Oxford Bible Church - Living in the Last Days (audio)

Psalm 6 is one of the 7 Penitential Psalms of the early Church (6,32,38,51,102,130,143). It describes David in a terrible state, in a perfect storm of problems. He is weak, like a withered plant, and sick, with his body wracked in pain (v2), also in a state of emotional distress and mental torment (v3), grief and depression (v6-7), even close to death (v5). Also, he has many enemies coming against him (v8-10). He realises the root cause of all this and the greatest of his problems is that he is not right with God, as he has sinned, and so is under God's discipline. Thus, it begins with David acknowledging his sin and asking God to forgive him: "O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger" (v1). When we confess our sin to God, He forgives us and cleanses us from it (1John 1:9), but that is not enough for our full restoration. Our sin causes us to be separated from God's Presence and blessing, and puts us in a negative (unclean) state. When we confess our sin, we are forgiven and cleansed by the Blood of Jesus, which blots out the sin, and brings us into a neutral (common) state. However, there is still a lack of the God's Presence (an emptiness in our soul), which makes us vulnerable to sinning again and becoming unclean (Matt 12:43-45). The only way to be empowered to overcome sin and be restored to a positive (holy) state of blessing is to rededicate ourselves to God and invite His Holy Spirit to fill us. God can't fill what is unclean - 1st we must be cleansed by His Blood and then we can be consecrated (made holy) by the Oil of His Holy Spirit possessing us. This is why he does not stop with his confession in v1, but continues by saying: "Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am weak" (v2a). He is asking God to fill him with His grace and restore him in every area of his life. Having done this, He now looks to his Lord in confident faith to move quickly to heal him and restore his soul: "but You, O Lord - how long?" (v3). As he returns to the Lord, he asks Him to also return (turn back) to him and restore His Presence in his soul and body and deliver him from his sickness (v4a). His prayers are based on his covenant with God, who is a covenant-keeping God (he uses God's personal covenant name 'Yahweh' many times in Psalm 6), for he appeals to God's unfailing covenant love as the basis of his petition: "Oh, save me because of Your mercies (chesed = steadfast love)" (v4b). He also pleads his case for God to save his life on the basis of His greater glory, reminding God he can glorify Him much more if He keeps him alive, rather than letting him die and go down to Sheol (the underworld): "For in death there is no remembrance of You; in the grave (Sheol) who will give You thanks?" (v5). This is not saying people are unconscious in Sheol-Hades, or that believers will not praise God there. Luke 16:19-31 proves that all men in Hades are conscious, and Psalm 115:17-18 shows that although 'the dead' (unbelievers) do not praise God there, believers continue to praise God after death. Rather it means, he will not be able to glorify God in Sheol in the same way as in this life. v5 can be translated: "For in death no Memorials are made to You." This refers to public worship at the Feasts (Esther 9:28). After death, he says he will not be able to glorify God and give Him thanks, as much as in this life, especially at the Feasts. This shows the special importance of this life, and the opportunity it gives us to glorify God, especially in our public worship. In v8-10, David is now confident God has heard his prayer and now has the assurance that He will give him the victory over his enemies. He is no longer afraid of them but says to them: "Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity" (v8a). Now God has returned to him and is with him, they must flee from him, for if God is for him, who can be against him (Rom 8:31, Jam 4:7). He declares: "for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping" (v8b), referring to his tears of contrition and grieving over his loss of God's Presence because of his sin, compounded by the personal rejection and hostility from his enemies (v6-7). Then he reaffirms his faith that: "The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord receives my prayer" (v9). As with 5:10, 6:10 is an imprecatory verse: "Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; let them turn back and be ashamed (disgraced) suddenly." The word 'troubled' is the same word as used in v2 & 3 to describe David's troubles due to his sin. Thus he prays for his enemies that they will fail in their evil endeavours, that their sin will be exposed and that they face the troubling consequences of their sin (as David did), so that they will turn back from their evil course of action, and also turn back to God in repentance (as David did), before it is too late for them. v10 can also be translated as a prophetic declaration, as in the ESV: "All my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled. They will turn back and be ashamed suddenly."

