Psalm 3
Exposition
Explanatory Notes and Quaint Sayings
Hints to the Village Preacher
TITLE. "A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his Son." You will remember the sad story of David's flight from his own palace,
when in the dead of the night, he forded the brook Kedron, and went
with a few faithful followers to hide himself for awhile from the
fury of his rebellious son. Remember that David in this was a type of
the Lord Jesus Christ. He, too, fled; he, too, passed over the brook
Kedron when his own people were in rebellion against him, and with a
feeble band of followers he went to the garden of Gethsemane. He,
too, drank of the brook by the way, and therefore doth he lift up the
head. By very many expositors this is entitled THE MORNING HYMN.
May we ever wake with holy confidence in our hearts, and a song
upon our lips!
DIVISION. This Psalm may be divided into four parts of two verses
each. Indeed, many of the Psalms cannot be well understood unless we
attentively regard the parts into which they should be divided. They
are not continuous descriptions of one scene, but a set of pictures
of many kindred subjects. As in our modern sermons, we divide our
discourse into different heads, so is it in these Psalms. There is
always unity, but it is the unity of a bundle of arrows, and not of a
single solitary shaft. Let us now look at the Psalm before us. In the
first two verses you have David making a complaint to God concerning
his enemies; he then declares his confidence in the Lord (3, 4),
sings of his safety in sleep (5, 6), and strengthens himself for
future conflict (7, 8).
EXPOSITION
Verse 1. The poor broken-hearted father complains of the multitude of
his enemies: and if you turn to 2 Samuel 15:12, you will find it
written that "the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased
continually with Absalom," while the troops of David constantly
diminished! "Lord how are they increased that trouble me!"
Here is a note of exclamation to express the wonder of woe which
amazed and perplexed the fugitive father. Alas! I see no limit to my
misery, for my troubles are enlarged! There was enough at first to
sink me very low; but lo! my enemies multiply. When Absalom, my
darling, is in rebellion against me, it is enough to break my heart;
but lo! Ahithophel hath forsaken me, my faithful counsellors have
turned their backs on me; lo! my generals and soldiers have deserted
my standard. "How are they increased that trouble me!" Troubles
always come in flocks. Sorrow hath a numerous family.
"Many are they that rise up against
me." Their hosts are far superior to mine! Their numbers are too
great for my reckoning!
Let us here recall to our memory the
innumerable host which beset our Divine Redeemer. The legions of our
sins, the armies of fiends, the crowd of bodily pains, the host of
spiritual sorrows, and all the allies of death and hell, set
themselves in battle against the Son of Man. O how precious to know
and believe that he has routed their hosts, and trodden them down in
his anger! They who would have troubled us he has removed into
captivity, and those who would have risen up against us he has laid
low. The dragon lost his sting when he dashed it into the soul of
Jesus.
Verse 2. David complains before his loving God of the worst weapon of
his enemies' attacks, and the bitterest drop of his distresses. "Oh!"
saith David, "many there be that say of my soul, There is no help
for him in God." Some of his distrustful friends said this
sorrowfully, but his enemies exultingly boasted of it, and longed to
see their words proved by his total destruction. This was the
unkindest cut of all, when they declared that his God had forsaken
him. Yet David knew in his own conscience that he had given them some
ground for this exclamation, for he had committed sin against God in
the very light of day. Then they flung his crime with Bathsheba into
his face, and they said, "Go up, thou bloody man; God hath forsaken
thee and left thee." Shimei cursed him, and swore at him to his very
face, for he was bold because of his backers, since multitudes of the
men of Belial thought of David in like fashion. Doubtless, David felt
this infernal suggestion to be staggering to his faith. If all the
trials which come from heaven, all the temptations which ascend from
hell, and all the crosses which arise from earth, could be mixed and
pressed together, they would not make a trial so terrible as that
which is contained in this verse. It is the most bitter of all
afflictions to be led to fear that there is no help for us in God.
And yet remember our most blessed Saviour had to endure this in the
deepest degree when he cried, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me?" He knew full well what is was to walk in darkness and to see no
light. This was the curse of the curse. This was the wormwood mingled
with the gall. To be deserted of his Father was worse than to be the
despised of men. Surely we should love him who suffered this
bitterest of temptations and trials for our sake. It will be a
delightful and instructive exercise for the loving heart to mark the
Lord in his agonies as here pourtrayed, for there is here, and in
very many other Psalms, far more of David's Lord than of David
himself.
"Selah." This is a musical pause;
the precise meaning of which is not known. Some think it simply a
rest, a pause in the music; others say it means, "Lift up the
strain—sing more loudly—pitch the tune upon a higher key—there is
nobler matter to come, therefore retune your harps." Harp-strings
soon get out of order and need to be screwed up again to their proper
tightness, and certainly our heart-strings are evermore getting out
of tune, Let "Selah" teach us to pray
"O may my heart in tune be found
Like David's harp of solemn sound."
