Psalm 54 is a psalm penned by David in a time of distress – according to the psalm’s introduction it was penned “when the Ziphites went and told Saul, ‘Is not David hiding among us?’” There are actually two different stories in 1 Samuel in which the Ziphites tell Saul that David is hiding among them: the first in 1 Sam. 23:15-29 and the second in 1 Samuel 26:1-25. In both instances, David is hiding from Saul and is betrayed by the Ziphites. However, in both instances, David is delivered by God’s grace, and his life is spared. In reading through such stories in the Bible, it is easy for us to jump directly from the problem to the resolution without considering the emotions and reactions involved. It is easy for us to read 1 Samuel 23:15-29 and marvel at God’s sovereignty in pulling Saul away from chasing David at the precise moment when he was about to discover him. But we would probably rarely step back and consider David’s emotions and feelings in such a moment – were it not for psalms like Psalm 54.
Understanding the setting of the psalm, some of us might be tempted to immediately assume that the psalm has no relevance for us because there is no one seeking to kill us. Though it may be true that our immediate lives are not in danger, we should see the point of the psalm as being much broader than that. This is a psalm about how to respond in moments of distress. David’s response in this psalm demonstrates for us the way we should respond in times of hardship and struggle. And, if we are Christians, such times will come. Jesus told his disciples, “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). Paul told Timothy, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). Times of persecution and suffering are sure, and we need to know how to respond in such times. This psalm gives us that sort of instruction.
So as we come to this psalm, we know that it was penned in a time when David was in deep distress. Saul was pursuing him to kill him, and it seemed that Saul was going to finally capture him. In the psalm, David gives us a picture of the way we should respond in difficult times. He also points us forward to the ultimate king who gave His life before triumphing over His enemies.
David calls out to God for Help (1-3).
As we walk through the psalm, we see the flow of David’s thought very clearly. He begins by crying out to the Lord to rescue him in this time of distress. He writes, “O God, save me, by your name, and vindicate me by your might. O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth” (54:1-2). Here David is simply crying out for deliverance and salvation. We have looked briefly at the situation in which this psalm was written but David describes it again in verse 3: “For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves” (54:3). This helps us understand even more clearly: David is seeking deliverance from certain wicked people who are trying to take his life. In light of this danger, he has directed his cry to God in hopes that God might hear and deliver him. Moreover, David is crying out for the Lord to act justly by vindicating him (as the innocent party) and judging those who are pursuing him (the wicked). This is not a scenario in which David has wronged someone and is fleeing justice but rather a scenario in which an “innocent” man is being pursued unjustly. In light of this scenario, David is calling out for help.
David provides reasons for his confidence in God (4-5).
But what would cause David to cry out to God? What is it that he believes about God that would give him confidence in turning to the Lord? David answers these questions in the next verses. First, he writes, “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life” (54:4). Here we see a confident assertion by David about God’s character: he is sure that God is on his side and will help him. We must remember that David is not naïve about God. He does not assume that God is on everyone’s side as we will see more clearly in a moment. David is fully aware that God is a righteous judge, but he is also aware that he submits to God and seeks to follow Him. David is fully aware that he is part of the people of God, and he is also fully aware that God works for the good of His people. David is confident that God is able to save him, and He is confident that God is willing to save him. He also makes clear his confidence that God alone can save him as he declares that “the Lord is the upholder of [his] life.” As David is surrounded by people who are trying to kill him, he never forgets that ultimately his life is in the hands of the Lord. If God desires his life to be spared, it will be spared. This is the first reason David cries out to the Lord: he knows that only the Lord can save him and he is confident that the Lord will do it.
David goes on to provide another reason for his confidence: “He [God] will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them” (54:5). Alongside David’s recognition that God will care for him is his recognition that God will punish his evil enemies. As we saw, David is certain that God cares for his people, and David is equally certain that God will punish those who do evil. David is confident regarding God’s love (expressed in care for His people) as well as God’s holiness (expressed in his judgment on those who oppose him or his people). Since he has already made clear that the people seeking his life are ruthless men who reject God, David is confident in crying out to the Lord for deliverance.
In these two verses together, David is making clear that his reason for calling out to God for help is because he knows the character of God. More specifically, his actions are dictated by his beliefs. Because he knows that God cares for His people, is able to protect His people and will punish evildoers, David calls to God for help in his time of need.
David promises to thank God appropriately after he is delivered (6-7).
Having called out to God and given some reasons why he has confidence in this God, David goes on to declare that he will offer thanks to God when he is delivered. He writes, “With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name. For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies” (54:6-7). In closing this psalm, we see David exuding supreme faith in the God to whom he has cried for help. First of all, we see in the final verse that David speaks of his deliverance as if it has already happened. He is confident that God will hear his prayer and save him and vindicate him. He is confident that he will look in triumph on his enemies. He believes in the God to whom he has called for help. And he also makes clear that when this deliverance comes, he will offer a freewill offering to God in order to thank him. Most likely David is referring to the peace offering mentioned in Leviticus 3 which could be offered specifically as an offering of thanks. This was the way that such thanks were to be expressed in Israel, and David vows to take such steps in gratitude for the deliverance God will give.