In this teaching we look at the healing of a leper (Luke 5:12-15). This is the first of 4 Messianic Miracles, which were specific signs of the Messiah. The others are casting out a dumb spirit, healing of a man born blind, and resurrection after 3 days - the sign of Jonah. The special significance and symbolism of Leprosy in the Bible explains why it was a Messianic Miracle. God uses leprosy to teach us about sin. That’s why it was treated differently from all other sicknesses. Leprosy is a picture of sin (Isaiah 1:18), which is why the Bible only talks about the cleansing of a leper. Derek shares how leprosy is a picture of sin. The healing of a leper is a picture of Messiah saving us from sin, for we were all spiritual lepers. Since only Messiah can save us from our sin, it was appropriate that only Messiah can cleanse lepers, which is why it was a Messianic Miracle, so when Jesus healed lepers it was a special sign proving He was the Messiah. The cleansing of the leper in Mark 1:40-44 is a picture of how a sinner receives salvation from the Lord, who is full of compassion for us. 2 chapters are devoted to what the priests should do with lepers. Leviticus 13 told them how to diagnose leprosy. Leviticus 14 told them what to do when a leper was healed. While the priests constantly practiced Leviticus 13, they never practiced Leviticus 14, for no leper was ever healed in Israel! They came to conclude that only Messiah will heal lepers. There was a prescribed Ceremony for leprosy that was ordained in the Leviticus 14, that the priests had to fulfil whenever a leper was healed. When Jesus sent the leper to go to the priests to verify his healing and perform the Ceremony, that was a testimony to them that the Messiah was on the scene. This Ceremony which involved 2 BIRDS. It revealed the basis upon which leper was healed (Leviticus 14:1-7). This Ceremony gives us a wonderful picture of the Atonement of Christ. God is declaring that the cleansing and healing of the leper was accomplished through the Atonement. Since leprosy represents both (1) sin and (2) sickness, this Ceremony shows both (1) that we are CLEANSED from SIN, and (2) that we are HEALED from SICKNESS through the ATONEMENT of Christ. This confirms that Healing is in the Atonement. Healing from sickness and cleansing from sin is only possible through Christ's Atonement - that is what the ceremonial Law of the Leper proclaimed.

Psalm 5 is the first example of an imprecatory Psalm, where David prays that God would deal with his enemies: "Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You" (v10). The challenge we face is how we can harmonise this with Jesus' teaching that we should love, bless and show mercy to our enemies (Luke 6:27-36)? It helps to understand the difference between temporal judgments in this life and a man's final eternal judgment which happens immediately after death, when his eternal destiny is forever sealed. It is surely against the teaching of Jesus for us to desire and pray that anyone would die and go to Hell. It is probable that the imprecatory verses were the basis for the teaching of the Pharisees: "You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy" (Matthew 5:43). But Jesus rejected this interpretation saying: "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you" (v44). Thus these imprecatory verses must be interpreted in this light - as expressions of love, not hate for our enemies. In Psalm 5:4-6, God reveals to David that the wicked are under God's wrath and if they will not repent, they will be condemned and cast out of God's Presence forever. One way to read v10, allowed for by the Hebrew, is as a prophetic declaration affirming this final judgment, in agreement with His revelation in v4-6: "You will pronounce them guilty, O God! They will fall by their own counsels; you will cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against You." In this way of reading it, the Psalmist is also adding His agreement with God's holy justice in executing Him final judgment on them, at the time of His choosing. God's declaration of eternal judgment is His warning to sinners that they must repent before it is too late. However, there seems to be more going on here than a declaration and all the translations interpret v10 also as a prayer, in which case, the interpretation that best fits with the rest of Scripture is that it is a prayer for God to intervene in their life (in a temporal judgment), in such a way as to lead them to repentance, so that they do not face the horror of eternal condemnation and punishment. This is confirmed by the phrase: "Let them fall by their own counsels", which points to their evil plans in this life coming to nothing and even rebounding on them, for if they prosper in their evil-doing, they are less likely to repent. In other words, a loving prayer for the wicked is: "Lord, do whatever it takes in their life to bring them to repentance. Don't let them prosper in their evil-ways, but bring them to the end of themselves, so that they realise that they need to repent and turn to you in faith and so be blessed, rather than going to Hell." David's basis for praying v10 is: "for they have