The Word Made Fresh
(For the worship leader: with stringed instruments. A song of David when the Ziphites told Saul that David was hiding among them.)
1In your name, O God, let me be rescued.
Use your power to defend me.
2Hear my prayer and listen to what I am saying.
3Impudent people attack me and want to put an end to me.
They care nothing for God.
4But I am certain that God will come to my aid.
The LORD upholds and sustains me.
5God will punish my enemies for what they are doing.
You are faithful, O God. Do away with them!
6I will bring a freewill offering for you,
and I will give thanks to your good name, LORD.
7God has always rescued me from my troubles,
and has always made me triumphant over my enemies.
Commentary
Superscription: the 7th of the eleven “maskils” and the 41st of the Davidic psalms. There are two stories that tell of inhabitants of the Wilderness of Ziph reporting David’s whereabouts to Saul. They can be found at 1 Samuel 23:19 and 26:1.
1-3: The psalm follows a familiar pattern of 1) stating the situation, 2) calling on God for help, and 3) a promissory note should God respond. The situation described is also a familiar one: godless adversaries are plotting against the author.
4-5: The author expresses confidence in God’s help …
6-7: … and promises to make a freewill offering should God favorably respond.
Takeaway
We often pray to God for help with threatening or bothersome situations in our lives, and that is part of a healthy prayer life. I have to protest, however, the promise to make an offering if God answers our prayer for deliverance. Make the offering. Then pray. God will answer the prayer the way it should be answered whether in our favor or not.