is believing the LORD will fulfill His Word to make him king in place of Saul.
Again, as I said in the beginning, having faith in God doesn’t mean we’re always going to act perfectly. We may do some things that people scratch their heads when looking at us, even though we do them having faith in the LORD. Which is just to say, you can’t judge a person’s faith by what they do sometimes. You can hardly judge your own actions when you have faith in Jesus.
Merciful LORD and God, keep us always in the faith so that in all we do, however foolish it may seem, our trust in You never wavers. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen