“Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.” (Psalm 8:2)

God reveals His glory through the mouths of the small, like little children, and through Jesus Christ, who humbled Himself, He brings to completion the glory and honor He intended to give to humanity. Psalm 8 sings of God’s grace in thinking of and caring for human beings, so infinitely small before the vast universe, and the New Testament shows how these words are perfectly fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

The Praise of Children

When Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a young donkey, the people cried out, “Hosanna to the son of David!” This carries the meaning, “O King promised to David, save us!”

After Jesus entered the temple, the children also cried out, “Hosanna to the son of David!” When the chief priests and scribes heard this, they were indignant. Then Jesus said to them:

“Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Matthew 21:16)

Jesus quoted Psalm 8:2 directly. This shows that what God does, revealing His power and glory through the mouths of the lowly and small, was being fulfilled in Jesus.

John the Baptist also said to the Pharisees and Sadducees:

“And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” (Matthew 3:9)

God is able to raise up children of Abraham even from stones. So it is not strange that such a God should cause children’s lips to praise Jesus, who came as the Son of David. Rather, through this, God’s power was made all the more evident.

His Name Filling All the Earth

David begins the psalm like this:

“O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.” (Psalm 8:1)

David praises God as he looks upon God’s glory displayed across the earth and the heavens. In all that God has made, the Creator’s power and divine nature are revealed.

Scripture also says:

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead.” (Romans 1:20)

But God’s glory is not displayed only in creation. Through Jesus Christ, God revealed His love and salvation even more clearly. So David’s praise, “How excellent is thy name in all the earth!”, leads us to think of the glory and salvation of God revealed to the whole world through Jesus Christ.

What Is Man?

Looking up at the night sky, David asks a remarkable question.

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Psalm 8:3–4)

Before the vast heavens, the moon, and the stars, human beings seem infinitely small. Yet the God who made all of this thinks of and cares for that small human being.

God first made the heavens, the earth, the seas, and all living creatures, and then made humanity. Just as a mother prepares what her child will need before the child is born, God first prepared everything humans would need to live.

So David is amazed:

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him?”

But God’s care for humanity does not end there. Even though humans sinned and left God, He did not abandon them but sent His only Son into the world to save sinners.

The God who made the heavens, the moon, and the stars not only thought of humanity, which is like dust, but sent His Son to save sinful humanity. In this Son, God’s love for humanity is most clearly revealed.

The One Who Put All Things Under His Feet

David goes on to sing of the glory and honor God gave to humanity.

“For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” (Psalm 8:5–8)

This passage refers first of all to the position and mission God gave to humanity when He created them. God created male and female in His own image, blessed them, and said:

“Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)

God gave humanity glory and honor and let them rule the world He had made. But humanity sinned. Sin entered the world, and death entered through sin. As a result, humans could no longer fully enjoy the glory and honor God had given them.

But Jesus, though He was in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant and becoming like human beings. And He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to God to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God highly exalted Jesus, gave Him the name above every name, and crowned Him with glory and honor.

Hebrews applies the words of Psalm 8 to Jesus:

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour.” (Hebrews 2:9)

And Ephesians 1:22 says:

“And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.”

Glory Shared with Christ

But that glory does not end with Jesus. Jesus saves His people and lets them share in His glory. So Scripture says:

“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Romans 8:17)

Those who belong to Jesus become heirs together with Him and, by grace, share in the glory He has accomplished.

Back to Praise

So Psalm 8 ends with the very praise with which it began.

When we think of the God who considers humanity, so infinitely small before the vast universe; the God who did not abandon sinful humanity but sent His only Son; the God who crowned Jesus, who suffered death, with glory and honor and put all things under His feet; and the God who in Christ lets even us share in that glory, we cannot help but join David in praise.

The praise that rang out through the lips of children in the Jerusalem temple now continues on the lips of us who have been saved through Christ.

“O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9)

A Lamb Before a Lion (vv. 1–2)

“[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: Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.” (Psalm 7:1–2)

The precise meaning of Shiggaion is unknown. It is generally understood as “a song sung with sorrow, anger, and intense emotion,” or “a lament sung while wandering.” Nor do we know exactly who Cush the Benjamite was. From the title, however, we can see that David was facing trouble related to the words of Cush and that several people were pursuing him.

In this situation, David takes refuge in God and asks Him to save and deliver him from all who pursue him. He fears that if God does not rescue him, his enemies will tear him apart like a lion. David’s description of his pursuers as being “like a lion” shows how violent and threatening they were.

