Psalm 54, one of the great Psalms

Last Thursday, we looked into Psalm 54, one of the great Psalms, asking these questions. A few comments follow.

1. David, as God called him, ‘a man after my own heart,’ wrote Psalm 54 in time of danger. How does this psalm show God’s heart?
2. The time of danger was mentioned in 1 Sam. 23:19 etc., when David (anointed in 1 Sam 16) was betrayed to Saul by the Ziphites. Was this similar to a time in Jesus’ life?
3. Ziphim -- meaning sprinkled in the face. How does sprinkling have to do with the Messiah?
   1. St. Hilary of Poitiers: Sprinkling on the face but not on the heart. People offer lip service but not their hearts, ‘they honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’ This well describes the people who betrayed Jesus.
4. Did God the Father ever defend the cause of Jesus or vindicate Jesus in some way?
   1. Ken: Yes, especially at the resurrection and ascension.
5. Notice that David asks to be judged or defended by God’s strength and power, not by his mercy. Takes guts to do that. Most men would ask for mercy. Why does David ask for power?
6. Are the words of your mouth perfect and acceptable to God?
7. How does the voice of David change from v. 5 to v. 6?
   1. St. Hilary of Poitiers: it sets out the result of a heard prayer.
8. ‘They have not set God before their eyes,’ is visual, and Hilary says it is balanced by the foes having been turned back. Does this relate to the Exodus?
   1. Yes. It is like God casting a glance into the camp of the Egyptians, causing panic. Cf., Ex. 14:24. Also, the great Jewish commentator Rashi comments on Ex. 14:24.
9. David says that, in the end, he looked down on his enemies, probably from a lofty cliff or knoll in the hills. How does Jesus look down on His enemies?

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