I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings, from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me. They have closed up their fat hearts; with their mouths they speak proudly. Psalm 17: 6-10, NKJV.
Dear God, what a joy it is to call upon You and to know that You will not only hear, but answer, Your children. Please come very close and teach us Your will as we study Your Word. This we pray in the blessed name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
As we continue our study in Psalm 17, one theme rings clearly throughout the verses that we have looked at so far – the psalmist’s desire for God to listen to him, and hear what he is saying. Yesterday, the words he used to get God’s attention were: “Hear[.]” “attend to my cry; give ear[.]” There seems to be an urgency for God to listen to what he has to say. I believe that those who love and serve the LORD have that in common – especially in the time of trouble. According to the songwriter: “Where could I go, Where could I go? Seeking a refuge for my soul; Seeking a friend to help me in the end, Where could I go but to the LORD” (I could not find the name of the author)? We just want to tell the Lord what is bothering us, and know that He has heard our cry.
Yesterday, the burden of the psalmist was for God to vindicate him. Today, his plea is for God’s protection. Let us consider three ways in which David was asking for God’s protection:
“Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them.” I believe that it was significant, that David, in asking for God’s protection, specified the use of God’s right hand. Even in our day, the idea exists that the use of the right hand is good, while the use of the left hand is not (of course I do not agree with the thought). Apparently the idea exists, that favor is shown, by the use of the right hand.
The loving-kindness that David is here referring to, is favor that comes only from God. For who can save to the uttermost those who put their trust in Him, except our God? David knew this. As a young shepherd boy, he had had to snatch his sheep from the cruel paws of a bear, and the sharp teeth of a lion. He knew how it felt (1 Samuel 17: 34-36) to stand before an angry, glaring. giant and depend upon the Lord for deliverance (37), and be delivered (45-50)! So he knew that his God was “more than enough” to deliver him from “those who [rose] up against” him!
“Keep me as the apple of Your eye[.]” I am sure that you will agree with me when I say that there are few organs in our body that we take car of as zealously as we do the eye. David must have felt the fury of his enemies waiting to be unleashed against him. So he begs God to protect him as He would, His own eye. As highly figurative as is this endearment, it is even more significant! We refer to those people in our lives, who are dearly loved, as the apple of our eye. Our children, and grandchildren fall in that very special category. As children of God, we also fall in that category. Listen to this declaration: “For this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘ “After he has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye-” (Zechariah 2: 8)! David knew what to ask for when praying for God’s protection? Do we?
[H]ide me under the shadow of Your wings, from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me.” While weeping over Jerusalem, Jesus lamented, ” ‘ “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. . .” ‘ ” Perhaps you have heard the story of the old barn that burned to the ground. While the farmer was walking around surveying his loss, he saw this odd looking charred object. As he poked it softly with a stick, several baby chicks came running out from beneath their mother’s wings. She had covered them with her wings, and had died protecting them.
Isn’t that what Jesus did on Calvary’s cross for all humanity? He stretched His arms wide open on the cross and covered the human race – then He died – that “whosoever will,” may be saved! David knew God; so he knew how to pray openly, sincerely, holding nothing back. When we know God, as it is our privilege to know Him, we too, can, in total confidence, ask Him to attend unto our cry – and He will!
We will continue.