A lion was a very dangerous creature to David. When David was tending sheep, a lion or a bear once came and took a lamb from the flock. David went after it, struck it, and rescued the lamb from its mouth (1 Samuel 17:34–35). David knew well that if he did not rescue the little lamb, it would inevitably become the lion’s prey and be torn apart.

But now David himself was like a lamb standing before a lion. He feared that unless God delivered him, he too would be torn apart like a lamb by those who pursued him.

David’s Declaration of Innocence Before God and Jesus Christ (vv. 3–5)

David declared his innocence before God.

“O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:) 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.” (Psalm 7:3–5)

Even at the risk of his own life, David appealed to God concerning his innocence in this matter related to the words of Cush. He brought before God the injustice he was suffering as one who had been falsely accused and pursued.

Here we are reminded of Jesus, who suffered an injustice beyond comparison with David’s. There was no unrighteousness in Jesus; He was perfectly holy. Yet people falsely accused Him and treated Him as a criminal deserving death. On the night before His crucifixion, as Jesus spent His final hours with His disciples, He said:

“He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.” (John 15:23–25)

In this way, those who belong to evil hate and oppose the righteous without cause.

God, the Righteous Judge (vv. 6–10)

David asked God to rise as Judge and judge his case.

“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.” (Psalm 7:6)

David trusted God as the righteous Judge who judges all peoples, and therefore asked Him to judge his case.

“So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high. The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.” (Psalm 7:7–8)

David asked God to judge him according to his righteousness and the integrity that was in him. The word translated “integrity” is the Hebrew tom, meaning “wholeness, sincerity, and the absence of duplicity.” David was not claiming that he was entirely without sin; rather, he was asking God to judge his innocence in the particular matter he had brought before Him.

David then prayed that God, who knows the hearts of all people, would bring the wickedness of the wicked to an end and establish the righteous.

“Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.” (Psalm 7:9)

We can see the ultimate fulfillment of this in what God did concerning Jesus. Through the cross, Jesus crushed the serpent’s head, and God raised Jesus, whom men had put to death, thereby revealing Him to be righteous.

Therefore David confesses that God is his shield.

“My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.” (Psalm 7:10)

David does not merely say that God is his shield. He says that God is the One “who saves the upright in heart.” God’s righteous character and His act of saving the upright are themselves David’s shield. Therefore, even when his circumstances were uncertain, David could remain steadfast by relying on the unchanging character of God.

Yet the God who is a shield and saves the upright in heart is also the righteous Judge who judges evil.

Judgment That Calls for Repentance (vv. 11–13)

“God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.” (Psalm 7:11–13)

God does not look upon evil with indifference. Because God is righteous, He hates evil and is angry with it. Yet the words we should notice here are, “If he turn not.” God’s judgment is certainly prepared, but the wicked still have a way to turn back. God does not delight in the death of the wicked. In Ezekiel, God says:

“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11)

Therefore, the warning of God’s judgment also contains a call for the wicked to repent. If the wicked refuse to turn from their evil ways, they cannot escape God’s judgment, but God calls them to turn and live.

The same God is a shield to the upright in heart, but He is also the Judge of those who refuse to repent and continue in evil. Yet God does not delight in people’s destruction; He desires them to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).

David now describes what ultimately happens to the person who practices evil.

The Self-Destruction of the Wicked and the Victory of the Cross (vv. 14–17)

“Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.” (Psalm 7:14–16)

David describes the development and growth of evil through the imagery of conception and childbirth. The wicked person conceives iniquity, becomes pregnant with mischief, and finally gives birth to falsehood. Evil does not simply appear without a process; it is conceived and grows within the human heart until it finally manifests itself in action. This corresponds with the words of James:

“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:15)

Yet the pit that the wicked dig to bring down another eventually becomes the trap into which they themselves fall. The harm they devise returns upon their own heads, and the violence they intended for others falls upon themselves.

This is like Haman, who prepared the gallows for Mordecai but was eventually hanged on it himself (Esther 7:9–10). What he prepared for another person’s death ultimately brought about his own death.

This principle appears most dramatically at the cross. Satan moved people to deliver the sinless Jesus to death and may have thought that by killing Jesus he had won. Yet through that very cross, the power of sin and death was broken and the works of the devil were destroyed. At the very place where evil appeared to have triumphed, the power of evil was instead defeated.

