Psalm 54

Psalm 54 teaches a lesson that is easily understood, but is not practiced very often.

 Psalm 54 Intro

To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maskil, A Psalm of David, when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Does not David hide himself with us?

• This was written for the chief Musician; however, that may be too specific for the Hebrew word. Musician comes from the Hebrew word נָצַח natsach (H5329).  It is in the Bible 65 times.  נָצַח natsach (H5329) is translated Musician 55 times, set forward 3 times, overseers 3 times, excel 1 time, oversee 1 time, perpetual 1 time and chief singer 1 time.
• More than likely, it should have been translated overseer. It appears that the translator became specific in its use depending on the context.  Chief Musician is not totally wrong; however, it may have been some other position, that cannot be determined.

• David wrote this to be played on the Neginoth. It comes from the Hebrew word נְגִינָה negiynah (H 5058).  It was a stringed instrument.
• David was known for inventing instruments, 2 Chronicles 7:6.

⁶ And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of music of Yehovah, which David the king had made to praise Yehovah, because His mercy endures for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.

• Maskil comes from the Hebrew word מַשְׂכִּיל maskiyl (H4905). It is in the Bible 13 times.  It is always translated Maskil.  It refers to a didactic poem, one that is intended to teach, particularly in having a moral instruction.
• The following Psalms are Maskils: 32, 42, 44, 45, 52, 53, 54, 55, 74, 78, 88, 89 and 142.
• As such, Psalm 54 is teaching a lesson. It is for us to search out Psalm 54 and to understand the lesson.  But not only understand, to apply it.

• The Ziphims informed Saul of David’s where abouts. The Ziphims also called the Ziphite are in 1 Samuel 23:19:

¹⁹ Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

• And 1 Samuel 26:1.

¹ And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?

• After the first time the Ziphites revealed David’s location, Saul praised the Ziphites in 1 Samuel 23:21.

²¹ And Saul said, Blessed you of Yehovah; for you have compassion on me.

• However, before Saul could do anything, the Philistines invaded the land and Saul had to leave.
• When Saul returns to pursue David in the Engedi wilderness, he brings 3000 men with him. This is when Saul went into a cave and David was able to follow Saul in and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe, 1 Samuel 24:4.

⁴ And the men of David said to him, Behold the day of which Yehovah said to you, Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it shall seem good to you. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.

• However, David’s heart was affected, he regretted what he had done. David told his men in 1 Samuel 24:6.

⁶ And he said to his men, Yehovah forbid that I should do this thing to my master, Yehovah anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of Yehovah.

• Then David told Saul in 1 Samuel 24:8.

⁸ David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.

• David was very remorseful of what he had done. He told Saul in 1 Samuel 24:11-12.

¹¹ Moreover, my father, see, yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of your robe, and killed you not, know you and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against you; yet you hunt my soul to take it. ¹² Yehovah judge between me and you, and Yehovah avenge me of you: but my hand shall not be upon you.

• David was not only remorseful, he vowed not to lay a hand on Saul. David was committed to Yehovah’s judgment in this matter.
• After David’s words, Saul responds to David in 1 Samuel 24:16-22.

¹⁶ And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. ¹⁷ And he said to David, You are more righteous than I: for you have rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded you evil. ¹⁸ And you have showed this day how that you have dealt well with me: forasmuch as when Yehovah had delivered me into your hand, you killed me not. ¹⁹ For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore Yehovah reward you good for that you have done to me this day. ²⁰ And now, behold, I know well that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. ²¹ Swear now therefore to me by Yehovah, that you will not cut off my seed after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house. ²² And David swore to Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men went up to the hold.

• It seems as if Saul was also remorseful. It is as if, Saul will cease from pursuing David.
• In 1 Samuel 25, Samuel dies and David has his interaction with Nabal. Abigail, Nabal’s wife, prevents a conflict between David and Nabal.  Abigail eventually tells Nabal what she has done, Nabal’s heart dies within him.  He becomes like stone and dies 10 days later.  David takes Abigail as a wife.
• David now has 3 wives, Michal Saul’s daughter, Abigail and Ahinoam of Jezreel.
• Then in 1 Samuel 25:44.

⁴⁴ But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.

• It seems odd that Saul would do this; considering that formerly Saul was remorseful and called David His son. Saul also said that David would be King.  One might think all was behind them and Saul would want his daughter to be with the future king of Israel.
• Once again in 1 Samuel 26, the Ziphites inform Saul of David’s location in 1 Samuel 26:1.

¹ And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?

• Again, the Ziphites inform Saul of David’s location. Don’t they know that Saul is no longer pursuing David or is he?
• Again, Saul goes to wilderness of Ziph with 3000 men. At night when Saul and his army are sleeping, David takes Abishai the son of Zeruiah down to Saul’s camp.  Then in 1 Samuel 26:8-12.

