Not every home is a happy home and every Christian home does not produce faithful Christian children. With that thought in mind, we turn to Psalm 3…
The inscription of Psalm 3 tells us that this psalm was written when David was fleeing from his own son Absalom. That is a very long story told in 2 Samuel 13-18. Absalom’s anger at David begins, perhaps, when Absalom’s sister, Tamar, is raped by their half-brother Amnon and David does not handle it the way Absalom believes he should. That whole story is a theme for a different sermon. But Psalm 3 apparently was written when David was fleeing from Absalom who wanted to kill him and take over his father’s throne.
In the stressful atmosphere of Absalom trying to kill his father, David writes this psalm and through it, he reminds himself and you and me that God is our “shield and glory.”
LIFE IS FULL OF STRESS – 3:1-2:
As king, David was surrounded by non-Jewish enemies, especially the Philistines, the Amalekites and others. Beyond his own son, David was having to defend the nation of Israel from pagan enemies.
My guess, though, is that the awful relationship David had with Absalom was what weighed on his heart the most. When you have an unfaithful child, you might blame yourself. “What could I have done differently? What did I do wrong?” You may even think about specific events in your family life that you now wonder if you should have handled it differently. Especially if your child turns his/her back on God.
Life is full of stress. Where do you go to find peace of mind?
WHAT GOD DOES FOR US – 3:3-6:
- Who God is (vs 3): We all know that you cannot draw a picture of God. But if you were to draw something that could symbolize God, what would it be?
David says that God is a shield about him. The word “shield” is used 20 times in the book of psalms. It was clearly one of David’s favorite metaphors for God and it is no surprise since David was a military man and the shield was a key defensive weapon in those days.
Not only does David say God is his shield, but he also calls God his “glory.” This is a figure of speech where you put the Giver for the gift. The gift is glory and God is the one who gives it. In other words, “glory” here refers to God’s approval of David. There are some 50 references to the glory of God in the psalms. It is especially associated with God’s presence.
Finally, David refers to God as “the one who lifts my head.” Here again, we have pictured the idea of acceptance, relationship. There is an old wives’ tale that snakes can stare into the eyes of its prey and hypnotize the prey with fear. There is no biological truth to that. But, sometimes we can stare into the eyes of our enemies and be paralyzed with fear. Here, David suggests that we look into God’s eyes when we get afraid and He will give us deliverance.
- What God does for us:
- He answers our prayers (vs 4).
- He sustains us (vs 5).
- He gives us peace of mind (vs 6).
THE CALL FOR FURTHER HELP – 3:7:
In this one verse, we have a couple of commands addressed to God, requests for aid. When you feel the stress of life, remind yourself of what God did for you in the past and that God is still faithful and He still surrounds you with His shield and He will be with you in the future.
A DOXOLOGY – 3:8:
A “doxology” is a word of praise. Here, David recognizes that salvation comes from the God of heaven. David also acknowledges that he needs (and we need) God’s blessings.
When you feel the stress of life weighing on you, be reminded that God is your shield and He will glorify you if you stay faithful to Him.
Paul Holland