Therefore, even in the midst of injustice, David could refrain from taking vengeance into his own hands and entrust his judgment to God. He believed that the righteous Judge was his shield and that the wickedness of the wicked would ultimately return upon their own heads.

Thus David ends this psalm, which began with his cry over injustice, by praising the righteousness of God.

“I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.” (Psalm 7:17)

“[To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David.] O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?” (Psalm 6:1–3)

David is in severe distress. From the text alone, we cannot tell precisely whether he had a physical illness. But it seems clear that he understood this suffering as connected to God’s discipline. So he asks that, even if he is to be disciplined, it not be in God’s anger and wrath.

When God is angry, there is no one whose soul and bones would not tremble in terror. The psalmist, seeing God’s judgment upon the wicked, said:

“My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.” (Psalm 119:120)

Those who do not receive Jesus Christ should tremble in great fear. On the day of God’s judgment, no mercy from God will be found, only a fierce fire that will consume the adversaries (Hebrews 10:27). God Himself says, “Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence?” (Jeremiah 5:22).

Deliver My Soul

Because David knew the terror of God’s wrath, he pleads that God would discipline him but not in His wrath. And he cries out to God to save him in his suffering.

“Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.” (Psalm 6:4)

David appeals solely to God’s mercy, because the only thing that one who fears discipline can hold on to is God’s compassion. Also, because once he is dead he can no longer remember or praise God on this earth, he pleads tearfully for his life.

“For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks? I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.” (Psalm 6:5–6)

The Loud Cries of Jesus

David shed tears night after night in the midst of his sin and suffering. Yet beyond those tears, we see reflected the figure of Jesus Christ, who wept over the sins of sinners and the judgment that would come upon them. Scripture says:

“Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared.” (Hebrews 5:7)

David prayed with tears to be delivered from death, but Jesus prayed with loud cries and tears in order to deliver sinners from death.

David wept and grieved so long that even his eyes grew weak.

“Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.” (Psalm 6:7)

This image of David calls to mind the words Jesus spoke to His disciples in Gethsemane:

“My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.” (Matthew 26:38)

The LORD Has Heard the Sound of My Weeping

David’s confession, so full of tears and groaning, suddenly changes.

“Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping. The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.” (Psalm 6:8–9)

The text does not say that David’s circumstances had already changed. Yet a remarkable change took place in him: he became assured that God had heard his weeping and his plea. As a result, David gained boldness.

This calls to mind Jesus Christ, who prayed with loud cries and tears before the cross. Scripture testifies that His prayer “was heard in that he feared” (Hebrews 5:7).

Having become confident that the God who hears his prayer is on his side, David now cries out boldly to his enemies:

“Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.”

This cry brings to mind the words Jesus will speak to evildoers on the day of judgment:

“I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:23)

They Shall Turn Back in Sudden Shame

David believed that those who opposed him would in the end turn back before God.

“Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.” (Psalm 6:10)

At first it was David’s bones and soul that trembled, but now all his enemies are put to shame and tremble. Also, the word “suddenly” shows that God’s judgment and answer come in an instant. David’s tears continued for a long time, but God’s answer comes abruptly.

When Jesus was hanging on the cross, His adversaries likewise thought they had won. People mocked Jesus, the disciples scattered, and finally Jesus died. But that was not the end. God raised Jesus from the dead. The cross, which people thought was a defeat, became instead God’s way of salvation, conquering sin and death. On the last day, every enemy will bow before Jesus.

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11)

“[To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David.] Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.” (Psalm 5:1–2)

In a world without justice, judgments are distorted, and many people suffer injustice that leaves them feeling wronged and deeply distressed. But God is righteous and shows no partiality. He does not favor the high or despise the low. He judges solely according to His righteous law.

Before such a God, David prays, “consider my meditation.” The word translated as “meditation” includes the thoughts and reflections of the heart, even the sighs that words cannot fully express. So David was asking God not only to hear his outward words but also to discern the very depths of his heart.

David could pray this way because he was entrusting his heart and circumstances, without concealment, to God’s judgment. People can judge only by outward appearance, but God knows even the heart. So rather than seeking human recognition of his righteousness, David went to the God who judges righteously and asked Him to examine his heart.

In the Morning You Will Hear My Voice

“My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” (Psalm 5:3)

David began his day by lifting his prayer to God in the morning. Unlike evening, morning is when the sun rises. When we connect this with Jesus, the Light, praying in the morning becomes all the more full of hope. Jesus said:

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13–14)

David believed that God would hear his prayer. That is why he says, “I will direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” The Hebrew word for “look up” here is va’atzappeh (וַאֲצַפֶּה), meaning “to look out, to keep watch, to wait expectantly.” David waited, watching to see how God would work in answer to his prayer.

