DAVID’S TROUBLES
DAVID’S TROUBLES (Reflections on the 23rd Psalm)
•
Job said: “Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1).
•
In fact, “Man is born to trouble as surely as the sparks fly upward” (Job. 5:7).
•
We should not be surprised, therefore, that David faced a lot of trouble!
•
As the youngest of 8 sons David was looked down upon by his family. When Samuel came to anoint a new king from Jesse’s sons, for example, David wasn’t even invited (1 Sam. 16:1-13). •
Even after David was anointed to be king “in the presence of his brothers” (1 Sam. 16:13), they still looked down upon him. When David brought provisions to them as they fought against the Philistines his oldest brother, Eliab, rebuked him saying: “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle”(1 Sam. 17:28). Note how condescending and ungodly Eliab was. David was God’s anointed and his godly heart was precisely the reason God chose him to be king (1 Sam. 16:7). •
When Samuel saw Eliab he though: “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord” (1 Sam. 16:6). Samuel was wrong! “The Lord does not look at things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). •
Even as a shepherd David had trouble. As a “good shepherd” he was willing to lay down his life for the sheep (Jn. 10:11). David explained to King Saul: “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it and struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it” (1 Sam. 17:34-35).
•
After David killed Goliath his troubles got worse for King Saul became jealous of him. Remember! The women sang: “Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands” (1 Sam. 18:7). Saul was so jealous that he wanted to kill David.
•
Saul tried to get David killed by encouraging him to kill a hundred Philistines in order to marry his daughter Michal (1 Sam. 18:25). This didn’t work and David killed 200 Philistines. •
David was a man after God’s own heart and still wanted to serve Saul (Acts 13:22). When Saul was troubled David played the harp to soothe him. Saul, however, was so wicked that he grabbed his spear and tried to pin David to the wall with it (1 Sam. 19:9-10).
•
Saul’s son Jonathan, warned David that his father wanted to kill him (1 Sam. 19:2). David realized this and told Jonathan: “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death” (1 Sam. 20:3). Yes! David had trouble!
•
Saul even sent men to David’s house to kill him (1 Sam. 19:11-17).
•
David became so desperate that he fled for his life to the Philistine city of Gath (1 Sam. 21:10). This, as you know, was the home town of Goliath. The people of Gath were suspicious of David and remembered the refrain that Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands (1 Sam. 21:11). Sadly, it was apparently safer for David in Gath than in any city controlled by Saul. In order to keep from being killed by the Philistines David pretended to be insane (1 Sam. 21:13).
•
When David finally left Gath “Saul called up all his forces for battle” to kill David (1 Sam. 23:8).
•
When this failed Saul later sent 3,000 of his chosen men to kill David (1 Sam. 26:2).
•
David became so depressed that he saw himself as a “dead dog” or a “flea” (1 Sam. 24:14). •
He felt like a partridge being hunted in the mountains (1 Sam. 26:20).
•
In the depth of his depression David wrote: “Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Ps. 10:1).
•
David echoed the same concern in the 13th Psalm: “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and ever day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? (Ps. 13:1-2).
•
David also wrote: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?” (Ps. 22:1).
THE SOLUTION AND THE PSALM
For the child of God there is always a solution to every problem. Finally, it dawned upon David that God was the solution to his problems. This should have been obvious but sometimes depression clouds our vision so that we are blinded to the obvious. In the midst of his depression it finally dawned upon David that the Lord was his Shepherd. God had not forsaken him in times of trouble any more than he had forsaken his sheep in times of trouble. The devil is a liar and a deceiver but God is The Good Shepherd! The devil specializes in poisoning our minds with discouragement, but God protects our minds even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. There was no reason for David to be discouraged! God was in complete control! Samuel had already anointed David to be the king and all the demons of hell were powerless to stop this from coming to pass. When David finally realized this he wrote the 23rd Psalm. This was such good news that David wanted to share it with the whole world. Note that there is not one negative word or thought in this beautiful psalm. David wrote:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever” (Ps. 23:1-6 KJV).
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Ps. 46:1) FINALLY THIS DAWNED UPON DAVID! WHEN IT DID HE BECAME SO EXCITED THAT HE COMPOSED THE 23rd PSALM SO ALL THE WORLD COULD BE COMFORTED. THERE IS NO REASON FOR ANY CHILD OF GOD TO WORRY!
GOD’S ROD AND STAFF
To help understand the comfort we can experience in the presence of the Lord, let us focus on vs. 4. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Ps. 23:4).
•
Remember! God is not a human shepherd, He is the Sovereign of the universe!
•
God is so great that the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him (1 Sam. 7:27).
•
When the kings and rulers of the earth take their stand against God He sits safely in the heavens and laughs at their feeble efforts (Ps. 2:1-6).
•
God carries a big stick and King Saul was no match for Him!
•
Moses was a famous shepherd who had also learned to trust in the “rod and staff” of God! •
Remember! Moses was opposed by the Pharaoh of Egypt and he was far more powerful than King Saul. In fact, the pharaoh was the most powerful man in the whole world.