⁸ Then said Abishai to David, Redeemer has delivered your enemy into your hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray you, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. ⁹ And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against Yehovah’s anointed, and be guiltless? ¹⁰ David said furthermore, As Yehovah lives, Yehovah shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish. ¹¹ Yehovah forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against Yehovah’s anointed: but, I pray you, take now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go. ¹² So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they went away, and no man saw, nor knew, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from Yehovah was fallen upon them.

• Once again given the opportunity to end this altogether, David will not be the one to kill Saul nor will he allow his men to.
• David goes to the other side, where Saul’s men cannot easily get to him. David cries out to the people and Abner, Saul’s general.  David asks Abner, how could you allow others into the camp that could threaten your master Saul?  David says that Abner was worthy of death.  It is interesting that David would say this, yet was willing to align with Abner later.  David was always willing to forgive.
• Saul recognizes David’s voice and states in 1 Samuel 26:17.

¹⁷ And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this your voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

• Again Saul calls David his son. At this point, who would like to be a son of Saul?  Only if you were not a threat to Saul.  He threatened own son in 1 Samuel 20:32-33.

³² And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what had he done? ³³ And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

• David tells Saul in 1 Samuel 26:18-20.

¹⁸ And he said, Wherefore does my lord thus pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand? ¹⁹ Now therefore, I pray, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If Yehovah have stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering: but if the children of men, cursed they before Yehovah; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of Yehovah, saying, Go, serve other gods. ²⁰ Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of Yehovah: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one does hunt a partridge in the mountains.

• Once again Saul is moved by David’s words, Saul responds in 1 Samuel 26:21.

²¹ Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do you harm, because my soul was precious in your eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.

• Once again, Saul is remorseful and asks David to return. David returns Saul’s spear, David will not return with Saul.  David’s final word to Saul is 1 Samuel 26:24.

²⁴ And, behold, as your life was much set by this day in my eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of Yehovah, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.

• Saul’s final words to David are in 1 Samuel 26:25.

²⁵ Then Saul said to David, Blessed be you, my son David: you shall both do great things, and also shall still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

• After all this, one would think that everything between Saul and David was over. But David thinks to himself in 1 Samuel 27:1.

¹ And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

• Even after Saul twice was remorseful, David still did not trust him.
• But what about the Ziphites. Were they wrong for telling Saul, David’s location?  Should they be faulted?  Or were they concerned about the same thing that happened to the priests who helped David happening to them?
• These are things to consider, when understanding the lesson of Psalm 54.

Psalm 54:1

¹ Save me, Redeemer, by Your name and judge me by Your strength.

• David is asking Yehovah to save him and judge by Yehovah’s strength.
• David is not asking for God to empower him. He is asking that God do on His strength.  But not just to be saved, David is asking to be judged by Yehovah.
• In another psalm, David states in Psalm 7:3-6.

³ Yehovah my Judge, if I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands; ⁴ If I have rewarded evil to him that was at peace with me; (Yes, I have delivered him that without cause is my enemy:) ⁵ Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take, yes, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay my honor in the dust. Selah. ⁶ Arise, Yehovah, in Your anger, lift up Yourself because of the rage of my enemies: and awake for me the judgment You have commanded.

• David is not looking to just wipe out his enemies. David is willing to accept that there is the possibility that he wronged His enemies.  He is willing to do 1 Peter 2:23.

²³ Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed to Him that judges righteously:

• David is looking for nothing more than Yehovah to be righteous and equitable to both him and his enemies.

Psalm 54:2

² Hear my prayer, Redeemer give ear to the words of my mouth.

• David prays like this, because he knows Yehovah will hear him and will answer him in Power.
• David is not one to worry if God is listening to him.
• Neither does David consider if God loves him. This is because David knows that Yehovah is a loving God who is righteous in all ways.
• David speaks with confidence, as we all should.

Psalm 54:3

³ For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: They have not set Judge before them. Selah.

• This possibly could be a direct reference to the Ziphites.
• At this time, the Ziphites may not have know who David was. More than likely, very few knew that David was anointed by Samuel.
• And why would anyone think that Saul, the king of Israel, would do anything not in accordance with Yehovah. Saul was Yehovah’s anointed, they all saw it.
• Who would have thought Saul went astray.
• The truth is when one is not that righteous, it is hard for them to know who is and who is not.

• The issue here is they had not set God as their source.
• Had they been righteous, they would have known that David was innocent. They could have been led of the Spirit.
• Sadly enough, Proverbs 28:16 was coming true.

¹⁶ The prince that lacks understanding also a great oppressor: he that hates covetousness shall prolong his days.

• Saul had little understanding and became the oppressor to the people. He would stop at nothing to ensure that his dynasty was secure.
• David was in the way of Saul’s desires. He was willing to eliminate David by what ever means was necessary.

• Selah is a suspension of music, a pause.
• It is not a word that is spoken, it is musical direction or when reciting.