Evil Cannot Dwell with You

“For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.” (Psalm 5:4–6)

Some people think that because God is love, He will permit everything. But that is not so. First Corinthians 13:6 clearly says, “Rejoiceth not in iniquity.” God’s love is not a love that tolerates sin and unrighteousness.

Because God is perfectly holy, He does not delight in wickedness. Therefore, evil cannot dwell with Him, and the arrogant cannot stand before His eyes. Scripture says, “Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee” (Jeremiah 2:19). Human evil begins fundamentally with forsaking God and not fearing Him.

Jesus said of the devil, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him … for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). Here we see that lying and murder are not unrelated. Human beings who have turned from God follow the lies of the devil, the father of lies, opposing God, deceiving others, and eventually going so far as to destroy life.

And those who follow lies eventually reject God’s truth. First John 2:22 says, “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?” Denying the Christ whom God has sent is one of the most fundamental lies.

Therefore, the statement that God hates evildoers, liars, the bloodthirsty, and deceivers does not contradict God’s love. Rather, it is precisely because God is truly holy and righteous that He hates evil.

But I, Through the Abundance of Your Mercy

“But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.” (Psalm 5:7–8)

Earlier, David said that evil cannot dwell with God and that the arrogant cannot stand before His eyes. How then could the sinful David approach God?

David did not say he could come to God because he was more righteous than others. Rather, he says, “But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy.” The basis on which David could approach God was not his own righteousness but God’s abundant mercy.

The word for “mercy” here is the Hebrew hesed (חֶסֶד). It carries the meanings of love, mercy, and faithfulness. David came not because he was qualified to stand before God, but relying on the abundant mercy of the God who has compassion on sinners.

David knew that he could receive forgiveness of sins through God’s abundant mercy. And how that forgiveness is accomplished is revealed even more clearly in Jesus Christ. Hebrews says:

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” (Hebrews 10:19)

God opened the way to Himself by cleansing not only David’s sins but all of ours with the blood of Jesus.

So between the words “neither shall evil dwell with thee” and “I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy” lies a wondrous truth of the gospel. A sinner cannot stand before the holy God by his own righteousness, but by God’s grace he can approach Him.

But David did not stop at approaching God through His mercy. He goes on to pray:

“Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.”

David did not rely on his own judgment or his own way but sought God’s righteous guidance, because he knew that he himself was a weak person who could easily incline toward evil and falsehood.

In this way, without God’s guidance, anyone can go astray, following their own thoughts and desires. Therefore, seeking God’s guidance is a natural prayer for one who knows his own weakness.

Cast Them Out

“For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue. Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.” (Psalm 5:9–10)

The apostle Paul quoted this passage in Romans 3, where he declared that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin:

“Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit.” (Romans 3:13)

So we see that this passage applies not only to evildoers but to all people. The sin seen in David’s enemies, though differing in degree, reveals the sinful nature that exists in every human being.

Yet David prays, “Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions.” David prayed this because “they have rebelled against thee.”

To rebel here strongly means “to stand against God’s authority and reject His rule.” Ultimately, we see that rebellion against God lies at the center of every person’s heart. That is why every person is by nature deserving of condemnation and ought to be cast out from before God.

But Let All Those That Put Their Trust in You Rejoice

“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:11–12)

All people are under sin, and in their hearts is a sinful nature that wants to rebel against God. Where then is the way for a sinner who deserves destruction to live?

It lies not in proving one’s own righteousness but in taking refuge in God. In Scripture, taking refuge in God does not mean merely hiding from danger. It means recognizing that there is no way of salvation in oneself, making God one’s refuge, and relying on His mercy and protection. Scripture says:

“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” (Psalm 103:8)

For sinful people, these words are like rain after a drought. Jesus also said:

“Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37)

To us, who could not escape God’s wrath because of our sins, Jesus was the way to life. That is why Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

All who take refuge in the LORD can rejoice because those who take refuge in Him are never cast out. Moreover, because of His protection, they shout for joy forever, love His name, and rejoice in Him. This is because the LORD “wilt bless the righteous” and “with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.”

