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Psalm 27

The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?

When evil-doers draw near
to devour my flesh,
it is they, my enemies and foes,
who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me
my heart would not fear.
Though war break out against me
even then would I trust.

There is one thing I ask of the Lord,
for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my life,
to savour the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple.

For there he keeps me safe in his tent
in the day of evil.
He hides me in the shelter of his tent,
on a rock he sets me safe.

And now my head shall be raised
above my foes who surround me
and I shall offer within his tent
a sacrifice of joy.

I will sing and make music for the Lord.

O Lord, hear my voice when I call;
have mercy and answer.
Of you my heart has spoken:
“Seek his face.”

It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;
hide not your face.
Dismiss not your servant in anger;
you have been my help.

Do not abandon or forsake me,
O God my help!
Though father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.

Instruct me, Lord, in your way;
on an even path lead me
When they lie in ambush protect me
from my enemy’s greed.
False witnesses rise against me,
breathing out fury.

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!

Commentary

This psalm is considered by some scholars to be two separate psalms pieced together at a date later than its composition by King David. They maintain that vv. 1-6 form a song of confidence, while vv. 7-14 are a lament. Yet it is possible to view the psalm as a unity. It is presented that way in the Psalter, and we shall treat it as such. The historical background of the psalm is very difficult to discover, and various theories have been put forward. This psalm describes the experience of David, who seeks refuge in the presence of God while he is still at a distance from the sanctuary and surrounded by enemies. He sings of his unshakeable confidence in God. As he approaches the sanctuary he pours out his heart to God in sorrow, while he maintains his stance of deep faith.
 The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life; before whom shall I shrink? When evil-doers draw near to devour my flesh,it is they, my enemies and foes, who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me my heart would not fear.Though war break out against me even then would I trust. There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I long, to live in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to savour the sweetness of the Lord, to behold his temple. For there he keeps me safe in his tent in the day of evil.He hides me in the shelter of his tent, on a rock he sets me safe. And now my head shall be raised above my foes who surround me and I shall offer within his tent a sacrifice of joy. I will sing and make music for the Lord.                                    (vv. 1-6)
 The triumphant faith expressed in these lovely verses owes nothing to the exuberance of youth, or to the refusal of the adult to face the seriousness of the situation on hand. Instead, it manifests the maturity of one who is grounded in a faith and trust that has developed through many trials. Inwardly fortified by his strong vibrant faith, David can now “lift up his head” in confidence and hope among the present pressing problems. Like Psalm 23 this song declares its entire message in the first verse: “the Lord is my light and my help (salvation), whom shall I fear?” These words, so full of power and joy, proclaim David’s stance before God. His personal experience of prayer has taught David that God has been his salvation and deliverance in every difficulty brought to Him. God is on his side, so why should he fear a human foe? (see Romans 8:31). Yet this prayer of his shows that he experiences the normal fears we all go through; but he seeks to overcome them by his trust in God. Like us, he is utterly dependent on God for everything; he finds that his calm trust in God frees him from fear and anxiety, enabling God to act on his behalf (see John 11:39). This grace is only experienced by those who are utterly given to God, those for whom God is their ultimate goal in the actual practical circumstances of everyday life. It is right here that one finds the deepest roots of a heroic attitude to life. David calls God his light, the ultimate source of all that is good, and of all joy. God is also the source of his inner strength, the One who protects and fortifies him for the daily struggle (v. 1). The certitude of his faith and the strength he draws from it enable David to face his enemies and oppressors without fear, no matter how fierce they are. Even if they come against him in great numbers, surrounding him on all sides, it cannot shake the inner calm and assurance that comes from his trust in God. His position is clear: “Be still and know that I am God.” He is allowing God to be God, so he does not allow himself the luxury of anxiety or fear. His heart remains in unruffled calm and peace, for he knows what the ultimate fate of the evil-doers will be. God is the Lord of hosts, and to Him alone belongs ultimate power. Because of this the psalmist need no longer linger over his own puny affairs, but can centre his attention on God alone. With his thoughts focused completely on God, he is now able to make wise decisions, for his faith has gained that inner balance and confident strength he needed. The words of Isaiah hold good for him now: “the believer shall not stumble” (see Isaiah 28:16, J.B.) (vv. 2-3). The poet now reveals the source of his great courage and inward strength. It emanates from a tender childlike relationship with God, which finds expression in the succeeding verses. The deepest desire of his heart is to live in perpetual communion with God. If he can reach this, he has everything he wants. It is not that he wishes to live continuously in the sanctuary – this would be impossible – but the sanctuary represents the concrete experience of nearness to God. He wishes to become a member of God’s household, and to be privileged to walk with God all the days of his life, just as the saints did of old (see Genesis 17:1, etc.). Jesus answered this prayer by making all of us members of God’s household by our adoption, and sharing with us His own privileges as the Son of God (see Ephesians 2:19-22; John 17-24). It would be wrong to restrict the closeness to God with the sanctuary, the Temple, or even the formal times of worship. The personal relationship with God is continuous; it merely finds its expression in the formal liturgy. The outward ceremonies of the liturgy, devoid of this inner content, can become meaningless ritual. This is the great