seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Psalm 57[a]For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam. (b) When he had fled from Saul into the cave.
1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.
for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who vindicates me.
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me—[c]
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.
to God, who vindicates me.
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me—[c]
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.
4 I am in the midst of lions;
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
let your glory be over all the earth.
6 They spread a net for my feet—
I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.
I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.
7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
let your glory be over all the earth.
a. Psalm 57:1 In Hebrew texts 57:1-11 is numbered 57:2-12.
b. Psalm 57:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
c. Psalm 57:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.
Ok.... David was in a cave twice.... the first time he was hiding... that's when he got the bread from the priests and then Saul [the pretty boy king from a good family] had Doeg the Edomite kill all the priests for helping David.
The second time he was hiding and Saul actually came into the same cave to "relieve himself".... that doesn't mean "just sit and rest" it means number one or number two.... that's when David clipped off a piece of Saul's robe and then showed it to him.... proving he didn't want to kill Saul... even though Saul wanted him dead.
According to the easy English site..... this poem was written about or during one of those experiences.
Saul was king of Israel. David was one of his servants. David’s job was to make music when Saul was sad. This happened often. People liked David very much. Saul did not like this. He tried to kill David. David ran away. He hid in a cave. Saul did not find him. Bible students think that David wrote Psalm 57 at this time. They also think that he wrote it so that people could sing it to music that they called "Do not destroy". Psalm 57 is a miktam. This means that it had a hidden meaning, or had special teaching in it. There are two stories in the Bible about David hiding in a cave. One is in 1 Samuel 22, the other in 1 Samuel 24. We do not know which one this psalm is about.
The psalm is in two parts: verses 1-5 and verses 6-11. Both end with the words "God, lift yourself above the skies. Lift your glory above all the earth" (verses 5 and 11). God is already above the skies, in his home in heaven. These two verses mean "God, show everyone that you are Lord of everything".
Verses 1 – 5: Here David is asking God for help. He asks God to be gracious, or to "have mercy". He wants God to be kind to him and save him from Saul. In verse 1 he says that he will hide under the shadow of God’s wings. This is like a mother bird hiding her babies under her wings. She hides them from danger. This is a picture of God hiding David from danger. In verse 2 "his plan for me" means "all the things that God wants to happen to me". In verse 3 heaven is where God lives. His word is what he wants to happen. His truth is everything that he says. In verse 4 David sees Saul and all his other enemies as wild animals: they want to eat him like a lion eats smaller animals. "Their tongues are like swords" probably means the unkind things that they say. They hurt David.
Verses 6 – 11: Here David is thanking God because God saved him. Saul did not find David in the cave! In verse 8 David tells his harp and his lyre to wake up. This means that he has not made music on them. They have been quiet, or "asleep"! Now he wants them to make music to praise God. He will start so early in the morning that he will "wake up the dawn".
When sun was just peaking out from behind the Superstition Mountains, it's seems to be just as brilliant as the sun during an eclipse. It can actually hurt to look at it.... that's how bright it appears.... it's almost like all the sunshine is trying to squeeze through that spot.... it's magnificent..... that's what verses 6-11 remind me off.... wake up..... it's miraculous.