The Way to Stand Before the Holy God

Psalm 5 shows how a sinner can stand before the holy God. Evil cannot dwell with God, and sinners who have rebelled against Him deserve to be cast out from His presence. But for those who recognize their sin and take refuge in Him, relying on His abundant mercy, a way of life is open. God does not cast such people out but surrounds them with favor like a shield. The one who is our refuge is none other than Jesus Christ.

“[To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David.] Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.” (Psalm 4:1–2)

David was being insulted and slandered by people. But before trying to prove his righteousness to them, David first went to God.

“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness.”

David entrusted the final judgment of whether he was right or wrong not to people but to God. And he remembered how God had helped him in the past. The confession “thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress” carries the sense that God had opened up a wide space for him in a narrow, confined place. David remembered the God who had opened a way when no way was visible, and he sought His mercy once again.

David’s Adversaries: The Condition of Humanity Apart from God

Those who opposed David turned his glory into shame, loved vain things, and pursued lies. People who have turned away from God display the same characteristics.

Just as the Israelites, seeing that Moses was slow to come down from Mount Sinai, made a golden calf and called it the god who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, those who turn from God exchange the glory of the incorruptible God for images of corruptible man, birds, animals, and creeping things (Romans 1:23).

Moreover, because they love money, fame, power, and pleasure more than God, they forsake God, the fountain of living water, and dig broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Not only that, but just as Adam and Eve followed the serpent’s lie, “Ye shall not surely die,” rather than God’s word, “thou shalt surely die,” they love falsehood more than truth.

As a result, Romans 1:28 says:

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.”

God Has Chosen the Godly

Though God gave those who do evil over to their reprobate minds, He did not abandon them to the point of destruction. Just as God chose David and established him as king for the people of Israel, He established Jesus as the Savior of all people.

“But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.” (Psalm 4:3–4)

The word “godly” here is the Hebrew hasid (חָסִיד), which refers first of all to David, whom God had set apart for Himself. But David, chosen by God and established as king, foreshadows Jesus Christ, the true King whom God would establish.

Tremble, and Do Not Sin

David, chosen by God, warns those who oppose him: “Stand in awe, and sin not.” He tells them not to recklessly oppose the one whom God has established, but to fear God and turn from sin.

This warning is even more solemn when it comes to Christ. To oppose Jesus, whom God in His mercy toward humanity has established as Savior, is to despise and disregard the God who has shown mercy to us.

So David tells them not to act on their intense emotions, but to examine their hearts on their beds at night and be still before God.

Offer the Sacrifices of Righteousness

“Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.” (Psalm 4:5)

David tells those who opposed him to turn from sin, offer sacrifices pleasing to God, and trust in the LORD. The “sacrifices of righteousness” here do not simply mean observing the outward form of sacrifice. They refer to proper sacrifices offered with a heart that believes in God and obeys His will.

Samuel also said to King Saul:

“Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22)

What God desires is not only the form of sacrifice but a heart that believes in Him and obeys His Word. Just as those who opposed David, whom God had established, needed to turn to God and trust in Him, we too must believe in Jesus Christ, whom God has established as Savior, and obey His Word.

Lift Up the Light of Your Countenance upon Us

“There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:6–8)

To those who say, “Who will bring us something good?”, David says to God, “LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.” David knew better than anyone that when God shows grace, our hearts are filled with a joy the world cannot give. Moreover, he knew that even his ability to lie down and sleep in peace came from God, who made him dwell in safety.

So David urges people not to chase only the good things the world offers, but to seek the face of God, the source of all true joy and peace.

“[A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.] LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.” (Psalm 3:1–2)

David committed a great sin before the LORD by taking Bathsheba and causing her husband Uriah to be killed in battle. Afterward, his son Absalom rebelled, drove his father out, and tried to make himself king. When the hearts of Israel turned to Absalom, David left the palace and set out on a journey of flight, not knowing where he would go.

At that time, many people said of David:

“There is no help for him in God.”

David’s suffering certainly had an aspect of discipline for his own sin. He was rebuked for his sin through the prophet Nathan, and as a result of that sin, great suffering came upon his household and his kingdom. But this event is also a foreshadowing that points us to Jesus Christ, who would come and suffer.

David suffered because of his own sin, but Jesus suffered in our place for our sins. When Jesus was nailed to the cross, people mocked Him as though He had been forsaken by God. Not only passersby but also the chief priests, scribes, and elders insulted Jesus, and even the thieves crucified with Him reviled Him.

“He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.” (Matthew 27:43)

These words are strikingly similar to what people said about David: “There is no help for him in God.”

The devil whispers the same things to us today.

“You will receive no help from God.”

