Relief, Safety, and Just Judgment

By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

Text: Psalm 56-58 

Psalm 57:9-10

I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;I will sing to You among the ^[d]nations.¹⁰ For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,And Your truth unto the clouds.

(NKJV)

Jesus told us in John 16:33 that we would experience trouble in this world, but with the promise, he overcame the world through his resurrection. David did not have the benefit of these words from Jesus, but in these psalms, he expresses his trust in God for relief, safety, and just judgment in the troubles of life. One can find encouragement in times of trouble in these psalms.

Psalm 56 begins with David asking God to be merciful to him, for man would swallow him up, fighting to oppress him and hound him all day (Psalm 56:1-2). However, when afraid, David says he will trust in God, praising his word, without fear of what flesh can do to him (Psalm 56:3-4). David’s enemies twist his words and have evil thoughts against him (Psalm 56:5). His enemies gather, marking his steps and lying in wait for his life, with David asking if they will escape by iniquity, asking God to cast them down in anger (Psalm 56:6-7). David knows the Lord numbers his wanderings, placing his tears in a bottle and writing them in His book (Psalm 56:8). When David cries out to God, his enemies turn back because God is with him (Psalm 56:9). David will praise the word of his God and Lord, placing his trust in the Lord without fear of what man can do to him (Psalm 56:10-11). The vows David has made to God are binding on him, with David rendering praises to God for God has delivered his soul from death, and kept his feet from falling, so he can walk before God in the light of the living (Psalm 56:12-13)

Psalm 57 also begins with David asking God to be merciful because his soul trusts in Him, with David finding refuge in the shadow of the Lord’s wings until his calamities have passed (Psalm 57:1). David cries out to God knowing God performs all things for him, and that He will send from heaven to save him from those who would swallow him up (Psalm 57:2-3). David’s enemies are like lions who are on fire with teeth like spears and arrows and tongues like a sharp sword (Psalm 57:4). David exalts God above the heavens, letting God’s glory be above all the earth. (Psalm 57:5). David’s enemies have prepared a net to trip him and dug a pit in front of him, so his soul is cast down, but his enemies have fallen into the pit they dug for him (Psalm 57:6). Despite these calamities, David’s heart remains steadfast with him singing and giving praise on the lute and harp, awaking the dawn (Psalm 57:7-8). God’s mercy reaches to the heavens with his truth in the clouds, so David praises the Lord among the people, singing among the nations in exaltation to God (Psalm 57:9-11).

Psalm 58 begins with David asking the silent ones if they speak righteousness, answering his question with a no because there is wickedness in their hearts and their hands weigh out violence (Psalm 58:1-2). The wicked are estranged from the womb and go astray at birth, speaking lies (Psalm 58:3). The poison of the wicked is like a serpent, with them like a deaf cobra that cannot hear the voice of the skillful charmer (Psalm 58:4-5). David asks the Lord to break the teeth of his enemies in their mouth and for his enemies to flow away like a river when they bend their bow and for their arrows to be as if cut in pieces (Psalm 58:6-7). He also asks that they melt away like a snail and be like a stillborn child that they may not see the sun (Psalm 58:8). David concludes by asking that his enemies be taken away like a whirlwind with the righteous rejoicing at the vengeance and washing their feet in the blood of the wicked (Psalm 58:9-10). Because of this, men will say there is a reward for the righteous and that it is God who judges the earth (Psalm 58:11).

David wrote these psalms during different times in his life, providing us with reason to praise God for relief, safety, and just judgment when we face difficulty.

• Relief (Psalm 56) – David wrote this psalm when the Philistines captured him in Gath (1 Samuel 21:10-15). The Philistines were not known for letting captives live, so it was a time when David feared for his life. He did escape by faking insanity and may have written this psalm, seeking relief from God during his captivity. Perhaps God planted the thought in David’s head to fake insanity for relief from the fear of captivity.

• Safety (Psalm 57) – David wrote this psalm when he hid in a cave to escape Saul (1 Samuel 24). While David is hiding, Saul comes in to relieve himself, allowing David to kill Saul, but David refuses to kill God’s anointed. It is possible that David wrote this psalm between his hiding in the cave and his encounter with Saul. In the Psalm, David finds safety in God and not the cave, which would prove unsafe when Saul came in.

• Just judgment (Psalm 58) – It is unclear what the circumstances were in David’s life when he wrote this psalm. It may be observations made by David due to the many trials he encountered during his life, because the psalm contrasts God’s judgment against the wicked with the rejoicing of the righteous at their demise. David finds comfort in the many circumstances of his life, knowing God judges in the earth and rewards the righteous (Psalm 58:10-11).

These psalms have relevance in the lives of believers today.

• Relief (Psalm 56) – Those not placing their trust in the Lord Jesus seek relief from troubles in life through created things of the earth (Romans 1:24-25). These created things may be drugs, alcohol, sexual pleasure, a career, or material possessions. While these created things may provide relief, it is temporary, with the trouble returning and worsening. This psalm reminds us to find relief in a relationship with God through Christ.

• Safety (Psalm 57) – In a dangerous world, many seek safety in created things of this world. An example of this is Pharaoh, who thought the might of his chariots and horses could bring back the Hebrew slaves, only to have the might of his army drowned in the Red Sea (Exodus 14). Goliath also depended on his size and sword, only to be brought down by a stone from David’s sling shot (1 Samuel 17:45-51). Like David, we must learn to depend upon God for safety in a dangerous world.

• Just judgment (Psalm 58) – Jesus foretold the chaotic events occurring in our world today, so He is not surprised (Matthew 24:3-14). However, trusting in the political and legal systems for just judgment is uncertain and will discourage us. Instead, judgment comes from the Lord who will rid the world of evil and make all things new (Revelation 20:11-21:8). Like David, we must have faith, trusting God that the wicked will be judged and the righteous rewarded.

If you are reading this and have never prayed to accept God’s gift of salvation and the complete forgiveness of sin, I encourage you to do so now.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9). I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

If you meant what you just prayed, know God has forgiven all your sins and that you now have a relationship with God and are a child of God (Romans 8:16). Like any relationship, it grows as we get to know each other. While God already knows all about us, we must study the Bible, the word of God, to learn more about Him. If you just prayed, I encourage you to find a Church that teaches the truth of the Bible so you can learn more about the Lord. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.