•
God used the staff of Moses to manifest his unlimited power (Ex. 4:1-5).
•
In fact, the staff of Moses came to be known as the “staff of God”. “Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, ‘Go back to Egypt for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.’ So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. AND HE TOOK THE STAFF OF GOD IN HIS HAND” (Ex. 4:20).
•
And again: “The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, ‘choose some of our men to go out and to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill WITH THE STAFF OF GOD IN MY HANDS’” (Ex. 17:9). •
The staff of Moses was also the staff of God. The staff of God can still bring comfort to all those who choose the Lord as their Shepherd!
MOSES AND DAVID
•
Remember! Moses and David were both shepherds!
•
Remember! Both Moses and David were opposed by powerful kings. As we have already said, the Pharaoh of Egypt was far more powerful than King Saul.
•
Remember! Moses had tried in his own wisdom and strength to deliver God’s people from slavery, but he had failed (Acts 7:23-29).
•
Remember! When God appeared to Moses in Midian He told him “Take off your sandals” (Ex. 3:5). This was symbolic of the fact that God was now going to work, not Moses! You put on your shoes when you go to work, and you take your shoes off when the work is done. God told Moses to take of his shoes and explained: “I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go” (Ex. 3:20).
•
Remember! God used the staff of Moses to perform miracles. He said to Moses: “Take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous things with it” (Ex. 4:17).
•
Of the 10 plagues in Egypt the staff of God was specifically mentioned in five:
•
“This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood” (Ex. 7:17).
•
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron, stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt’” (Ex. 8:5).
•
“Then the Lord said to Moses: ‘Tell Aaron, Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground, and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats’” (Ex. 8:16). •
“When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightening flashed down to the ground. So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt” (Ex. 9:23).
•
“So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the Lord made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts; they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. They covered the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail . . .” (Ex. 10:13-15).
•
Note that the same staff is called the staff of Moses, the staff of Aaron, and also the staff of God.
•
This same staff was also used to part the waters of the Red Sea. God said to Moses: “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground” (Ex. 14:15-16).
•
When all the Israelites were safely across the Lord said to Moses: “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen” (Ex. 14:26).
•
“The waters flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen – the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived” (Ex. 14:28).
THE SONG OF MOSES
After their remarkable deliverance from Egypt Moses composed this song:
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. Your right hand, LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, LORD, shattered the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble. By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood up like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy boasted, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.’ But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? You stretch out your right hand, and the earth swallows your enemies. In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia. The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt away; terror and dread will fall on them. By the power of your arm they will be as still as a stone— until your people pass by, LORD, until the people you bought pass by. You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance— the place, LORD, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established. The LORD reigns for ever and ever.” (Ex. 15:1-18).
Note that there is nothing in this song glorifying man! All glory belongs to God (Rom. 16:27).
Note also that when we get to heaven we will sing the “Song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: ‘Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship; before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed” (Rev. 15:3-4).
In heaven we will not be congratulating one another, we will be glorifying God. The saved will say: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen" (Mt. 6:13).
THIS PSALM OF DAVID IS FOR YOU
According to a Google search in May 2014, the 23rd Psalm was the most popular psalm in the Bible. Many of the major composers, like Bach, Bernstein, Dvorak, Schubert and more, have set the words to music. Wikipedia states: “It has been called the best-known of the psalms for its universal theme of trust in God. Brian P. David states: “The 23rd Psalm is one of the best-known and most-loved literary works in the world, and it may well be the best poem ever written.” Like Moses was inspired to write his song glorifying God, David was also inspired to write the 23rd Psalm glorifying God.
Focusing on this psalm need not detract from the rest of the Bible. The whole Bible is inspired and is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). All the Bible is for you! Jesus said: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). In fact, the message of this psalm is only a tiny part of the exceeding great and precious promises that are in the Bible for you (2 Pet. 1:4).
Let’s briefly review:
•
David had troubles. You have troubles. Everybody has troubles.
•
God is a very present help in time of trouble!
•
David was greatly encouraged when he realized that the Lord was his Shepherd. We too will be greatly encouraged when we realize that the Lord is our Shepherd!
•
The Good Shepherd helps us with all our needs! He gives us food, water, rest, and even restores our soul.
•
When we do not know what to do our Shepherd also gives us guidance into paths of righteousness!
•
We can walk through he valley of the shadow of death and not be afraid as long as we are with our Shepherd. Our Shepherd has conquered death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel (2 Tim. 1:10).
•
His rod and staff bring us comfort! There is no problem in the universe that our Shepherd cannot solve!
•
As long as we are with our Shepherd we can enjoy life, even in the presence of our enemies! •
David’s head was anointed with oil to be a king. We are also anointed to be kings and priests unto our God (Rev. 5:10).
•
As long as we follow the Shepherd, goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our life and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!
(This study was written by Boyce Mouton. No rights are reserved! You are free to use this material in whole or in part for the glorification of Christ and the advancement of His Kingdom)