“God has abandoned you.”

“You have no hope left.”

What the devil wants to take from us is not merely peace or joy. What he seeks to take away is our very hope in God.

“But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.” (Psalm 3:3–4)

When David left Jerusalem, driven out by Absalom, he went up the Mount of Olives weeping, barefoot, with his head covered. David, who had been king of a nation, was now driven from his palace and experiencing shame and humiliation so deep that he could not even lift his head.

Yet even in such circumstances, David confessed that God was “the lifter up of mine head.” It was a confession he could never have made by looking only at his circumstances. David could make this confession because of the promise God had given him:

“But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (2 Samuel 7:15–16)

Although David was receiving God’s discipline for his sin, he believed that God had not nullified the covenant He had given him. Though he was now fleeing in tears with his head covered, he trusted that God would lift up his head again in due time. And in the end, after much suffering, David returned to Jerusalem and recovered his kingship.

In this event, we find a remarkable foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, who was to come.

Just as David went up the Mount of Olives weeping, Jesus, who came as David’s descendant, prayed in deep anguish at Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives before the cross. So great was His agony that Scripture says:

“And his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:44)

But Jesus experienced a far deeper humiliation than David. David suffered because of his own sin, but Jesus, who was without sin, suffered to bear our sins. He was despised and rejected by people, and finally He died on the cross and descended even into the grave. Jesus descended to the lowest place.

But God did not leave Jesus in that lowly place. He raised Him from the dead and exalted Him to the highest place. God lifted up the head of Christ.

Philippians 2:8–9 says:

“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.”

And amazingly, God lifted up not only the head of Christ but also the heads of those of us who are in Christ.

Because of our sins, we were people who could not lift our heads before the holy God. But when Jesus was raised from the dead, God also made us who are united with Jesus alive together with Him and raised us up with Him.

“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6)

So David’s confession, “the lifter up of mine head,” becomes a precious confession for us as well. God has forgiven us in Christ and raised us up, we who could not lift our heads because of sin.

“I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.” (Psalm 3:5–6)

David could remain unafraid even when tens of thousands encamped around him because he knew that God had answered his cry. Earlier, David had confessed:

“I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill.” (Psalm 3:4)

The holy hill refers to holy Zion, where God’s presence and kingship were revealed. There God established David as king and placed the ark of the covenant, revealing His presence and rule. The presence of God manifested in Zion and the kingship of David were a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, who was to come.

David was a sinner who had committed a great sin, yet he cried out to God. He could cry out to God despite his sin because he believed in the Christ who was to come. David knew the gospel that a person is justified not by his own works but by the grace of God, who forgives sins. That is why he confessed in another psalm:

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity.” (Psalm 32:1–2; Romans 4:7–8)

God heard David’s cry from the holy hill and answered him. That David, though a sinner, could receive God’s answer was not because of his own righteousness but because of the atonement Jesus Christ would accomplish on the cross.

So the answer that came to David from the holy hill was a gracious confirmation that he had not been forsaken by God. And through the fact that he lay down to sleep and woke again, David realized that God was still sustaining him.

Because we woke up yesterday and woke up today, we assume that we will naturally open our eyes tomorrow morning too. But waking again tomorrow is not guaranteed to us either. It is because God sustains our lives and shows us grace that we can fall asleep and open our eyes again.

Because David had committed a great sin, he would have had nothing to say even if God had put him to death. Moreover, before him were countless enemies seeking to kill him. Yet the night passed, and he opened his eyes again. The fact that he was still alive was evidence of grace, proof that God had not abandoned him but was still sustaining him.

Because he believed that the God who sustained him last night would sustain him today as well, David could confess:

“I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.”

“Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” (Psalm 3:7–8)

Scripture says that there is a time for everything under heaven and a season for every purpose.

“A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up.” (Ecclesiastes 3:2–3)

God does not remain silent forever; there is a time when He rises. When God rose for judgment, the world of Noah’s day was covered with water, and the voices that opposed God vanished. Sodom and Gomorrah were likewise judged by God and destroyed with fire and brimstone.

David did not try to save himself by his own strength, because he knew that his salvation belonged to the LORD. So he pleaded with the LORD:

“Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God.”

And he confessed that God had struck all his enemies on the cheek and broken the teeth of the wicked.

When the people of Israel suffered in slavery in Egypt, they too cried out to God. God heard their cry and sent Moses to deliver them from Egypt. God does not turn away from those who cry out to Him.