rebelled against You", which shows that he is not praying out of personal malice, but rather a concern for God's glory and a realisation that their rebellious state makes them candidates for eternal condemnation. In Psalm 5:9, David again describes the wicked nature of his enemies, including the phrase: "Their throat is an open tomb; they flatter with their tongue" which Paul quotes in Romans 3:13, in his general description of the sinfulness of all mankind (v9-20), where he establishes that all mankind is sinful and guilty before God and so heading for eternal condemnation. But God offers His saving mercies to those who will turn to Him, trust in Him and submit to Him (Psalm 5:2,7), and so David completes the Psalm by describing the blessedness of those who put their trust in God. They rejoice because they are under God's covering (atonement): "But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend (cover) them" (v11). They are protected from God's wrath and from their enemies. As well as trusting God, having received His love, they also love Him: "Let those also who love Your Name (revealed nature) be joyful in You" (v12a). They have been forgiven and made righteous by faith, and so are under God's blessing, grace and favour which covers them like a large shield: "For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favour You will surround him as with a shield" (v12b).

Psalm 5 shows us how David came to God in the morning (v3) to receive the wisdom, strength and protection he needed for the day, especially because there are many enemies conspiring against him - the word for enemies in v8 means those 'who lie in wait.' The setting might be during the time that many were conspiring against him to remove him as king and replace him by Absalom. Psalm 5 provides a model for purposeful prayer (v1-3,7-8,10-12), as well as giving a clear contrast between the righteous under God's covenant love (v1-3, 7-8, 11-12) and the wicked under God's wrath (v4-6, 9-10). David understands that prayer is the expression of the inner thoughts (meditation) of his heart, so he opens his heart to God and invites Him to look into his heart to see his genuine commitment to God and desire to see his prayer answered (v1). David is purposeful in coming to the Lord and focusing on Him: "to You I will pray." In particular, he addresses the Lord as "my King and my God" - focusing on both His awesome majesty (transcendence) and gracious presence (covenant nearness). Moreover, he presents his prayer with urgency, determined that God will hear him (v2). In v3, he emphasises twice his commitment to come to God in the morning, which confirms the importance of morning devotions, to dedicate the day to God and to receive His grace for the day (Mark 1:35, Lam 3:22-23). The he describes what we should do before and after our prayer to God. Before we make our petitions, we should 'direct it to God.' the word 'direct' literally means 'to prepare' and 'to set in order' (Psalm 23:5). It means to arrange our prayer before God, to plead our case (a lawyer prepares his arguments before presenting them to the judge). We should first know the basis of our petitions from God's revelation of Himself in Scripture and on His covenant-promises to us, and then present our case to God. Doing this will increase our faith that we are praying according to God's will and that He will hear us (1John 5:11-12). We see many examples of this in Scripture. After praying, we should 'look up' to God with expectation, to watch to see what God will say or do (Habakkuk 2:1). As he draws closer to God, he becomes more aware of God's holiness and man's sinfulness. David sees God's wrath upon all sinners and His unrelenting opposition to them, and he sees their ultimate end in final judgment if they do not repent (v4-6, Psalm 73:17-18). By contrast, in v7, David, as an example of a righteous believer in covenant with God (see also v11-12), is one who comes into God's Presence (House), (1) trusting in God's abundant covenant love (mercy - chesed), not in his own righteousness, and (2) worshipping Him in reverential fear (submitting himself to God's authority), looking up to God in His holy Temple (in Heaven - Psalm 2:4,6, 3:4), just as we are to pray: "our Father who art in Heaven." David exemplifies a saving faith of trust in God as his Saviour and submission to God as his Lord. Having first come into His Presence in praise and worship (v7), David is now in position to ask for and receive God's leadership and guidance for his life: "Lead me, O Lord, in Your (way of) righteousness" (v8a). This was especially necessary "because of my enemies" (v8b) who were plotting against him. Likewise, satan's kingdom is setting traps for us to fall into, so every morning we need to pray: "Lord, do not lead me into temptation (the traps of the enemy), but deliver me from evil." David knew only God could protect him from the traps of sin, satan and his enemies. He also asks God to give him wisdom by revealing to him the way that he should walk, and that He would remove all hinderances, so that he might make speedy progress in fulfilling God's will: "Make Your way straight before my face" (v8c).

