Psalm 54: Faith on the Run

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David. When the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”

[Preliminary Comments: Another of those psalms where the title gives us the historical context. 1 Sam 23 shows David on the run from Saul and the occupants of Ziph, one of the towns of the desert region where David was, knew of David’s activities in their area of Judah and went and told Saul and offered to pass on intelligence of David’s movements if Saul brought his troops to them. David’s intelligence sources were better and so he was able to evade them but, as so often, he expresses his feelings in this song. A simple psalm that calls on the Lord [v.1,2], in the face of enemy attacks [v.3], knowing that the Lord helps him [v.4] and asks the Lord to destroy them [v.5]. In the meanwhile he maintains he will praise and worship the Lord [v.6], knowing that the Lord has saved him [v.7] – a declaration of faith?]

v.1 A call by David to the Lord to save him

v.1 Save me, O God, by your name;
    vindicate me by your might.

v.2 A request for the Lord to hear his prayer

v.2 Hear my prayer, O God;
    listen to the words of my mouth.

v.3 His need: deliverance enemies attacking him

v.3 Arrogant foes are attacking me;
    ruthless people are trying to kill me—
    people without regard for God.

v.4 He reassures himself that the Lord is his helper

v.4 Surely God is my help;
    the Lord is the one who sustains me.

v.5 His request that the Lord destroy those who speak badly of him

v.5 Let evil recoil on those who slander me;
    in your faithfulness destroy them.

v.6 He himself will continue to worship & praise the Lord

v.6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;
    I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.

v.7 A declaration of his testimony – the Lord has saved him

v.7 You have delivered me from all my troubles,
    and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

[Additional Thoughts: In trouble with attackers, trust in your testimony of what God has done for you in the past as you pray for His help against them and as you do, faith will rise and give you confidence and assurance of a good outcome.

After perhaps going back and meditating on individual verses, now read it meaningfully out loud straight through

1 Save me, O God, by your name;
    vindicate me by your might.
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
    listen to the words of my mouth.

3 Arrogant foes are attacking me;
    ruthless people are trying to kill me –
    people without regard for God.

4 Surely God is my help;
    the Lord is the one who sustains me.

5 Let evil recoil on those who slander me;
    in your faithfulness destroy them.

6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;
    I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.
7 You have delivered me from all my troubles,
    and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: