(Meditation on Psalm 59)
J. Alec Motyer
THE heading of this psalm tells us that it refers to the time "when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill David." There is no reason for this heading to be in small print, for it is part of the Hebrew text as much as anything else in the Scriptures. In Hebrew the psalm headings always form the first verse of the psalm, and in that our versions all differ from the original.
The psalm refers to those early days of Saul's jealous enmity against David, who had to flee and become first an outlaw and then an outcast. Saul spoke to all his servants that they should kill David (1 Samuel 19:1) and then tried to kill him himself. "David fled and escaped that night, and Saul sent messengers unto David's house to watch him and to slay him in the morning", and eventually [72/73] Michal let David down through the window and he got away.
It seems that David was involved in a prolonged period of animosity and danger to his life, and the psalm describes the time of surveillance when men came every night to watch his house. The history describes a sudden crisis but the psalm tells us of the time when he could see lurking figures around his house every night who disappeared in the daytime to avoid being seen as trying to kill David who was a very popular person. So in the daytime they lay in ambush but in the evening they returned to resume their watch.
At some point in that process, David's nerve failed him and he escaped. Was he right to flee? We are not told. This psalm, however, reveals him as living under the constant threat of lurking figures who melted away every morning and then returned every evening. It was a nerve-wracking experience. Here we are given a view of David's mind and attention to prayer and told how in the thick of it he found a new security in God.
"O my strength, I will watch for thee" (v.9). His enemies were on the watch for him but he was on the watch for his God. While he was being hemmed in by them, he hemmed himself into God. We note one word which comes in a number of times in this matter of security. It speaks of the high place of refuge which he found in God. "Set me on high" (v.1), "God is my high tower" (v.9). "God is my high tower, the God of my mercy" (v.17). We use the word "top security" mainly in reference to keeping criminals safely in prison, but David uses it to speak of the safety of the believer in God. God is a refuge for him and mercy, or steadfast love, is like a wall round about him. The abiding thought is that David was in a situation where life could so easily have got on top of him, but he so knew God that it was he who got on top of his enemies. This is a view of life which we need to cultivate as Christians; when we get into a situation which threatens to get on top of us, we may come into the place in the Lord where we are on top of things.
So the message of the psalm is "Getting on top of things". It consists of two prayers with two consequent meditations.
i. David's First Prayer
First of all he cries, "Deliver me", for he is surrounded by wicked and bloodthirsty men who lie in ambush for his soul, and then he insists that it is not due to any fault of his: "Not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord" (v.3). He calls attention to the real danger of his foes, and then itemises them, asking God to see things as he sees them. He then claims that in this particular matter he has no consciousness of wrong.
When we read such claims in the psalms, claims to righteousness, we must realise that David is not talking about sinless perfection, but is facing specific matters. Here David is dealing with a particular charge against him, and in this connection he maintains that there is no truth in the accusations. He is in the same position as Nehemiah was when he had to deal with false rumours about his claiming to be king in Judah: "I sent saying, there are no such things done as thou sayest ...!" (Nehemiah 6:8). David had a perfectly clear conscience as to his behaviour about Saul and was able to affirm that so far as the accusations about disloyalty were concerned he had not offended. He had not transgressed -- he had not put a foot wrong -- and he had not sinned -- in his heart there were no wrong thoughts. He was clear before God, clear before men and clear in his own conscience. That is a most desirable condition to be in. It reminds us of Paul's words how he had lived before God in all good conscience (Acts 24:16).
Having made known his need, David now appeals to the Lord for the fullness of divine aid: "Awake thou to help me ... Arise to visit ..." (vv.4 & 5). This is a bold way of speaking to God, "Awake ... and look" is an approach which calls upon God to rouse Himself out of sleep, for the matter is very urgent and this is David's way of expressing urgency. What he really said was, "Awake thou to meet me". David really believes that in answer to prayer that God will take the matter up personally, not so much sending forces from heaven but Himself coming into the situation.
