Psalms 56

Psalms 56THEME: David’s fear and trustThis psalm brings us to another delightful cluster of psalms (56-60) known as the michtam psalms. What does michtam mean? It speaks of that which is substantial, or enduring, or fixed. Michtam literally means “engraven” or “permanent.” This word pictures that which is unmoveable, steadfast, stable and enduring. In Psa_57:7 when David says, “My heart is fixed,” that is a michtam. Delitzsch called Psalms 56 “the cheerful courage of a fugitive.” You will recall that in Psalms 55 David wished that he had the wings of a dove so that he could fly away and lodge in the wilderness (Psa_55:6-7); in this psalm his desire is realized. The enemy is outside. However, David is in great danger; the wicked are on every side. But through it all God delivered him. The historical background of this psalm has to do with the Philistines capturing David at Gath. David’s experience is a picture of the Great Tribulation period. All of these psalms have a prophetic undertone. Between the historical (David’s experiences) and the prophetical (Israel’s experience in the future), is a real message for us today. All of the Psalms have a message for our own hearts. This psalm is inscribed “To the chief Musician upon Jonathelem-rechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.”

Psalms 56:1

Now let me give you Dr. Gaebelein’s translation of these verseshe was a Hebrew scholar. “Be gracious unto me, O God, for man would swallow me up; throughout the day fighting he oppresseth me. They are watching me and would swallow me up the whole day; for many are they that fight against me in pride” (The Book of Psalms, p. 232). David is surrounded by the enemy. He seems to be on a hot seat. What is he going to do in a bad spot like this?

Psalms 56:3

Was David afraid? He certainly was. A couple heard me make the statement that when I travel by plane I do not enjoy the trip because there is fear in my heart. They thought there was something wrong with my faith in God. My friend, fear will bring out faith in your life. Listen to David, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” These people who sit back comfortably and say, “I haven’t any fear,” may mean that they are insensitive to the circumstances and problems that really exist. Or they may have a foolish sort of faith. David admitted he was afraid, but he trusted the Lord to take care of him. Can you have fear and faith at the same time? The Scripture says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1Jn_4:18). Perfect love casts out fear. Love will do it. But you can have faith and still be afraid. I hope this will comfort some folks, because there are many foolish things being said which are not scriptural.

Psalms 56:8

“The Lord counts my wanderings.” The Lord knows about every trip you take and about every trip I take. I have thought about this many times while I have been studying the Psalms. Since I have been retired, I have gone from place to place for speaking engagements. Sometimes I ask my wife, “What did I speak about when we were in a certain place in Florida, or when we were in Texas, Washington, or the Hawaiian Islands?” I had forgotten, but the Lord has written all of that down. If I just had access to His book, it would be a great help. “My tears have been put into thy bottle.” A note in The New Scofield Bible concerning this subject says, “Sometimes, in olden days in the East, mourners would catch their tears in bottles (water skins) and place them at the tombs of their loved ones"to show how much they had grieved. Let me add to that something John Bunyan, the tinker of Bedford, said, “God preserves our tears in a bottle, so that He can wipe them away.” When I read that, I wished I had cried more. We need to weep more. Matthew Henry said, “The tears of God’s persecuted people are bottled up, and sealed among God’s treasures.”

Psalms 56:10

Someone wrote to me and said, “You make too much of the Bible. You are everlastingly talking about the Word of God.” That is what David did also. There are so few people who are praising His Word that I am going to try to make up for them.

Psalms 56:11

How wonderful it is to have a resource and a recourse to God.

Psalms 56:13

David said, especially after his great sin, “I want to walk before God so that I won’t slip up again.” As far as the record is concerned, he did not slip up again, either. The king of Babylon committed that kind of sin every day of the year; it was commonplace for him. But it was not the practice of David. He said, “I want to walk before God.” Today we are enjoined to walk in the Holy Spirit. “…Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Gal_5:16). God has given us more than a walking stick. He has given us the indwelling Holy Spirit.

To walk in the Spirit means to utterly and absolutely depend on the Spirit of God. This gets right down to where the rubber meets the road. As we will see in our study of Galatians, we are to get down from our highchairs and start walking. We learn to walk in the Spirit as we learned to walk physically, by trying it. Of course we will fail time and time again, but we are to get up, dust ourselves off, and start out again. You will learn to walk in the Spirit if you keep at it and commit yourself to Him every day.