Morning Light – May 10th, 2016: The Fate of Those who Curse You

Morning Light – May 10th, 2016
Today: [Psalms Seven] The Fate of Those who Curse You. In this chapter we find David crying out for God to defend him from his enemies. David has many people around him who are his body guards but he wants to see the hand of God vindicate his testimony. There are times that friends will defend us but when our defense comes from God that is the end of the matter. This psalm was written on the occasion of false accusation against David. Those who accused called for David’s destruction but in the end their pronunciations against David only defined their own fate.
[Psa 7:1-17 KJV] 1 [[Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the LORD, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.]] O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: 2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending [it] in pieces, while [there is] none to deliver. 3 O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; 4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:) 5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take [it]; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah. 6 Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me [to] the judgment [that] thou hast commanded.
This psalms begins with a reference to it’s inspiration. David wrote this psalm because of the words of a person named Cush which many believe to be Shimei who cursed and threw stones at David as he was fleeing from Absalom. The psalm is called a Shiggaion of David which there is no clear consensus regarding. This could refer to the instrument to be played or to the type of song it is. The word Shiggaion comes from a root word meaning to wander. From a renewalist perspective I believe the to mean that David was “wandering” or ecstatic in his speaking. He wasn’t premeditating his words but rather prophesying and speaking extemporaneously by the inspiration of the Spirit of God.
In verse 1 David calls upon God to save him because of the words spoken against him. He is surrounded by many soldiers and mighty men but he puts his trust in the Lord. When you are faced with difficulty and challenges from unsavory people you may also have the luxury occasionally of having allies and those who want to protect you. When Shimei cursed we find in 2 Sam. 16:5 that Joab’s brother Abishai asked permission to fall on him and take his head off. David refused claiming perhaps God had bidden Shimei to curse. In other words though David had allies and those who would defend his honor he wanted his deliverance to come from God as a vindication of his rule and his testimony. When people defend you strife grows and expands. When God defends you it is the end of the matter.
David cries out to God to preserve him because his enemy wants to tear him in pieces like a lion. It is true that when you have someone who chooses to be your enemy their desires upon you are usually disproportionate with the cause of their offence. We see this in Christian circles much of the time when believers over a simple doctrinal dispute will call for each other to be turned over to the devil to be destroyed for daring to disagree with them in the slightest matters.
David’s prayer takes the form of seeking vindication of the truth of the matter. He declares to God that he has been falsely accused. He plainly asks that if he is guilty of doing what he is accused of then let him fall. In other words as Paul appealed to Caesar in Acts 25:11 David is appealing to the throne. David trusts in the divine justice of God. Sometimes we retreat from the judgment of God as though we cannot trust it. In reality the justice of God is always right and even in the most difficult matters, we as David may safely trust in the heart of the Father to always dispose of matters in our lives in our own best interest when we humble ourselves before Him.
7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high. 8 The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity [that is] in me. 9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. 10 My defence [is] of God, which saveth the upright in heart. 11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry [with the wicked] every day. 12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
In verse 6 David calls for God to arise and execute the judgment that was commanded. What was the judgment David was referring to? It was God’s covenantal justice. The commandment David is referring to does not mean that he thought he had the right to tell God what to do. The commandment in David’s mind was the promise of God to the Hebrew people as descended from the line of Abraham. In Gen. 12:3 God promises that He will bless those that bless you and curse those that curse you. This means that God will execrate from your life those that even trifle with you in the slightest way – how much more so those that earnestly seek your detriment?
In verse 8 David calls upon God to judge him in his righteousness. David’s righteousness may have been based on adherence to Moses’ law. The righteousness of a New Testament believer is based upon who we are in Christ. 1 Cor. 1:30 tells us that God made Jesus to be our righteousness. When we pray “in Jesus’ name” we are praying as David for God to judge us according to our righteousness (not based on religious performance but upon the efficacy of the blood of Christ in our behalf).
David calls for the wickedness of the wicked to come to an end. It is a truth that love never fails (1 Cor. 13:8) but every other motive and action runs out of energy and is exhausted. If we simply keep walking in love we will always outlast our persecutors. The Roman Empire persecuted and brutally martyred thousands upon thousands of Christians for 3 centuries until it collapsed, exhausted at the foot of the cross. Likewise in our day we need not fret about the rising tide of persecution and hatred against our faith – in time as we continue to walk in love this too shall come to its end. This is true whether it be a personal trial and persecution against you by an individual or the hatred of the whole world against Christ. In the end our victory is assured.
13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors. 14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch [which] he made. 16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. 17 I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.
Verse 11 says that God is angry with the wicked every day but will judge in favor of the righteous. When we read this remember that our righteousness is not in our cause or our moral code but in Christ. In Christ we are sheltered from the wrath of God. Outside of Christ men are exposed to the consequences of their choices. Always remember that there is anger in God. His nature is mercy and He has provided us mercy in Christ but for those who by their choice consciously turn away from Christ there are consequences.
The chapter concludes with David’s prediction that the pit that others have prepared for him will be their own doom. When others plan for you what God has not planned or wish misfortune for you they are only delineating in their bitterness and hatred what will happen in their own lives. In order for God to be worshipped of our own free will He of necessity must allow for consequences for choosing otherwise. The reality of eternal punishment is a bitter truth that even the most conservative believers are questioning these days. But it is a fact that outside of Christ God is not winking at sin and deciding to overlook it. The only amelioration for sin is the accepting the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Outside that bloodline is only found the wrath and judgment of God whether we find it to be politically correct or not.