Explore hidden depths in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). As well as teaching us what it means to be a good neighbour this Parable reveals the Gospel in code. It also gives a hint that Jesus will return after 2 DAYS (2000 years).

Psalms 3 and 4 connect together, for both took place just before the battle with Absalom's army (2Samuel 18). Whereas Psalm 4 is set in the evening before the battle, Psalm 3 is set on the morning of the battle, so when David declares in Psalm 3:4 that he has prayed and God has heard him, this refers to his prayer in 4:1. Likewise his belief he would sleep well in 4:8 was fulfilled (3:5). Compare also 3:2-3 and 4:2. David reveals the basis for his approach to God was that his righteousness was from God (not himself): "Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!" (v1a). This is imputed righteousness through faith, and well as the fact that he knew he stood for a righteous cause (he was praying the will of God). Having righteousness before God gives us confidence that God will hear our prayer (1John 5:14, Proverbs 15:29, 1Peter 3:12, Psalm 34:15). He prays that God would be gracious to him and relieve him in his distress; changing his situation from being hard-pressed on all sides to an enlarged place of freedom (v1b). Based on his assurance that God has heard his prayer in v1, David speaks boldly to his enemies, declaring that their rebellion against him, which was based on following lies (that he was no longer God's anointed) and empty promises, is about to come to an end (v2). He also declares that he is still beloved and chosen by God, set apart to Him by covenant as God's anointed king, and this gives him confidence that God hears his prayers and will give him the victory (v3). We then discuss different applications of David's advice: "Be angry and do not sin" (v4a), which Paul applies in Ephesians 4:26-27. In order to overcome the flesh and not sin, we need to mediate in God's Word (v4b, Psalm 1) and bring our flesh into quietness, so that we can hear God's voice to us (v4b). Then we need to 'offer the sacrifices of righteousness', which means doing right actions in obedience to God's word to us, and doing what God tells us to do in the situation, trusting in Him that He knows best (v5, Proverbs 3:5-6), even though this may well mean denying the natural inclinations of our flesh and human reasoning.

Last time in Psalm 4, we saw how David prayed for victory over the army of Absalom (2Samuel 18), putting his faith in His covenant-keeping God (v1), bringing him full assurance, resulting in confident declarations of faith flowing out of his prayer (v2-5). Next he describes the inner peace and happiness that he possessed through his fellowship with God in prayer (v6-8). He points out that most people are primarily seeking for things (outward prosperity), such as his opponents who were believing in Absalom's promises of a better life under his rule (v6a). Seeking things first before God and His righteousness (which is covetousness) is futile, as things can never ultimately satisfy us. But David understood that God is the source of all goodness, and that the key to inner happiness and satisfaction is face to face fellowship with God, who shines the light of His love, joy and peace into our hearts: "Lord, lift up the light of Your Countenance upon us" (v6b, Numbers 6:24-26). Likewise, Jesus said if we FIRST seek the Lord and His Presence (Spirit of Righteousness) in our hearts, then all these outward things (blessings) will also be added to us (Matthew 6:33). We must choose to love and serve God above mammon (Matthew 6:24). The test is, do we put God's Presents before His presents? - this was the test faced by Moses in the wilderness. David testified that through His prayer and fellowship with God, He imparted gladness in his heart, so that even when going through hard times, he possessed a greater inner happiness from God's Presence, than all the carnal people had, even at the time of their greatest prosperity (v7). the joy of the Lord does not depend on circumstances, but comes from God's Spirit within our hearts (Romans 14:17). Through spending time in God's Presence on the eve of the great battle, David prayed through to a place of inner peace, having put his trust in the Lord for his protection, so that he knows he will have a deep, peaceful and undisturbed sleep: "I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety" (v8). In Psalm 3:5 tells us he woke up the next morning testifying: "I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me."

