Turning Slander into Song David was running for dear life in the face of many foes. If his enemies caught him, they would rip him to shreds like a lion his prey. If God did not deliver him from his jam, then no one would. Enemies were lying and plotting against David. (The history behind this Psalm is told in 1 Samuel 22.) Psalm 7 teaches us how to behave when we are face to face with wicked people. David has been slandered; lies have been spoken regarding his character and behavior. If a person says or writes something about you that is understood to lower your reputation, or that keeps people from associating with you, defamation of character has occurred. Slander and libel are two forms of defamation. Libel is written defamation. Generally, radio and television broadcasts that are defamatory are considered to be libel, rather than slander. Verbal defamation is slander. Cush the Benjamite, named under the title of this psalm as one of those who spoke slander against David, was one of many of King Saul’s fawning flatterers. They would spy for Saul and report what they heard about David during those years when Saul sought to catch and destroy David. They told Saul what he wanted to hear, and Saul played on their sympathy and payed them well in bribes. (Another point of interest in the title of this song is that it was a “Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD.” A shiggaion is used only here and in Habakkuk 3:1 and could mean a passionate psalm with a strong emotion.) What do you do when others accuse you falsely? What if they lie against you? It could be in your marriage. Or at your job. Or in your church. Do you run to a lawyer or to an earthly judge? Who is Scripture is slandered? Jeremiah 20:10. David brings his case to the Lord and lets it rest in His hand. He uses the name for God, El Elyon. This is the name for God used by Abram when he paid tithes to Melchizedek, Genesis 14:18-22. This is the first time this name for God appears in the Psalms and it will appear about 22 or 23 more times in this hymnbook of praise. Here are a few examples of this word appearing in other psalms: Psalm 9:1, 2: I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. 2I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. Psalm 47:2; For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. Psalm 57:2, 3: I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. 3He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. Psalm 91:1: He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. As David brings the slanderous reports to the Lord, he does four things that turn the slander into song:
He TRUSTS in the LORD; he PRAYS to the LORD.
David prays and pleads with God against his accuser. Trust the Lord! It is never vain to rest your soul on Him. Ask God to save you from those who persecute you and deliver you. Cush was like a lion, strong and ferocious, and from this foe, David seeks deliverance, and only God can give it to him. Enemies are often seen as hungry, ferocious lions in the book of Psalms, and he felt surrounded by lions on numerous occasions. FIRST, go to the Lord. Not, a human lawyer to merely seek justice before human government. Human government is not infallible.
David affirms and claims his own innocence and says, “If I am guilty as charged, a back stabber, ripping off my friends and betraying even my enemies, then let them chase me down, trample my life, and stomp on my integrity in the dirt. My name is mud if I have done these things!” Jesus was innocent, yet He was accused of many crimes and lies. They accused him of having a demon, of being a winebibber (Matt.11:19), a blasphemer (Mark 14:14; John 5:18), of being a lawbreaker (John 5:18), of being seditious, and of politically stirring up people against Rome, not to pay taxes. All of these were false charges! What did Jesus do when he was accused of so many things? He committed Himself to Him that judges righteously (1 Peter 2:21-25).
The scene is a courtroom, and David is saying to God His Judge, STAND UP, Lord against my enemies. Notice the expressions: ARISE….LIFT UP THYSELF…AWAKE FOR ME…(v.6). Numbers 10:35: Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered: and let them that that thee flee before thee. The entire courtroom is filled with accusers and slanderers against David, and it is as if God is the only One who will stand up for the truth against the false charges leveled against him. Psalm 7:8b; Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. David was confident that he was not guilty as charged by the people slandering him. God, you are righteous, try my ways, try my heart and my inner motives and ways. You are a righteous Judge! And you are angry with the wicked every day. B. God is a READY JUDGE, v.12-16 David sees that God is ready to judge the wicked. Lord, Your sword is sharp in your hand, the bow is strung and the arrow is on the string ready to pierce into its mark. You are ready to rumble for righteousness, O GOD, My Judge. You have arrows with the names of my persecutors upon them. We can take comfort that people’s wickedness does not go unnoticed by our Lord, but we must not forget that vengeance is His and the wheels of His justice grind slowly, but surely. Proverbs 10:18; He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. The slanderer was pregnant with evil and their lies and falsehood are conceived and provable. They made a pit and fell into it. Psalm 9:15: The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. (cf. Psalm 35:8; 57:6) Proverbs 26:27; Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. Here are a few Biblical examples of how God allowed the evil of the wicked to be boomerang upon them.
Their mischief and evil backfired and like a boomerang, it came back to destroy them. Their own mischief and violence ultimately led to their own destruction, returning upon their own head, and the crown of their head. Their slander and lies turned into a mortal wound upon themselves. It came down upon his own scalp (pate).
David praises God and sings praise to the name of the LORD, El Elyon! Why? Because God had promised him that he would be the King. Even when Saul was hunting him in dark caves, he knew that that was merely the pathway God had chosen for him to the throne. “I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness; and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high!” (Psalm 7:17) David turns slander into a song of praise by the grace of the Living God! |