The Confident Prayer For Deliverance

Commentary

Have you ever been betrayed by someone greatly loved and fully trusted by you?  In this Psalm is the son of a man who was betrayed. It is dedicated to the chief musician, or choir director and is to be played on stringed instruments.

The author is David, and the occasion is when he was being chased by Saul. He prayed an urgent prayer for deliverance (vv. 1-3).  David had taken refuge with six hundred men at Keliah but was warned by Abiathar the son of Ahimelech that these men could not be trusted so he escaped into the wilderness of Ziph. When the Ziphites learned that David was hiding in their wilderness they came and said to Saul, “Doth not David hide himself with us?"  The fact that Saul was trying to kill David was inexcusable but understandable. However, the Ziphites, whose territory lay fifteen miles southeast of Hebron and within the boundaries of the tribe Judah, David’s tribe, should have at least maintained a friendly neutrality. Instead they tried to obtain favor with Saul by telling him where David was and thus betraying David (vv. 4-5).

In desperation David cries out for God to save him and vindicate him by divine might (vv. 1-3).  The work of the Ziphites was intended for evil but David was assured that they will have their pay-day (vv. 4-7). This second portion of the psalm records David’s confident assertion of his trust in God. He declares that God is his helper and sustainer. This led him to pray that God would bring evil on those who slandered him. While he was yet troubled by these people he speaks to God as if He had already delivered him.

Application

Often one of the greatest disappointments in this life is to have a friend betray us. Like David, I just need to leave it all in the Lord’s hands and not try to get vengeance myself.