Psalm 64
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David,
1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers,
This psalm like many others has David complaining about the verbal assaults that he is receiving from his enemies. As a public figure, verbal assaults come with the job. Whatever you do, there are people who will impune your motives and assume that you would do what they would do if they were in a position of power -- namely, take advantage of their power! The first two words in Hebrew are, “Hear, O God”, similar to the Shema only this time God is the subject of the imperative. David’s complaint is that the wicked are secretly plotting to do him harm. If they are doing this in secret, I’m not sure how he knows it’s happening, but the effects must have been obvious. He describes his opposition as a throng of evildoers. If this psalm was composed during Absalom’s rebellion (or even during Saul’s pursuit of David), this is literally true. David was expelled from Jerusalem, and this probably took a majority action. The first verse highlights the psychological effect of dread, worry, and anxiety. Sometimes we worry more about what could happen than what has actually happened. We can work ourselves up into greater fear by dwelling on that which cannot control. The term I hear these days is “fear porn”, consuming news that tells us how bad things are. The media makes bank on this kind of thing because it keeps us glued to our screens. Fear sells. David asks that God hide him and preserve his life. This is not a prayer for immediate victory over his enemies. He would be happy at this point just to stay vertical and breathing. Perhaps his fears are overwrought, but that is the reality of how he feels. I don’t know that I have enemies like this in my life and workplace, but there are many that do. Whether it is the threat of “cancel culture” for saying or believing something that someone doesn’t like, or just normal workplace jockeying for position, many people deal with competition for their livelihood and fear for their future every day. For them, this prayer is all too real. When someone is out to get you, take comfort in the fact that God will hide you and preserve your life. He is a shield, your glory, and the lifter of your head (Psalm 3:2).
3 who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,
4 shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear.
The primary weapon of David’s enemies is that of language. Despite the rhyme “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”, the reality is that words can be devastating, even fatal. Their capacity for destruction is well-documented, whether it is on the personal or societal level. The lies that we hear about ourselves shape our self-perception. The rhetoric that we hear from politicians and media figures forms our view of ourselves as a nation. These tongues that have been sharpened and made deadly like a sword, these bitter words are like arrows ready to be launched into the heart of the unsuspecting. The thing about verbal attacks is that often you cannot be held accountable for them. Afterall, they are just words, they are not physical objects so they can’t do physical harm. This is why the unnamed enemies attack with impunity -- they believe that there are no consequences for them, no downside. In the public arena we see this all the time. Politics has always been an ugly business because those in power are passionate about the things they believe in (or at least they are passionate about themselves), and they will do anything to see their agenda moved forward. For many it seems that the ends justify the means, the good they believe they are accomplishing outweighs the pain that it is causing to others. As they say, “you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelet.” On a personal level we may also adopt the same approach if we really want something. We may think that we have to lie or mislead to better ourselves or our cause, but that never ends well as David will soon point out. But what about my words? Have I sharpened my tongue to slice another and cut them down? Have I aimed bitter words at others in secret (gossip)? Have I said things about another person in private that I wouldn’t say to their face? The answer is certainly yes, so take care with your tongue. Your words have the power of life and deathl (James 3:1-12).
5 They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, “Who can see them?”
6 They search out injustice, saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.” For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.