temptation of an organized worship. God wants us to worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (see John 4:23). This demands the inner content that enables us to worship God with our whole lives, and be constantly in touch with Him as the source of all our good. It is a shame to limit this to the formal times of worship. “To behold the sweetness of the Lord” means the ability to relish God’s goodness, beauty and majesty; to be captivated by His attractive loveliness. Once people have really tasted this, they will long to have it, as David does here, on a permanent basis. It is in this continuing intimacy with God that we are cured of our worldly attitudes, and given the ability to see and pray from the stance of faith and trust in God (v. 4). This communion with God is the safe tent and the secure refuge in difficult times. God is the everlasting rock on which our lives are built in safety. We can trust God completely (v. 5). Since David’s heart is assured of victory through faith, he can lift up his head now and offer God a sacrifice of joy and thanksgiving, thus surrendering his whole being to God, who is the object of all his happiness. We see here a real communion with God, a mutual giving and receiving. The joy and strength that flow from it can be compared to an overflowing fountain, because the little ego has been conquered, and the glory of God can flow from this man’s life (v. 6). Jesus promised this overflowing abundance of joy and peace to anyone who would come to Him for life. He also said that we would know the continual presence of the Holy Spirit as our sanctifier and teacher, whose anointing would enable us to overcome all obstacles and even do the same works as Jesus did Himself (see John 7:37, 14:12, 16, 17, 26, 27, 15:11, 16). 
 O Lord, hear my voice when I call; have mercy and answer.Of you my heart has spoken:“Seek his face.” It is your face, O Lord, that I seek; hide not your face.Dismiss not your servant in anger; you have been my help. Do not abandon or forsake me, O God my help!Though father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Instruct me, Lord, in your way; on an even path lead meWhen they lie in ambush protect me from my enemy’s greed.False witnesses rise against me, breathing out fury. I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.Hope in the Lord!(vv. 7-14).
 In these verses, David, very conscious of the dangers surrounding him, cries to God for help, clinging to Him as his only source of hope. He appeals to God’s merciful love for an answer to his troubles, while reminding himself of his need to seek God in order to surrender to Him and His will (v. 7). He is seeking God now, and he begs to be heard – in the sense that his case will be dealt with. Otherwise he feels he will be dismissed like a servant (see Amos 5:4; Jeremiah 29:12ff). Because God has been so good to him in the past he begs for a favourable hearing now. The problem is that if God does not hear his prayer, there is no help for him anywhere. David wrestles in prayer between God’s just judgement on his sinfulness, and God’s mercy and fidelity to His promises. It is precisely here that the tension of living by faith lies. We know that if God abandons us, we deserve it, but He never abandons those who cling to His mercy and love! Hence David declares that even if his own parents deserted him, God would not. He is God’s child, and a child who chooses to relate to God as Father, rather than experience Him as judge. We see this principle in the gospel where Jesus responded to people as they presented themselves. The outcasts and sinners, who were not ashamed to repent and seek His forgiveness, found Jesus to be the mercy and love of God incarnate, but the pharisees, and others who were unwilling to change, found in Jesus a just and terrible judge; for when He discovered their sins, He did so in public, and with deadly accuracy and truth (see Matthew 23:13-36). The tragedy in both Testaments is that there was no necessity to relate to God as a judge when He offered Himself as mercy and love in redemption (v. 10). Aware now of human weakness, and its terrifying ability to fall back into error and sinfulness, David begs God to teach him the right way, God’s way to live. The pressure of trouble all around him makes it more urgent for him to seek God more deeply, and having done so, he now confidently asks for protection. Only those who have surrendered their hearts humbly to the will of God, and are ready to act in obedience to it, will avoid the trap of making God into a servant of their own desires, in asking for external help. Thus the psalmist’s petitions do not take the form of begging; they have become true prayer (vv. 11-12). David has regained his inward and outward peace through prayer, and speaks now of the strength of his faith. He knows that he can have communion with God and experience God’s goodness during his lifetime. The daily encounter with God in prayer will ensure this, and God will become, increasingly, his support and strength. We can see here that a deep, living faith enables us to cope with the trials and tribulations of life; it will drive us into the arms of God to receive an increasing supply of the mercy, forgiveness and strength which gives us the supernatural ability to cope with suffering and sorrow. This wonderful psalm expresses the experience of a person committed to God in a deep and sustained prayer-life. I doubt if it would express the experience of one whose prayer-life was spasmodic. Prayer is that deep well from which all must drink if they would grow in faith and trust towards God. It is a very mature faith, one that has been tried and tested, one that can say, in deep peace, that it fears no enemy, either from within (our spiritual enemies) or from without. It manifests itself in complete freedom from anxiety, and in the courage to rest in God and let Him work out the details of our lives. Very few can rest peacefully when everyone turns against them, for it demands the surrender of the heart to God, with all its desires and affections. Yet we are not safe unless protected by this love relationship, through which God’s will is being carried out in our lives. Hidden in the safety of the heart of Jesus our lives are built on the rock. Nevertheless we cannot sit back saying that “we have made it”. We need to continue to seek God more deeply each day, as we grow in the knowledge of our own sinfulness and of His boundless mercy. Relating to God as Father and Saviour gives us the correct blend that releases His loving mercy and protectiveness towards us. Thus we can be sure of continuing our life of loving union with Him, leaving us in the position of proclaiming to others our hope in God.

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