Having worked through the psalm itself, we might wonder how this psalm relates to us today. Most of us are not fleeing for our lives. However, we need to recognize the foundational elements of this psalm. Though we may not be fleeing for our lives at this moment, we all do encounter difficult circumstances that are not results of our own sin. Perhaps you struggle with a physical illness. Perhaps you struggle with a coworker or family member or other acquaintance who is actively hostile toward you. Though we may not face David’s exact circumstance, we do all face times of distress, and David’s response in this psalm is instructive for us because it gives us principles that tell us how to react in such times of distress. Moreover, we do not know what the future holds. There may be a day in the future when intense suffering or perhaps even persecution comes upon you because of your faith. Scripture promises that those who desire to live a godly life will suffer (2 Tim. 3:12), so if you are a Christian, you should prepare in advance for that suffering as much as you can. Part of that preparation is meditating on Scriptures like Psalm 54 so that you might know how to respond when those times come.
First, like David, we should make sure that our first response in times of distress and unjust suffering is to turn to the Lord. We should be people who recognize that the first and primary place we go for help in time of need is not to our own ingenuity or to our resources or to other people but to our God. It is His help we need, and He is the only One who can surely deliver. In the midst of crisis and suffering, turn to the Lord. Moreover, if you hear of someone else suffering or struggling unjustly, lift them to God in prayer. There is time and place for action, but too often prayer is neglected in favor of other lesser helps. Lifting someone before the throne is often the best help that can be offered so do it earnestly and faithfully. Our first response should be to cry out to God.
Second, like David, we should recognize that our hope and faith in crying out to the Lord are rooted in His character. The person who reacts in times of great distress by crying out to the Lord is the person who has filled their head and their heart with the greatness of that God. David was convinced that God was able and willing to save him from his enemies because he knew of God’s love for His people. In the same way, we need to understand the reality of the fact that if God is for us, no one can be against us (Rom. 8:31). We need to understand that Jesus Christ has overcome the world, and we can overcome it as well through our faith in Him (1 John 5:4-5). We must understand that the One who is in us is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). And we need to understand that this God loves us and cares for us and is working for our good (Rom. 8:28). David was also convinced that God would crush his enemies. In the same way, we must understand that God’s judgment is not just a cosmic joke but a reality. We need to understand that every enemy of Christ will be crushed under his feet – not one will survive. There will be judgment for all evildoers who do not bow the knee to Christ. We need not worry that someone will “get away with it” or escape the wrath of God for that is impossible.
Finally, like David, we should earnestly believe that the Lord will deliver us. It is true that the Lord may not deliver us in the way we think He should, but there will always be deliverance because the Lord will not abandon His people. We should have confidence in our God. If we lack such confidence, it reveals that we do not truly believe something about our God – either His ability to deliver or His willingness to deliver. This is a theological issue that should be addressed by meditating on the truths of Scripture and seeking wise counsel. By the power of the Spirit, the Lord can bring about such faith.
One final way that this psalm can teach us is by pointing us to Jesus Christ. In Luke 24:44, Jesus told his disciples, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” At first glance, our psalm does not seem to make any explicit allusions to Christ. However, as we contemplate the fact that Jesus was the Son of David and that David was an explicit type of Christ, we begin to see the way this psalm points us to Jesus. Throughout David’s life, he did a number of amazing things that resulted in his gaining a reputation as the greatest king Israel ever had. This was so much the case that David’s name began to show up in prophecies as the one who would come and care for Israel – even long after his death! In Ezekiel 34:23-24, God promises to set up David over His flock to care for them. This is a reference not to the historical figure of David but to the great King who would come and be like David – even greater than David! David’s life points us to Jesus Christ.
Understanding that, we can look at this psalm in a whole new light. Just as David was surrounded by ruthless men who rejected God, Jesus was once surrounded by ruthless men who hated God. Just as David’s pursuers were seeking his life, Jesus’ pursuers were doing the same. And just as David called out to God in his time of need, Jesus called out as well – asking His father to rescue Him (Luke 22:40-46). Just as God answered David, the Lord answered Jesus’ prayer and sent an angel to strengthen him. Just as David knew the Father’s character and was able to trust in Him, Jesus knew the Father better than anyone and was willing to carry out His Father’s plan. And just as David confidently looked forward to the day when he would triumph over his enemies, Jesus confidently declared that He would rise from the dead and judge His enemies. God heard David’s prayer and vindicated him. In the same way, God vindicated and delivered His Son in the resurrection, and there is coming a day when all of Jesus’ enemies will be crushed under His feet. The King will be victorious and God will be glorified. Amen.