Psalm 54:4

⁴ Behold, Redeemer is my helper: The Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

• David looked exclusively to God for help.
• David would not take matters into his own hands. Twice he could have easily eliminated Saul.  And twice, David would not let anyone do harm to Saul.
• He ended Saul’s pursuit of him by going to a foreign land.
• David believed that he was being driven out of the land by the inhabitants.
• Rather than stay and cause harm, he went to the lands of one of his enemies for the sake of Israel as a whole.

Psalm 54:5

⁵ He shall reward evil to my enemies: Cut them off in Your truth.

• This may sound like revenge on David’s part, but it is quite the opposite.
• David only wants his enemies cut off if Yehovah decides to.
• If Yehovah does not think that they should be cut off, David accepts Yehovah’s judgment.

• We should all have the attitude like David that is expressed in Romans 8:28.

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

• It is not that everything is good for us.
• Everything works for the good.
• A believer may suffer at times, so that others can benefit. Paul stated clearly in 2 Corinthians 4:8-12.

⁸ Troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰ Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Yeshua, that the life also of might be made manifest in our body. ¹¹ For we which live are always delivered to death for Yeshua’s sake, that the life also of Yeshua might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. ¹² So then death works in us, but life in you.

• As a mature believer, we should gladly suffer so that other may benefit.
• If we suffer for His glory, then we will not suffer. It will be painless, this is the enigma of the faith.

Psalm 54:6

⁶ I will freely sacrifice to You: I will praise Your name, Yehovah; for good.

• David said that he would freely sacrifice to Yehovah.
• To freely sacrifice is to do without constraints. So many of us today hold back, because it is not us.
• In some places, the worshipers are expected to stay in place. They are to stand up when told and sit back down when told.
• In other places, it is expected that we are to remain quiet and only speak what we are told to recite and to do it when told.
• Other places, those that worship with some freedom are considered the immature ones.
• In most places, it really is just a spectator religion. If one speaks out of place too many times, eventually, they will be asked to leave.

• David was admonished by Michal for worshiping before the Ark of the Covenant, 2 Samuel 6:16.

¹⁶ And as the Ark of Yehovah came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Yehovah; and she despised him in her heart.

• Why she was so opposed to David’s form of worship is unknown. She claimed in 2 Samuel 6:20.

²⁰ Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovered himself!

• It is doubtful that David was naked, it states in 1 Chronicles 15:27.

²⁷ And David clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the Ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also upon him an ephod of linen.

• It appears that David may have taken off his kingly garments and was dressed as everyone else. David made no difference between himself and others that were present.
• David responded to Michal’s admonishment in 2 Samuel 6:21-22.

²¹ And David said to Michal, was before Yehovah, which chose me before your father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of Yehovah, over Israel: therefore will I play before Yehovah. ²² And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in my own sight: and of the maidservants which you have spoken of, of them shall I be had in honor.

• Was David right in what he said? It seems judgment fell that day, 2 Samuel 6:23.

²³ Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

• Too many times people hold back, but are more than willing to ask Yehovah and others to give all they have.
• Many ask God for His best, but are unwilling to freely worship.

• Why did David worship as he did?  For one reason, it was good to do it.
• David was far from perfect, but he never held back worshipping Yehovah and neither should we.

Psalm 54:7

⁷ For He has delivered me out of all trouble: And my eye has seen upon my enemies.

• The question is, did David worship Yehovah, because Yehovah delivered him or did Yehovah deliver David because he freely worshiped God?
• Or possibly, did Yehovah know David’s heart?

• When Saul had not utterly destroyed the Amalekites as he was told, Samuel told Saul in 1 Samuel 15:26-28.

²⁶ And Samuel said to Saul, I will not return with you: for you have rejected the word of Yehovah, and Yehovah has rejected you from being king over Israel. ²⁷ And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. ²⁸ And Samuel said to him, Yehovah has rent the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, better than you.

• When Samuel was told where the new king would come from, he traveled to meet Jesse the Bethlehemite. When Samuel saw Eliab, he thought for sure that he was the one.  Yehovah told Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7.

⁷ But Yehovah said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but Yehovah looks on the heart.

• Yehovah unlike us is not looking for outwardly showy people. He is looking for a heart condition.  David’s heart was for the people.  David was forgiving to a fault, but he did not hold back his love to the people or Yehovah.  He had a heart after God.

• Yes, God delivered David, because David did not hold back. And through the spirit David saw what would happen to his enemies.  It was God’s decision and not his to make.
• It was David’s decision to trust Yehovah implicitly and to love freely. Not only Yehovah, but those God entrusted him with.  This even included David’s enemies at times.
• This is the lesson of Psalm 54.
• Why fret, Yehovah is a good God. He alone is our Redeemer and Judge.  We trust in His deliverance in His time and no other.  We are to accept His decision without reservation.  In all this, we should freely worship Him.

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