We are told in the book of Job that “man is born for trouble as sparks fly upward…” Psalm 3 is a song of real comfort, rest, and confidence in the middle of real, deep, and desperate trouble. This psalm teaches us how to do business with God. In other words, how to live our lives consciously before the Lord, always bringing our troubles and requests to him, turning to him for help, and letting him do all of his work in us. That’s what this psalm is about. And it was perhaps the greatest trouble of David’s life.
This psalm was written by King David as he was fleeing from his son Abslaom - who was the head of a growing coup and wanted to kill him and take his throne as king. That hits pretty close to home right? It could be that David wrote this psalm after the ordeal. But the way it reads and the tone of it seem to indicate that he wrote this psalm while he fled from his son. Imagine that. -Josh Degroot; Real Life Church; Psalm 3: Salvation Belongs to the Lord
This psalm was written by King David as he was fleeing from his son Abslaom - who was the head of a growing coup and wanted to kill him and take his throne as king. That hits pretty close to home right? It could be that David wrote this psalm after the ordeal. But the way it reads and the tone of it seem to indicate that he wrote this psalm while he fled from his son. Imagine that. -Josh Degroot; Real Life Church; Psalm 3: Salvation Belongs to the Lord
"The French Protestants, in the time of their persecution, had psalms adapted to their varied circumstances. The 3rd Psalm was for the stationing of sentinels to keep watch against sudden attack; when the danger was over, and they could worship in safety, they sang Psalm 122nd." (Jon Ker)
==psalm 3:1-2:
Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.
2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. |
![]() David's son, Absalom, began a violent revolution. He even contemplated sending a 12,000-man army to kill his father (2 Samuel 17:1–3). Only the interference of David's ally prevented that overwhelming assault from happening (2 Samuel 17:15–16). That was the background for this prayer of David.
David begins by expressing the trouble he faces. His enemies are vast in number, and increasing in their power and influence. Beyond that, it seems David's peers are suggesting he's been abandoned by God. The situation seems bleak. Other people are telling David to give up and accept his doom (Psalm 3:1–2). - Bible Ref Selah: The idea in the Hebrew for this word (occurring 74 times in the Old Testament) is for a pause. Most people think it speaks of a reflective pause, a pause to meditate on the words just spoken. It may also be a musical instruction, for a musical interlude of some kind. (Enduring Word Commentary)
Selah: This word appears over 70 times in the Psalms. Scholars have tried for years to discover the true meaning of the word, but it remains somewhat of a mystery. Some scholars think it’s a musical pause or a literary pause, calling on the reader to stop and ponder what was just stated. Other scholars propose its meaning is related to worship, an expression of praise to God. Still others suggest it’s a literary device used by the ancients to mark themes that run through the text. The only other book in the Bible where “Selah” is found is the book of Habakkuk. (2 Be Like Christ) |
October 5, 2017: Brandon Bramlett wrote: The first thing we need to do in our trials is lament in the presence of God. We need to go immediately to the place of prayer. When the winds of trials are violently gusting upon our lives, we need to take cover in the place of prayer, and talk to the Lord about what is going on. We are by nature people who think we can handle problems by ourselves—we’ve been that way ever since Adam and Eve tried to cover up their sin and deal with it by themselves and without God (Genesis 3:7). But prayer reverses that tendency. Instead of handling trials and troubles with our own hands, going to the place of prayer puts trials and troubles in the hands of God. By prayer, we acknowledge our dependence upon the Lord for everything we need. And sometimes, the trial our trouble we’re going through is so extremely intense, we often need to pour out our hearts to God immediately—before we ask Him for anything or resolve to do anything about our trials. And this is precisely what David did. David went immediately to the presence of God in prayer, and lamented about his situation to God. In vv. 1-2, David laments in the presence of God, expressing his situation to God. David lets the Lord know about the enemies he is facing because of Absalom’s rebellion. David laments to God regarding his enemies, noting that they are many in number and they taunt him, claiming that God is unable to deliver him. And it’s not because God doesn’t already know what’s going on—but it so that David can gain some relief from his distress—so that he can get some of these burdens off his shoulders. So what David does in the first part of this psalm is what we are to do when faced with extreme trials—we should lament in the presence of God. We should go immediately to the place of prayer, and talk with the Lord. |
===psalm 3:3-5:
3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
4 I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. 5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me. |
![]() This morning I woke up. You woke up today for one reason: the Lord sustained you. You would not have woken up if the Lord had not sustained you. I would not have woken up if the Lord had not sustained me. I wouldn’t have life today if God hadn’t sustained me through the night and woken me up in the morning. Sleep is not a natural process. Sleep is dependent on supernatural provision. Only God can, when we close our eyes at night and drift off into unconscious sleep and then we wake up, we need to realize as soon as we open our eyes, the Lord sustained me. I lay down and slept. I woke again for the Lord sustained me.
