Psalm Category: Individual Psalm of Lament

Key Word: The key word is actually a phrase this month, “lift up my head” (v. 3). In the Old Testament, to have one’s head covered and in a downward position was a signal of despair or disgrace. David experienced this during Absalom’s rebellion (2 Sam. 15:30). The imagery in this psalm of God lifting David’s head indicates to us that God brings hope out of despair. Jesus uses this same phrase regarding His second coming (Luke 21:28).

Central Thought: Psalm 3 is an evening prayer for God’s protection. The psalm moves from distress, to trust, to deliverance and, finally, to blessing. Its main message is that Jesus will deliver us from our enemies.

Psalm 3

There is calamity in the city. Thereis something rotten in Jerusalem! Absalom, David’s son, has won the hearts of the people and is assembling his forces for a coup. David is on the run, and night is falling on his kingdom.

This is the historical backdrop for Psalm 3. How will David deal with the attack of his enemies? The Distress of Attacking Enemies (vv. 1-2): Verse 1 expresses the magnitude of David’s opposition. The word “many” is repeated three times in the first two verses to emphasize the multitudes allied against him.

Verse 2 demonstrates that the attack against David was verbal as well as physical. His enemies cry out to him that God will not deliver him. Recall the cry of Shimei against David in 2 Samuel 16:7-8: “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel!…The Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin.”

It is striking how this attack on David foreshadows Christ’s own experience. Our Lord was surrounded by enemies (Ps. 22:11-13) and rejected as King (John 19:14-15). However, this psalm applies to us as well. Jesus promised that we will be surrounded by enemies (John 15:20).

Recalling God’s Character (vv. 3-4): David responded to this attack by focusing on God rather than on his enemies. This is a lesson to us in dealing with fear and anxiety. The more we focus on a problem, the larger it seems. As we focus on God, particularly in prayer, our problems are placed in proper perspective and we are delivered from fear.

David remembered that God is his shield (his protector), that God lifts up his head (his hope), and that God answers prayer from His holy hill (is sovereign). As anxiety and fear mount, follow David’s pattern and turn your eyes to Jesus!

Trust in God (vv. 5-6): As the sun went down, David anticipated an attack by Absalom’s forces (2 Sam. 17:1, 16). How often are our own anxieties and fears increased at night? How often do you spend the night in sleeplessness because your mind is racing regarding the pressures of your life? David was run out of town, disgraced, and surrounded by tens of thousands. However, in the face of all this, he trusted in God and was granted the simple blessing of sleep. In this “24/7” age, riddled with anxiety, is this not a blessing we should seek?

Summoning the God Who Delivers (vv. 7-8): David also desired vengeance for himself and God’s kingdom. He summoned God to strike his enemies on the jaw; that is, to render them speechless and toothless. This is “imprecatory” language. It is a component of the psalter that makes many Christians uncomfortable. How are we to understand imprecation in light of Christ’s command to love our enemies and turn the other cheek?

First, note who is really under attack. Yes, David is surrounded, but what is the charge of his enemies in verse 2? The attack is ultimately against God. It is important to understand that the Old Testament nation of Israel is paradigmatic of the spiritual kingdom of God ushered in by Christ at His first coming. Therefore, the enemies of Israel are not easily comparable to our personal or national enemies, but rather are comparable to the spiritual enemies of God’s kingdom. When we sing imprecation, we are singing about the ultimate demise of the enemies of God.

Second, it is also important to recognize that imprecation is present in the New Testament (see 1 Cor. 16:22; 2 Thess. 1:6-9).

The psalm concludes with deliverance and blessing. David was restored to the throne. God alone delivered him from the attack of his enemies. In like manner, Jesus brings ultimate deliverance and blessing to His people by conquering Satan, sin, and death. Find your peace, rest and blessing in Him! (Phil. 4:7).

—Anthony T. Selvaggio