Psalms 55:16

THE PRAYER CONTINUES

"As for me, I will call upon God; And Jehovah will save me.

Evening, and morning, and at noonday, will I complain and moan;

And he will hear my voice.

He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me;

For they were many that strove with me.

God will hear and answer them, even he that abideth of old. (Selah)

The men who have no changes,

And who fear not God."

The outstanding thing here is the confidence that David had of God's deliverance from the awful circumstances of the rampant rebellion.

"Jehovah will save me" (Psalms 55:16). Why was David so confident? The answer is simple enough: God specifically said to David, "Thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure forever before thee; thy throne shall be established forever" (2 Samuel 7:16). These words of God to David through the prophet Nathan were known throughout Israel, to Ahithophel and to Absalom particularly; and their conspiracy to dethrone David was an action directed squarely against the will of God. No wonder David expressed confidence of victory. As The Jewish Targum translated this place, "The word of the Lord shall redeem me."[17]

"Evening, and at morning, and at noonday" (Psalms 55:17). Every human being is obligated to honor God with his prayers at least three times a day, a custom which was scrupulously followed by Daniel (Daniel 6:10,13). Here is evidence that David also observed the same obligation. Christians also by offering prayers and thanksgiving at mealtimes three times a day have perpetuated the custom.

"They were many that strove with me" (Psalms 55:18). The rebellion was no small affair, as indicated in 2 Samuel 15:12; 17:11, and 18:7. "The conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom." Hushai even spoke of arousing the whole nation "From Dan to Beersheba" to fight against David; and in the final battle between David's army and that of Absalom, "The people of Israel were smitten before the servants of David; and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men ... and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured" (2 Samuel 18:6-8). Thus there were over forty thousand casualties, indicating that those enemies of David were indeed very numerous.

"Men who have no changes ... and who fear not God" (Psalms 55:19). Some have been critical of David for not praying for the conversion of his enemies instead of for their death (as in Psalms 55:15); and the answer is right here. There was no use to pray for their conversion. They were men who would not change (or repent); they were men who had no fear whatever of God, and who were willing to oppose themselves violently against God's will regarding the Davidic kingdom.

We find little sympathy for the `holier than thou' attitude of certain commentators who prattle endlessly about "forgiving ones enemies and praying for them"; but who seem not to be outraged at all by the violent behavior of wicked men. We should say this on behalf of David's prayer in Psalms 55:6, where he prayed, "Oh that I had the wings of a dove." He did not pray for the wings of an eagle so that he could fall upon his enemies from above, but for the wings of a dove that he might get away from it all.