So just let that transform your perspective on today and every day, the only reason you wake up in the morning. I encourage especially those of you who, like David in this Psalm, are walking through some really challenging times, and you’ve sometimes wondered do I have the strength to go on? No, but every day you have a God who sustains you. --David Platt; The Lord Sustained Me 8/4/18 |
The term "glory" in Hebrew is "kabod," which often denotes weightiness or significance. In this context, it signifies the honor and dignity that God bestows upon the psalmist. Rather than seeking glory from human achievements or status, the psalmist finds his true worth and honor in his relationship with God. This reflects a theological understanding that true glory comes from God alone, who elevates and dignifies His people. -Bible Hub
===psalm 3:6:
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
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If this is who God is, if God is who he declares himself in his Word, if he is the one who meets me and sustains me, is present with me, answers my prayer, then why would I be afraid if I’m around a thousand skeptics? Because I do not believe what I believe because it’s culturally popular.
I’m afraid that it’s true that fear in the face of mockery is often the result of ‘identity amnesia.’ I want to say that again: fear in the face of mockery is often the result of ‘identity amnesia.’ It’s a result of forgetting who God is, and who you are as his child. --Paul Tripp |
===psalm 3:7-8:
Psalm 3:7-8:
7 Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. 8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah. |
![]() And there are two ways to understand this and I think both are likely true here. The first is that he’s simply saying God has done and does do these sorts of things. That God does strike enemies on the jaw, that he does break the teeth of the wicked. But you could also translate this as David calling for God to do this.
I think this is rather likely. He starts out saying, “arise o Lord, deliver me.” This is what you do. This is how you deliver people. But regardless of how we understand it, he is calling for God to intervene and judge those who have risen up not just against David, but against the Kingdom of God. In much the same way as it is today, to get a strike on the cheek is humiliating. David is calling for God to humiliate his enemies here. He also asks for God to break their teeth. He likens his enemies to wild animals who lose their strength when their teeth are crushed. And you might be thinking, “Well, that sounds harsh. That doesn’t sound loving.” What would Jesus say about that? And it is harsh, but this is actually why we started out talking about who David is. This is not one guy saying, “I have a personal enemy and God, I want you to annihilate him.” That’s not what this is. Because the enemies of David are also the enemies of God. They have arisen against the Lord, against his anointed and against his kingdom and promises. And so David wants the evil that is being done against him and against God to be stopped and punished and that’s actually a good desire. For us to desire evil to be vanquished is a good thing. Now, I’m not going to go so far as to say that David never sinned in his anger at any point. Anger is a dangerous thing, but these words that we have in the scriptures here are given to us under the inspiration of God and they are not sinful. But I am saying that his desire for God to judge and set the situation right is a good desire. -Brian Seagraves |
January 23, 2017: Ross Lester wrote: In this Psalm, David was at a major low. His son, Absalom, had stolen his kingdom from him and was pursuing him in order to kill him. David was full of angst, anger, doubt, anxiety and a desire for revenge, all mixed up with the fact that he still loved his son, and God let him pray that way and then let that be put in the Bible for all of us to see. It would seem that maybe there is space for some tension and raw humanity in our worship. Maybe there is space for struggle in our prayer. God seems big enough and secure enough in himself to allow us space to respectfully rant every now and then. The Bible seems to suggest that we don’t always need to be ‘fine’, or ‘okay’. It’s no good to stay mad, but it seems to be okay to get mad now and then. So what are you really feeling beneath your ‘churchy’, ‘I’m fine’ exterior? Do you have doubts, struggles, fears? Why not take them to God? I think you will find him loving and compassionate, and like David in Psalm 3, you may feel released enough to sleep easy and not fear as a result April 22, 2013: Jerry Wyrick wrote: David ends by asking God to rescue him. The psalmist uses the same word for both the rising up of his enemies and the rising up of God. When trouble arises in our life, we can trust that God will rise up to help us.The final verse proclaims a blessing. Psalm 1 tells us how to be blessed, Psalm 2 ends with a reminder that blessing is only found in God and Psalm 3 asks for God's blessing on His people. David moves from fear to trust to peace. There are many times in life where our circumstance are out of control, but they are never out of God's control. Trust in His love and find the rest you need. |