by Rev. Alex. McPherson
Psalms 3
Like many another of David’s Psalms, this was written in a time of adversity. The title informs us that it was at the time of Absalom’s rebellion when the venerable king had to flee before his wicked son.
You should read the fifteenth chapter of 2 Samuel where the incident is told in all its sad detail.
Verse 1. “Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.”
The sudden increase of his enemies is what mainly vexes David.
Like any king he would always have to be on his guard against potential mischief-makers, but now, to his great amazement, the greater part of the people had suddenly taken part in the rebellion organised by Absalom.
Verse 2. “Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.”
David here quotes what had practically become a watchword with the rebel throng.
They took encouragement from the thought that David was no longer under the divine protection.
Who started the rumour? Was it Absalom, himself? It matters not; there were plenty to take it up.
Shimei gave it a turn that suited his own support of the cause of the dead Saul.
“The Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou has reigned; and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and behold thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man.” (2 Sam. 16, v. 8).
Do we wonder that the king was cut to the heart?
He could clear himself easily of such charges as that of Shimei regarding his conduct in relation to Saul and Saul’s family, but there was another matter which memory and conscience were raising up out of the past.
There was his great double sin of adultery and murder.
That had been pardoned, but there had been a judgment pronounced in connection with it which David now realised to be more extensive than he had originally thought.
Among the other things said by Nathan, there was this: “Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them to thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.” (2 Sam. 12, v. 11, 12).
Could it be that these words meant that a time would come when God would really forsake him?
“No help for him in God.” Could it be true?
But did not the Lord say at the time of his restoration: “The Lord also hath put away thy sin? Yes, He had, but how easy it is when a child of God is stricken by the memory of past sins, to be tempted to doubt such reassuring words.
The ‘Selah’ indicates a pause, so we can do that now and consider the resemblance between David’s case and that of Christ.
If it was strange that Israel should revolt against the good king whom they had once acclaimed as the Lord’s anointed ruler, surely it was much more strange that the multitudes who acclaimed Jesus as the Messiah with loud ‘Hosannas’, should in a few days shout “Away with him.”
And stranger still that a mere man like David who for his sins deserved to be forsaken of God, should be so wrong in giving any place to the idea that he was forsaken, while the Lord from heaven, holy and blameless, should actually be forsaken by Him whom He so truly served.
He uttered truth when He cried: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
The term ‘God-forsaken’ has been applied to persons and places which stood out as utterly wretched and ugly by their association with much that pained and gave displeasure.
Yet, it has to be said that no mere man in this world, is totally forsaken by God.
God-forsakenness means deprivation of all good, and is reserved for the state of lost sinners in hell.
But Christ was forsaken by God when there was laid upon Him the iniquities of us all.
Justice then could not spare even God’s Son, and the wrath due to his people for their sins fell upon Him.
He was forsaken in that all sense of his Father’s love ceased, and He was made to be and to feel a thing accursed.
In his soul’s experience there was only the darkness and pain of complete forsakenness.
No believer therefore, even when tempted as strongly as David, can truly say that God has forsaken him, but there may be occasions when he is bereft of all assurance regarding his saved state and feels that God has ceased to show him favour.
The natural man who is a stranger to the sensation of being melted down before the God of love and mercy, and of bearing a measure of genuine love to Him as his Saviour, cannot understand what it is to feel thus deserted.
This sense of desertion may be due to sin unrepented of.
Some known but unconfessed transgression, or some permitted and unexamined iniquity.
These are barriers to communion with God.
The withdrawal of God’s Spirit is often the warning to begin intensive self-examination.
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”
The fault may be hard to detect.
It may be deep down, some form of sin showing itself only occasionally, but possessing a potential for destruction that we cannot imagine.
Such sins as sensuality, pride, covetousness, envy, ambition, laziness are always menaces to the safety and comfort of Christians.
Perhaps we have often noticed such sins but have slyly conferred other names on them so that they may not disturb us.
Covetous Judas would describe himself as merely careful until the awful testing time came.
Another will dignify the pride which mars his character with the title ‘self-respect’.
Yet, call it what name you will, there lies the evil like a hidden canker, and though the believer would feign let it lie, God who designs to save him from his sins will not leave him at ease in these sins.
He does what He speaks about in Hosea; “I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face.”
Oh how we should be praying; “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.” How jealous Christians ought to be over their souls! There is great need for holding fast their first love, and for strengthening the things which remain, which are ready to die.
If not, a sense of desertion may shake them to their foundations.
Other possible reasons for believers feeling deserted in their souls will be mentioned next month, the Lord willing.