Psalm 56
A Roadmap for Lament
We are only just over a third of the way through the Psalter, the prayer and song book of the people of God. You’ll have noticed as we have journeyed through the Psalms how many are laments.
This week, I thought we’d take an opportunity to see how the Psalms, in particular Psalm 56, provide us a framework to lament as Christians.
For the director of music. To the tune of ‘A Dove on Distant Oaks’. Of David. A miktam. When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.
1 Be merciful to me, my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;
all day long they press their attack.
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;
in their pride many are attacking me.3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise –
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?5 All day long they twist my words;
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire, they lurk,
they watch my steps,
hoping to take my life.
7 Because of their wickedness do not let them escape;
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll –
are they not in your record?
9 Then my enemies will turn back
when I call for help.
By this I will know that God is for me.10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise –
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?12 I am under vows to you, my God;
I will present my thank-offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
A number of Christians have identified four key elements in the Psalms of Lament: Turn, Tell, Pray & Trust. We will use these as we explore Psalm 56.
Turn
Fight, flight, freeze? What do you do when you are confronted by that which frightens you? This Psalm invites us to first turn.
This was the song penned just before Psalm 34. This is the desperation before the celebration. It was written while David, the anointed King, had been hounded out by Saul and was now surrounded by Achish (see 1 Sam. 21). When every other avenue has closed and tunnel out has caved in, David knows there is just option available.
And so he turns to God.
“Be merciful to me, my God”
This is the difference between grumbling and groaning. When we grumble, we turn our backs to God, complaining about him. When we groan, we turn toward God, carrying our complaints to him, laying them down before his throne of grace.
Tell
The next ingredient of lament, modelled here by David, is detailing his worries and anxieties. This includes:
Adversaries hunting him
Foes assaulting him in their hubris
Enemies plotting against him
Opponents stirring up strife against him through rumour and slander
Rivals laying traps for him
That might seem overwhelming. Yet there is a power in a way by naming our concerns. When hidden in the dark corners of our hearts, our concerns can fester and mushroom. But when brought to the light of God, there is hope.
So we can bring before him:
Colleagues gossiping about us
Fraudsters who scam us out of our money
A formerly close friend who has betrayed us
Neighbours threatening us
Governments bringing in laws which hinder our worship and witness
The other advantage of naming our concerns is it gives us greater clarity about what we pray for.
Pray
In v7-8, David makes two particular petitions.
First, he implores with God to bring about justice. The wickedness of those who pursue and persecute David is clear and apparent for all to see. And it must not be passed over. Here is a clear call for God to act in righteousness. When we pray as Jesus taught us to for God’s Kingdom to come, one element of that is Satan’s kingdom would be destroyed and those governments which trample the weak would collapse into ruins.
Second, it is a cry to God to see our tears. David asks God to know our pain. In doing this, we want to be seen and known. We want a God who is not just with us in victory but also in defeat. That he sees and knows the agony we endure. For if he records it, he will act on it.
And by praying, ultimately we are trusting in God.
Trust
There are two clear declarations of trust in this Psalm. It is a repeated refrain,
“In God I trust and am not afraid”
In v4, he follows that by showing the implication. If he and we trust God, we need not be afraid of mere mortals. Man is just man. God is a just God. And if he is for us, who can be against us? We might struggle for a while, but God’s deliverance is sure. He is our strength and our song, and he has become our salvation. He is our rock and our redeemer, and he has become our righteousness.
This refrain is quoted in the closing chapter of Hebrews (13.6). We as Christians can trust because we know what God has done for us in Christ. He has paid the penalty for our sins. He has triumphed over the devil. He has defeated death. He intercedes for us at the right hand of God and leads us before the throne of grace. We do not need to ultimately fear, for God is for us, with us and in us.
Trust always culminates in praise, for we know that God’s promises will be fulfilled. Therefore, we can begin our praise even before our deliverance is fulfilled. For we know it will happen.
Glory be to God the Father, who sees us and knows us and is forever for us.
Glory be to God the Son, who has overcome the kingdom of darkness.
Glory be to God the Spirit, who leads us into the light of life.
Ever three and ever One.