Who were the Wise Men (Magi), and why did they expect the birth of the King of the Jews at that time, and why were they looking for His Star? What was the Star of Bethlehem - a comet, supernova, conjunction of planets, or a manifestation of God’s Glory? If it was the Glory of God, what was its connection with the other manifestation of Glory at that time? How did the Magi know it was the Messiah's Star; what was so special about it? How did it fulfil Balaam’s Prophecy in perfect detail in Numbers 24:17? Derek looks first at the manifestation of God’s Glory to the Bethlehem Shepherds, when Jesus was born (Luke 2:8-18). They were special levitical Shepherds with a special role of looking after the Passover Lambs, destined to be sacrificed in the Temple, just 5 miles away. Likewise, Jesus was born to die for us as the sinless sacrificial Lamb of God, the ultimate Passover Lamb. By doing this, He become the Saviour of the world, for all who receive Him. So, it was appropriate for God to choose these Shepherds to witness the birth of His Passover Lamb, the One born to save us by His sacrificial death (1Cor 5:7). Then we look at Matthew 2: “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, WISE MEN (Magi) from the East came to Jerusalem, saying: “Where is HE, who has been BORN King of the Jews? For we have seen HIS STAR in the East (literally: ‘in its RISING’) and have come to worship Him” (v1-2). The Magi were kingmakers, who confirmed, anointed and endorsed any new king. So, when God's King was born, it was only right these believing Magi from the nations were chosen to honour this new-born King. Whereas the Jewish Shepherds proclaimed the coming of the SAVIOUR of the world, the Gentile Magi proclaimed He was also the true KING of the nations. So, Jesus is both Saviour and King. How did the Magi know to look for Messiah’s Star to appear over Israel? When Daniel was exiled to Babylon, he was exalted to be chief over all the Magi of Babylon (Dan 2:48). He taught them the messianic prophecies including Numbers 24:17: “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel”, and his prophecy of the 70 Weeks (Dan 9:24- 27), gives a 490-year Countdown to the Coming of the Jewish Messiah. A core of believing Magi, faithful disciples of Daniel, knew these prophecies, and so knew the timing for His Birth was drawing near, and so were on high alert, watching for the Sign of His Birth in the Heavens, a new STAR, corresponding to the description in Num 24:17. They saw His STAR arise on the same night as His Birth, heralding His arrival (Matt 2:7), and then it disappeared, until it reappeared 2-3 months later: “When they heard the king, they departed; and BEHOLD, the STAR which they had seen in its RISING (on the night of His Birth) WENT BEFORE THEM, until it came and STOOD OVER where the young CHILD was. When they saw the STAR, they rejoiced” (Matt 2:9-10). The Star of Bethlehem has no other explanation, but that it was a supernatural manifestation of God’s Glory. So, there were 2 manifestations of God’s GLORY at Christ's Birth: (1) The Jewish Shepherds saw His Glory and multitudes of angels, proclaiming His Birth as the Lamb of God, the SAVIOUR of the world, and (2) the Gentile Magi saw the rising of a new Star from Israel, proclaiming His Birth as the KING of the world. The manifestation of God’s Glory and the angelic host to the Shepherds was the very same manifestation of His Glory that the Magi saw in Babylon (the Star of Bethlehem), signifying that the same Jesus is Lord over both Jew and Gentile, and that the dual offices of Saviour and King are held by the same Person, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Both events must have happened at the same time, on the night of Christ's birth, as they both heralded His Birth. When God’s Glory appeared to the Shepherds, near Jerusalem: “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the Glory of the Lord shone around them” (Luke 2:9), this would have appeared to the Magi, watching from Babylon, like a bright Sceptre arising out from Israel, in the dark western skies, as Num 24:17 predicted. Then after delivering their message, the multitude of angels, surrounded by glory, did not just disappear, but visibly ascended higher & higher into the sky (Luke 2:15). To the watching Magi, this would have appeared like a bright new Star arising up out of Israel, just as Balaam had predicted for Messiah’s Star (Num 24:17). While all other stars move westwards in the sky, they saw His Star rising from Israel and going in the opposite direction, before disappearing. They realised this unique Star that they saw in its Rising had to be the prophesied Star announcing the Birth of the King of the Jews (Matt 2:2). Thus the 2 manifestations of God's Glory at Christ’s Birth were actually the same manifestation of His Glory, seen from 2 different viewpoints.

