A Place Of Safety

Psalm 59:1-10

For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Saul sent soldiers to watch David’s house in order to kill him. To be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”

1Rescue me from my enemies, O God.

Protect me from those who have come to destroy me.

2Rescue me from these criminals;

save me from these murderers.

3They have set an ambush for me.

Fierce enemies are out there waiting,

though I have done them no wrong, O LORD.

4Despite my innocence, they prepare to kill me.

Rise up and help me! Look on my plight!

5O LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel,

rise up to punish hostile nations.

Show no mercy to wicked traitors.

Interlude

6They come at night,

snarling like vicious dogs

as they prowl the streets.

7Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths,

the piercing swords that fly from their lips.

“Who can hurt us?” they sneer.

8But LORD, you laugh at them.

You scoff at all the hostile nations.

9You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me,

for you, O God, are my place of safety.

10In his unfailing love, my God will come and help me.

He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.

He was just doing his job, playing his harp for King Saul, when—thwack!—a spear went flying past and stuck in the wall behind him! That’s when David knew he needed to get out of there! It wasn’t just a wrong note Saul was upset about; the king was jealous of David’s military success and was determined to kill him.

That night Saul sent troops to watch David’s house and ambush him on his way out the next morning. Fortunately, David’s wife was Michal, the king’s daughter. She warned David of Saul’s plans. Psalm 59 is based on this experience. Although David probably didn’t put pen to paper right then, he surely remembered his feelings about being betrayed by the king he had loyally served and hunted down by soldiers he had fought beside (1 Samuel 19:8-17).

But the story gets better. David climbed out a window and escaped, and Michal bought him some time the next morning by explaining to the soldiers outside that David was sick in bed. She had even placed a statue in bed under the covers and put a wig on it.

Looking back on this and many other situations, David could say with confidence that God was his place of safety and that he would come and help him (verses 9-10). Praise God that we, too, can trust in him to help us.

Do thou deliver me from them

That work iniquity;

And give me safety from the men

Of bloody cruelty.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF ENGLAND PSALTER

Bible Networking

In Mark 4:38 the disciples’ cries to the sleeping Jesus sound a lot like Psalm 59:4. It sometimes seems as if God is asleep to our concerns—but he neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4).

Notable Quotable

“David ridicules the vain boasting of his enemies, who thought no undertaking too great to be accomplished by their numbers.”

JOHN CALVIN