seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Psalm 56[a]For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.
1 Be merciful to me, my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;
all day long they press their attack.
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;
in their pride many are attacking me.
3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
5 All day long they twist my words;
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire, they lurk,
they watch my steps,
hoping to take my life.
7 Because of their wickedness do not[c] let them escape;
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.
8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll[d]—
are they not in your record?
9 Then my enemies will turn back
when I call for help.
By this I will know that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 I am under vows to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
a. Psalm 56:1 In Hebrew texts 56:1-13 is numbered 56:2-14.
b. Psalm 56:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
c. Psalm 56:7 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have do not.
d. Psalm 56:8 Or misery; / put my tears in your wineskin
This is from the easy English site.
Saul was trying to kill David. David was a servant of Saul. David ran away to Gath. Gath was the town where Goliath had lived. Gath was one of the Philistine towns. The Philistines were enemies of Saul and David and their people. To us it seems crazy for David to go to Gath. When he got there, David thought it was crazy too! So he pretended to be crazy. This was because in times past people did not kill anyone that was crazy. But David was afraid. He told God about it in this psalm. You will find the story in 1 Samuel 21:10 to 22:2.
The psalm is also a miktam. Bible students think that this means "hidden meaning" or "special teaching". It teaches us something. It teaches us what to do when bad people are everywhere. We must be *like David and pray to God.
This is from the enduringword.com site.You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle: In this period of David’s life, before coming to Adullam Cave (1 Samuel 22), he was completely alone. This made him value the sympathy and care of God all the more, and he found great comfort in the thought that God noted his misery.
“The reason for hope in God’s justice lies in his divine nature and promise to vindicate his children. For this purpose the psalmist adds a personal note about the extent of his suffering.” (VanGemeren)
“Put my tears into thy bottle;regard, and remember, and pity them.” (Poole) “His sorrows were so many that there would need a great wine–skin to hold them all.” (Spurgeon)
My tears into Your bottle: “Here is an allusion to a very ancient custom, which we know long obtained among the Greeks and Romans, of putting the tears which were shed for the death of any person into small phials, called lacrymatories or urnae lacrymales and offering them on the tomb of the deceased. Some of these were of glass, some of pottery, and some of agate, sardonyx, etc. A small one in my own collection is of hard baked clay.” (Clarke)
Spurgeon noted this practice and such ancient bottles, but believed that David made no allusion at all to this Roman practice.
There are two notions here that I think need to be unpacked.....
David acted crazy. People were afraid of crazy people. ....... Now somewhere along the line... my mother must have heard this preached.... my grandmother was a lay preacher [she would preach when the real preacher couldn't make it up in the holler when the river was swollen]... so she might have shared this story with my mother.... but my mother passed this on to me....
When in real danger.... it helps to "loose it"..... mom said... if a man starts to attack you... then act crazy.... like one of those ugly women in a "Popeye" cartoon.... who's feet go off the ground and their eyes pop out and they shout "A Man!". I guess this is one of those lessons that is common only to my mom.... but it worked!!!!
Some years ago.... I was living in Virginia Beach.... and I had to use the payphone down near the hotel pool to make a call. [This is back before cell phones could be held in one hand and affordable.] While on the phone a man approached.... and it wasn't the phone he wanted.... and mom's words came to me..... He said "well, hello there".... I said "Hello, I'll be off in a minute.... then you can use it".... he said "not the phone I'm interested in"..... and then I said it.... "Oh you want me.... Oh you want me! Oh my.... you want me~~~~~ oh my..... no man ever wanted me before.... oh my..... " and I kept getting louder and more excited and I flailed my arms for affect and pulled my own hair a little...and then I did the unspeakable.... I put both arms out like I was going in for the hug.... and took a step towards him... and that guy ran.... thanks mom...
And the second part that needs to be unpacked is the "your tears in my wineskin" statement. At first I thought this was a life saving tactic.... you know like rain from heaven falls into a brook and David scoops up the tears into his wineskin..... how heavenly is that picture? That might be worthy of a song right? BUT NO.... it's not about heavenly rain.... it's about the tears of mourning..
On that pretty note.....