In part 1, we saw that David wrote this Psalm in his prayer time after he woke up (v5) on the morning of the battle against his son Absalom's large army (2Samuel 18). The previous evening he had prayed through to an assurance of victory. This prayer is recorded in Psalm 4. As a result he could sleep sweetly knowing that God would keep him safe (4:8, 3:5). Whatever battles we face in life, the main battle is in prayer, to get into God's presence, and let him fill our hearts with His peace, faith, strength, light and wisdom, which casts out all fear and darkness. As a result, he was able to declare in the morning, as he looked at Absalom's great army: "I will NOT be AFRAID of ten thousands of people who have SET themselves against ME all around" (v6). Notice what is unusual about this battle, which fits 2Samuel 18, is that all these enemy forces were not interested in fighting David's army, for they were only interested in killing one man, David, so that Absalom could establish himself on the throne. David was not exaggerating the size of Absalom's army, for 20,000 of them died in the battle (2Samuel 18:7), so that the army was about 100,000 strong. With so many focused on destroying David, he had grounds for fear, but strengthened in God, he refused to fear. Then David utters the battle cry as they go forth into battle: "Arise, O Lord; Save me, O my God!" (v7). This is an appeal to God to arise and go ahead of them to lead them in battle, protecting them and giving them the victory. This recalls the words of Moses in Numbers 10:35: "So it was, whenever the Ark set out, that Moses said: “Rise up, O Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.” The next phrase in v7 is probably best seen as a prayer, as in the NIV: "Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked." See also Psalm 58:6: "Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!" This speaks of the total domination, defeat and humiliation of the enemy, so that this rebellion would be broken once and for all, rather than simmering on indefinitely. This is what was done to wild beasts, so that they would no longer be a danger. Their jaw and teeth represents their ability to devour and destroy, so to break them is to destroy the power of the enemy, who in their rebellion against the Lord's anointed, David, were acting like wild beasts. David was not praying for their death (he even did not want their leader Absalom to die), but for a decisive victory that would end this rebellion and reestablish David on his throne. David knew that only God could do this, for it was against all odds. If it was a declaration (as in the NKJV) rather than a prayer, then David was saying: "Lord, You've done it before, and I believe You will do it again! David then gives God all the glory for the victory: "Salvation (deliverance) belongs to the Lord" (v8a, Jonah 2:9), for the battle belongs to the Lord, and he concludes by declaring: "Your blessing is upon Your people (Israel)" (v8b). This shows that David was not just concerned for himself, but for Israel. This battle was not just over David's future, but the future of Israel. He knew that God's blessing (presence) is connected to His will, and that God had anointed David as king and made an everlasting covenant with him, that God would preserve his House and that his sons would reign after him, until finally his ultimate son, the Messiah, would reign forever on the Throne of David (2Samuel 7, 1Chronicles 17). David knew that for God's will and blessing to prevail for Israel, this rebellion must be defeated, and David reinstated as God's rightful king of Israel, and so victory in this battle was necessary for God's people to live in His blessing. (If Israel came under the wicked and godless Absalom, the nation would come under a curse). Thus, when David closed the Psalm by saying: "Your blessing is upon Your people", he was making a confident prophetic declaration that God's mercy, grace and blessing was upon Israel and would continue, which meant that God's will would prevail, through God giving David the victory, and establishing him as His chosen anointed king over Israel. This came to pass, because after the victory and Absalom's death, the survivors of the battle and the rest of the nation saw that God was with David, and so repented of their rebellion, and acknowledged David as their rightful king. Thus Israel came back under Divine order and blessing under David, their king.