Yet David’s prayer does not end with his own deliverance. Even when many had betrayed him and followed Absalom, he prayed for God’s people:

“Thy blessing is upon thy people.”

In David’s prayer, we see the heart of Jesus. Jesus also said:

“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)

And on the cross, He prayed for those who were nailing Him there:

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

The heart of Jesus, who sought forgiveness and grace even for those who opposed Him, was already reflected in David’s prayer asking God to bestow His blessing upon His people.

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” (Psalm 2:1–3)

When Jesus came to this earth, many people hated and opposed Him because they loved darkness more than light. In darkness, filth remains hidden, but before Jesus, the “true Light” (John 1:9), every sin and unrighteousness is exposed. That is why Jesus said:

“For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” (John 3:20)

But the exposure of sin in the light is never intended to bring destruction. Like the woman caught in adultery, those whose sins are exposed may instead receive His grace and be freed from the condemnation and bondage of sin to enjoy true freedom. Jesus also said:

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

As these words tell us, Jesus did not come to bind us, but to release us from the bondage of sin and give us true life and freedom.

Even so, those who love sin do not want Jesus to rule over them because they want to live as they please. To such people, Jesus appears not as a Savior but as one who binds and restrains them. That is why they say, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”

The Pharisees and scribes were the same. They loved themselves more than God. They refused to acknowledge their sins and come into the light. Instead, they opposed Jesus and tried to eliminate Him in order to protect the positions they enjoyed.

“He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” (Psalm 2:4–6)

Because God is exceedingly great and exalted, it is only right that people revere Him. Yet people unite together to oppose Him. This vividly shows how lightly human beings, who are His creatures, regard the God who made them and how they disregard His authority.

But God knows that all their schemes are futile, so He laughs at them. No matter how united people may be in opposing God, their rebellion cannot overturn His will. People rejected Jesus and finally nailed Him to the cross, but even that could not thwart God’s will to establish Jesus as King.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter proclaimed to the Jews gathered in Jerusalem:

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36)

People thought they had eliminated Jesus by nailing Him to the cross, but God raised Him from the dead and exalted Him as Lord and Christ. Human opposition became the very means through which God’s will was fulfilled.

The words “He that sitteth in the heavens” are also significant. Human beings are on earth, while God is in heaven. This speaks not merely of a difference in location but of God’s absolute sovereignty and transcendence. Human beings can defy and oppose God’s will, but they cannot thwart or alter it. God does not change His purposes because of human rebellion; He accomplishes all things according to His own good pleasure and plan.

“I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” (Psalm 2:7–9)

God has established Jesus as King, and now Jesus proclaims what God has said to Him.

God said to Jesus, “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” This does not mean that Jesus became God’s Son for the first time at that moment. Jesus has been the Son of God from all eternity. The apostle Paul connected this passage to Jesus’ resurrection, saying:

“God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.” (Acts 13:33)

In Romans 1:4, Paul also said that Jesus was:

“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

Therefore, the words “this day have I begotten thee” do not mean that Jesus became God’s Son for the first time on that day. Rather, they can be understood to mean that through His resurrection from the dead, it was revealed and declared with power that He is the Son of God and the Messiah King whom God has established.

God also said to Jesus, “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” God promised to give Jesus not only the people of Israel but all nations as His inheritance and to extend His rule to the ends of the earth. Therefore, Jesus is not the King of one nation alone but the King who reigns over all nations and the whole world.

Furthermore, by saying, “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel,” God gave Jesus authority to rule and to judge. Just as a clay pot cannot withstand an iron rod, no worldly power, however strong, can continue to oppose the King whom God has established and ultimately prevail.

Therefore, Jesus is not only the Savior who came to save sinners but also the King who rules all nations and judges those who persist in rejecting and opposing His reign to the very end.

“Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” (Psalm 2:10–12)

This passage, which begins with “now therefore,” is the conclusion of the preceding verses. Proverbs 1:7 says:

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

There is no greater folly than opposing God and the King He has established. Now God urges people to turn from the folly of opposing Him and His Christ, to gain wisdom, and to receive His instruction. Since God has already established Jesus as King, He tells them to stop opposing Him, turn back, and submit to that King.

God also says, “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” To fear God does not mean to be afraid of Him and run far away. It means to acknowledge His greatness and exaltation and to come under His rule. God wants us to enjoy true joy under His rule as we revere and serve Him.