At least we may learn that wherever we see "Selah," we should look
upon it as a note of observation. Let us read the passage which
preceeds and succeeds it with greater earnestness, for surely there
is always something excellent where we are required to rest and pause
and meditate, or when we are required to lift up our hearts in
grateful song. "SELAH."
Verse 3. Here David avows his confidence in God. "Thou, O Lord,
art a shield for me." The word in the original signifies more
than a shield; it means a buckler round about, a protection which
shall surround a man entirely, a shield above, beneath, around,
without and within. Oh! what a shield is God for his people! He wards
off the fiery darts of Satan from beneath, and the storms of trials
from above, while, at the same instant, he speaks peace to the
tempest within the breast. Thou art "my glory." David knew
that though he was driven from his capital in contempt and scorn, he
should yet return in triumph, and by faith he looks upon God as
honouring and glorifying him. O for grace to see our future glory
amid present shame! Indeed, there is a present glory in our
afflictions, if we could but discern it; for it is no mean thing to
have fellowship with Christ in his sufferings. David was honoured
when he made the ascent of Olivet, weeping, with his head covered;
for he was in all this made like unto his Lord. May we learn, in this
respect, to glory in tribulations also! "And the lifter up of mine
head" —thou shalt yet exalt me. Though I hang my head in sorrow,
I shall very soon lift it up in joy and thanksgiving. What a divine
trio of mercies is contained in this verse!—defence for the
defenceless, glory for the despised, and joy for the comfortless.
Verily we may well say, "there is none like the God of Jeshurun."
Verse 4. "I cried unto the Lord with my voice." Why
doth he say, "with my voice?" Surely, silent prayers are heard. Yes,
but good men often find that, even in secret, they pray better aloud
than they do when they utter no vocal sound. Perhaps, moreover, David
would think thus:—"My cruel enemies clamour against me; they
lift up their voices, and, behold, I lift up mine, and my cry
outsoars them all. They clamour, but the cry of my voice in great
distress pierces the very skies, and is louder and stronger than all
their tumult; for there is one in the sanctuary who hearkens to me
from the seventh heaven, and he hath, heard me out of his holy
hill." Answers to prayers are sweet cordials for the soul. We
need not fear a frowning world while we rejoice in a prayer-hearing
God.
Here stands another Selah . Rest
awhile, O tried believer, and change the strain to a softer air.
Verse 5. David's faith enabled him to lie down; anxiety
would certainly have kept him on tiptoe, watching for an enemy. Yea,
he was able to sleep, to sleep in the midst of trouble,
surrounded by foes. "So he giveth his beloved sleep." There is a
sleep of presumption; God deliver us from it! There is a sleep of
holy confidence; God help us so to close our eyes! But David says he
awaked also. Some sleep the sleep of death; but he, though
exposed to many enemies, reclined his head on the bosom of his God,
slept happily beneath the wing of Providence in sweet security, and
then awoke in safety. "For the Lord sustained me." The sweet
influence of the Pleiades of promise shone upon the sleeper, and he
awoke conscious that the Lord had preserved him. An excellent divine
has well remarked—"This quietude of a man's heart by faith in God,
is a higher sort of work than the natural resolution of manly
courage, for it is the gracious operation of God's Holy Spirit
upholding a man above nature, and therefore the Lord must have all
the glory of it."
Verse 6. Buckling on his harness for the day's battle, our hero
sings, "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have
set themselves against me round about." Observe that he does not
attempt to under- estimate the number or wisdom of his enemies. He
reckons them at tens of thousands, and he views them as cunning
huntsmen chasing him with cruel skill. Yet he trembles not, but
looking his foeman in the face he is ready for the battle. There may
be no way of escape; they may hem me in as the deer are surrounded by
a circle of hunters; they may surround me on every side, but in the
name of God I will dash through them; or, if I remain in the midst of
them, yet shall they not hurt me; I shall be free in my very
prison.
But David is too wise to venture to the
battle without prayer; he therefore betakes himself to his knees, and
cries aloud to Jehovah.
Verse 7. His only hope is in his God, but that is so strong a
confidence, that he feels the Lord hath but to arise and he is
saved. It is enough for the Lord to stand up, and all is well. He
compares his enemies to wild beasts, and he declares that God hath
broken their jaws, so that they could not injure him; "Thou hast
broken the teeth of the ungodly." Or else he alludes to the
peculiar temptations to which he was then exposed. They had spoken
against him; God, therefore, has smitten them upon the cheek bone.
They seemed as if they would devour him with their mouths; God hath