The heading of this Psalm is 'A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom, his son.' We study the background to this Psalm in 2Samuel 11 - 18, starting with David's sin with Bathsheba, resulting in the killing of Uriah (2Sam 11), Nathan's rebuke of David and announcement of how David would reap what he had sowed in his own family and kingdom, even though God forgave David and spared his life, when he repented (2Sam 12). David's sin, caused him to lose his moral authority, which opened the door to his sons behaving badly, with David failing to deal with them properly because of his own weakness. First, his eldest son Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar and then refused to marry her. Then his son Absalom, Tamar's brother, murdered Amnon in revenge. The Absalom fled to Geshur for 3 years (2Sam 13). Eventually David lets Absalom return to Jerusalem, and after another 2 years David receives him back fully (1Sam 14). Then Absalom began conspiring to take over the Kingdom from David, stealing people's hearts by his promises, no doubt insinuating that Davis was no longer God's anointed, because of his terrible sin. His following grew until it manifested as outright rebellion, forcing David to flee Jerusalem and go to Mahanaim across the Jordan. Meanwhile, Absalom gathered a large army from all the tribes and went after him (2Sam 15-17). Finally, the day of the great battle arrives, and despite being greatly outnumbered, David's army is victorious and Absalom is killed (2Sam 18). Psalm 3 is set in the morning (v5) just before this decisive battle commences (see v1,2,6). It is impressive that David spent time in prayer before the battle, and so received this Psalm by inspiration. We see in both 2Samuel and Psalm 3 David's faith and humility in trusting God to deliver and exalt him. On the one hand, he knows he has a covenant promise from God concerning his kingship (2Sam 7, 1Chron 17). He also knows that God has forgiven him and has not taken His anointing from him. On the other hand, he knows that he has brought these troubles and rebellion on himself, by his sin, which has also opened the door to many people saying: "there is no help for him in God" (v2) - God has finished with him (eg Shimei in 2Sam 16:5-13). Therefore, he knew that he must humble himself before God trusting in Him to vindicate and exalt him in His time, and restore the kingdom to David, rather than taking matters into his own hands. In the Psalm, David describes his many enemies out to destroy him (v1,2,6), who start by attacking him spiritually with their words, as well as physically with their weapons. Likewise, the accuser of the brethren attacks first of all with his words, to discourage you, saying: "you have sinned, so there is no help for you in God." Then when your faith is paralysed, you are easily defeated by the physical attacks in your life. But David responds to these evil words, by confessing His faith, saying: "But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head" (v3). See also 7:10, 18:2.30, 28:7, 33:20, 59:11, 84:11, 115:9-11, 119:114, 144:2). We must answer the words of the enemy by speaking God's words. As battle is about to begin David is trusting God to protect him and lift up his head - restore him to the throne (Gen 40:13,20, 2Ki 25:27). He also declares God is his glory (the One who bestows the anointing upon him, and the One in whom David glories). The key to David being strong in faith on the morning of battle (v3) is that he spent time with God the previous evening: "I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard (answered) me from His holy hill (in Heaven)." (v4). David was able to cast all His care on God, and prayed out loud for God to give him the victory, and he received the assurance that God heard him. Having committed himself and his cause to God, he was able to sleep soundly, despite the great dangers around him: "I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me"(v5). Sustained by God's presence, rather than spending a sleepless night in fear and anxiety, he slept in peace and awoke in time to pray again before the battle (see Psalm 4:8, 31:5, 127:2 for other promises of sleep). Psalm 3 came forth in these morning devotions, where he expresses his confidence in God for the victory, despite the overwhelming opposition gathered against him.