God also says, “Kiss the Son.” To kiss a king is an act expressing respect, loyalty, and submission to him. Therefore, this command can be understood as a call to accept Jesus, whom God has established, as our King and to submit to Him.

If a person does not repent and continues to reject and oppose Jesus, that person cannot escape God’s judgment. Human beings may reject the King whom God has established, but they cannot overthrow His authority.

But for those who fear God’s wrath, turn from their rebellion, and take refuge in God, a wonderful promise is given:

“Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

The Hebrew word used here for “blessed” is Ashrei, the same word used in “Blessed is the man” in Psalm 1. Psalm 1 begins with the words “Blessed is the man,” and Psalm 2 ends with the words “Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”

Thus, we can see that Psalms 1 and 2 are connected to each other. The truly blessed person is not one who leaves God and goes his own way but one who takes refuge in God; not one who opposes the King whom God has established but one who accepts Christ as his King. Such a person abides in God’s Word and, like a tree planted by streams of water, receives life from God and enjoys the true blessing that God gives.

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” (Psalm 1:1–2)

Psalm 1 begins with the Hebrew expression Ashrei Ha-Ish, an exclamation meaning, “Blessed is the man!” The verses that follow describe what kind of person is truly blessed. When we read this description, we may feel far from being a blessed person, because we have not lived that way. But that is not so, because we are in Jesus.

Jesus is the only one who has never followed the counsel of the wicked, stood in the way of sinners, or sat in the seat of mockers, and who delighted in the law of the LORD and meditated on it day and night. Therefore, Jesus has the wisdom and power to lead us, who are in Him, into the place of the blessed.

Jesus enables us to meditate on God’s Word every day so that we may come to understand God’s love revealed in that Word. When we come to know that love, we humble our hearts and walk humbly with God. Because this Jesus is with us, we are blessed people.

“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3)

It is only natural that a tree planted by a stream bears fruit in season and its leaves do not wither. The tree is planted by a stream where it receives a constant supply of water.

But there is a word here that deserves our attention: “planted.” The Hebrew word for “planted” is shatul, which means “planted” or “transplanted.” It means that the seed did not simply fall by chance and grow on its own, but was carefully transplanted by someone’s intention and hand.

Colossians 1:13 says:

“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”

Our being in Jesus is not the result of our own strength. It is because God Himself has transplanted us into Jesus. It is like a tree in dry ground being moved to the banks of a stream abundant with water.

In Jesus there is an abundance of the Word, enough to saturate our souls. Even when trials and hardships come, we are able to overcome them because God supplies us with His Word every day.

Psalm 92:12–13 paints the same picture:

“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.”

This is true prosperity.

“The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” (Psalm 1:4–5)

If the righteous are compared to a tree planted by a stream, the wicked are compared to chaff blown by the wind. The roots of the hearts of the righteous are connected to the Word of God, but the wicked have no such roots. So when the wind blows, there is no Word to hold them steady, and they have no choice but to be blown about wherever the wind takes them.

When grain is threshed and then winnowed, or tossed into the air, the heavy kernels fall down while the light chaff is carried off by the wind. John the Baptist used this image of the threshing floor to speak of Jesus:

“Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:12)

In this world right now, the righteous and the wicked live side by side. But just as the wind separates grain from chaff in winnowing, on the day of God’s judgment the righteous and the wicked will be separated forever. At times the wicked appear to prosper and stand firm, but their end is not like that. This is why Asaph, who had envied the prosperity of the wicked, entered the sanctuary of God, understood their end, and said:

“Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.” (Psalm 73:17–19)

“For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” (Psalm 1:6)

Each person walks the path they have chosen, but before God there are ultimately only two paths: the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked.

God approves of the way of the righteous. The Hebrew word here, yada, originally means “to know.” That God knows the way of the righteous does not simply mean that He has information about that path. It means He knows our circumstances, our hearts, and even our weaknesses through and through. So the phrase “the LORD knows” carries the meaning that He knows, watches over, and cares for the way of the righteous.

The path the righteous walk is sometimes narrow and hard, difficult to travel. So it is a path on which we must seek and rely on God, and where His presence and help are absolutely necessary. The way of the wicked, on the other hand, is the wide, easy, comfortable road that many people take. Because it is self-centered, those on it do what is right in their own eyes rather than seeking God’s will.

Yet the ends of the two paths are vastly different. The way of the righteous leads to life, and the way of the wicked leads to destruction. So even when the righteous face present hardships, their path holds a future and a hope, while the way of the wicked, even if it offers a fleeting joy, has no hope.