Having described the weapons of his enemies, David moves to their methods and motives. They grow strong together in their “matter of evil”, talking it up amongst themselves, they are more emboldened. As they plan to lay secret traps, they operate under the assumption that they will both be successful and that no one will ever know. Ah, this is the lie that is believed about every sin I’ve ever committed. I will be successful, in that sinning will bring me what I want, and that no one will ever know, including God -- or if he does know, there will be no consequence. This idea that sin flourishes in the absence of accountability is a frequent theme in the psalms. The fool says in his heart that there is no god, and thus, no judgment and no accountability. The result is that they do whatever pleases them, resulting in massive human misery (Psalms 14 and 53). Verse 6 describes the intentionality behind their actions. They have literally “searched out injustice” and then they boast that they have “made a thorough search and devised a perfect plan.” Then a statement about human nature: the inward thought and heart of man are deep (unsearchable, beyond understanding). There are a lot of things that have changed throughout human history -- many of them in the last twenty years. But one thing that hasn’t changed is human nature. Sadly, it is quite predictable. Humans will convince themselves of things that just aren’t true (“no one will see me”, “I can get away with harming others without consequence”). On that basis they will sink to the lowest depths of depravity to satisfy their desires, regardless of the unjust effects on others. It’s quite easy to see this playing out in our world today. On the society level there are the political and cultural power plays that are being made. Using lies cleverly disguised with a veneer of truth, injustice paraded as justice is pressed forward. On a personal level, my thoughts and my heart are always fertile fields for the enemy to plant lies that will blossom into unjust schemes and actions. May I “diligently search out justice” rather than its opposite, and may I be careful not to deceive myself as to what that looks like.
7 But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly.
8 They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them; all who see them will wag their heads.
Up to this point in the psalm, David’s enemies seem to be getting the best of him. However, now God picks up his bow and arrow and joins the fight. Even as his enemies are shooting “word arrows” at him, God is shooting judgment arrows back at them. They are suddenly wounded as their own words and actions work against them. This is how justice works, and it is repeated enough in the Bible and in the Psalms in particular that it can be stated as a law. In the New Testament it is stated as the Law of the Harvest -- “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:9). It is demonstrably true in practical ways in the physical world, and the Bible makes the claim repeatedly that is true in the moral universe as well. Judgment is inherent in every act of evil. Paul says of those who reject the moral law and the Moral Law Giver that “they receive in themselves the due penalty for their perversion” (Romans 1:27). The arrows they intend for others fly back to strike themselves. And those who are watching all of this shake their heads in agreement -- they got what they deserved. This is a common element in the superhero genre -- the villain often winds up getting destroyed by the very things he intended to use to bring destruction to others, so deeply is this principle ingrained in human nature. And yet, we constantly push against it and refuse to believe it is true when it comes to our own sin. The word arrows that we aim at others will find their ultimate mark -- our own darkened hearts. The bitterness that we have towards others will poison our own soul. They will be used against us in this life and in the next. We will be held accountable for every careless word we have spoken (Matthew 12:36). Guard your tongue today. Don’t unleash arrows that will most certainly come back around to strike you. There is an immutable moral law at play here. Be wise, be warned.
9 Then all mankind fears; they tell what God has brought about and ponder what he has done.
10 Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!
Verses 9 and 10 correspond with verse 5 and 6 in length and even somewhat in content, breaking the customary two line pattern with three lines each. While verses 5 and 6 are about the actions of evil men, 9 and 10 are about the actions of the righteous. When the people of the world see the perfect justice of God, they will fear, they will talk about it and think about it. When the righteous see the same, they will rejoice in YHWH (a somewhat rare occurrence of the divine name in Book 2), take refuge in him, and exult in heart. That God is just and that his actions can be known by all is foundational to both groups of people, and these verses catalog the reactions to this truth with a series of verbs: fear, tell, ponder, rejoice, take refuge, and exult. It seems that this is what we are to be about as well. This is what the world needs most. It’s what people truly need -- to know the reality of God in their lives and respond appropriately. David’s dire circumstances haven’t changed in the course of the psalm, but his confidence in God has. Now convinced that God is just and that he will be vindicated. He predicts victory and invites believers to join him in celebrating that victory in advance of its actualization. This is very much like the Christian faith where we look back to the resurrection and see ultimate victory. It doesn’t change our present circumstance, but it changes the way we look at our trials. They are temporary and will most certainly give way to incomparable glory when the LORD’s perfect justice is known by all mankind. His perfect justice was expressed on the cross. This is the good news that compels us to fear, declare, ponder, rejoice, take refuge, and exult.