Day 18

Psalm 7: Read here -https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%207&version=NASB

The NKJV translates “Shiggaion” as meditation, Cush, the Benjaminite was probably a partisan of Saul against David as recorded in 1Sam.24-26 when David was being hunted. The Psalm contains both David’s cry of anguish and confidence in God’s deliverance. 

When David was under attack from Cush all he could trust was God. Every other support was gone, but he needed no other support. This situation gave David an urgency in prayer. God sometimes allows difficult circumstances, so they will awaken this urgency in us. It will be well for us here to remember that this is a description of the danger to which the Psalmist was exposed from slanderous tongues. The wounds of a sword will heal, but the wounds of the tongue cut deeper than the flesh, and are not soon cured. David also knew what it was like to overcome a lion. The metaphor of the lion is common in the psalms attributed to David, the shepherd king, who had taken a lion by the ‘beard’. 

Vs3-5 is a plea of innocence before his accusers. Notice in v5 the parallelism where the word life(nephesh)and soul (nephesh)are used interchangeably in the English. They are the same thing. When God created Adam, he “breathed into his nostrils breath (ruach-spirit) and Adam BECAME a living soul.” (Gen 2:7). Soul in scripture refers to the complete person, not some ethereal non entity that floats around in space. E.g., there were 8 “souls” saved in the ark 1Pet 3:20.KJV. The NLT, NASB, etc translate the Greek word Psuche as persons. 

This psalm talks about God being the righteous judge (v6&11) – see my introduction #7 day 8. David’s appeals for personal vindication, also reveal a concern for universal justice. David’s declared this fundamental principle: God is a just judge. 

The wrath of God may be slow coming, but it is always sure. Vs14–17 give us the resolution of the matter; God will deal with the wicked. 

David ended this Psalm – which began in gloom – on a high note of praise. He could praise because he took his cause to God and in faith left it there.