Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: David, Asaph, Solomon, Heman, Ethan, Moses, and the Sons of Korah
Date Penned: (1440-586 BC)
Overview: Poetry for the Expression of Praise and Worship to God (c 1-150)
Theme: The Second Book of Psalms (c 42-72)
Message: God's faithful help (v 1-11)
Psalms 57 Commentary
( 57:1) David is Running from Saul - This psalm probably describes David's reflections when he was hiding from Saul in a cave (see 1 Samuel 22-34).
(57:3) Faithfulness - When we think: of faithfulness, a friend or spouse may come to mind. Embodied in the concept of faithfulness is the knowledse that no matter how unlovable we may act, the faithful one still accepts and loves us. At a deeper level is the loyalty to keep promises, whether they be promises of support or the vows of marriage. God's faithfulness includes these aspects, but he completes them to perfection, something we as humans are unable to do. He loves us (in spite of our constant bent toward sin) and keeps all the promises he has made to us, even when we break our promises to him.
(57:4) Go To The Lord - At times, we may be surrounded by people who gossip about us or criticize us. Verbal cruelty can damage us as badly as physical abuse. Rather than answering with hateful words, we, like David, can talk with God about the accusations
(57:7) Praise God - David's firm faith in God contrasted sharply with his enemies' loud lying and boasting. When confronted with verbal attacks, the best defense is simply to be quiet and praise God, realizing that our confidence is in his mercy and truth (57:10). In times of great suffering, don't turn inward to self-pity or outward to revenge; turn upward to God.
(57:8-9) Rest in the Lord - David calls out to his own "heart" and his musical instruments to prepare for praise. Before a new day begins, he wants to "awake early" with his song honoring God's faithfulness. Instead of spending a sleepless night worrying about what he cannot change, David uses those wakeful hours to meditate on expressions of gratitude. David's example shows us how to turn times of stress into times of blessing by considering God's faithfulness in comparison with our fleeting problems. When you begin to worry, find ways to praise and thank God instead.
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