A Prayer Through Psalms: Chapter 3

Psalm 3

1 O Lord, how many are my foes!

   Many are rising against me;

2 many are saying of my soul,

   there is no salvation for him in God. Selah

3 But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,

   my glory, and the lifter of my head.

4 I cried aloud to the Lord,

   and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah

5 I lay down and slept;

   I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.

6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people

   who have set themselves against me all around.

7 Arise, O Lord!

   Save me, O my God!

For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;

   you break the teeth of the wicked.

8 Salvation belongs to the Lord;

   your blessing be on your people! Selah

This is a Psalm of David from when he was fleeing from his treacherous son, Absalom. This was written in a time of great despair and warfare for David, so be on the lookout for military-like imagery as we dissect this week's passage.

3:1- There are many enemies who are rising above the king and nation of the chosen people.

3:2- The enemies try to convince David that God is not going to protect him in this time of need

3:3- However, David remains steadfast in his faith even through the voices of doubt surrounding him. He uses the phrase "lifter of my head" which is a traditional expression of encouragement.

3:4- "The holy hill" refers to Zion which is the place God set aside for the Israelites to make sacrifices.

3:5- God has been faithful to David, allowing him to sleep in a war camp even though he is surrounded by enemies. This is a peace which can only be provided by God.

3:7- "Arise, O Lord!" This phrase is commonly used in wartime Psalms, calling on God to defeat the enemies of flesh and blood.

3:8- In the end, Salvation belongs to God and He will save who He saves. "Selah" is a Hebrew word used throughout the book of Psalms which doesn't have a known meaning aside from the fact that it is an exclamation of joy, so if you decide to sing this Psalm, go ahead and shout "Selah!" while you're at it.

My prayer for this Psalm is that even through the hard times in our lives, we will remember that God is faithful and He will deliver His people. In return I pray that we will be faithful to God, not so that we can expect God to be faithful in return, but in loving admiration of God's faithfulness to those who do not deserve it. Amen