Introduction
This psalm is a psalm where David calls upon God for deliverance. This psalm is different because it appears to bring together the words of two other psalmists, Psalm 57:7-11 / Psalm 60:5-12, to make this one psalm.
Heading
‘A song. A psalm of David.’
Although the headings aren’t inspired by God, they are important because they give us some understanding of the Psalm and they help us to see why it was written. The headings usually tell us four things.
1. Who wrote them, probably wrote them or possibly wrote them.
2. Information about the historical background to the Psalm. Why it was written.
3. They tell us of the tune the Psalm was written to.
4. How it was used.
The heading tells us this is a psalm and song of David.
‘My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.’ Psalm 108:1-6
David begins by giving God adoration in order that he be delivered, Psalm 57:7-11. David’s heart is steadfast, Psalm 57:7, and he is confident that he will sing and make music with all his soul, that is, within his innermost part, Psalm 57:1-11.
David metaphorically speaks to the harp and lyre and asks them to awake, Psalm 57:8, that is, these are the instruments he will use to praise God, 1 Samuel 16:18. When he uses these instruments to praise God, he will awaken the dawn, that is, he will praise God with them at the start of each day.
David will praise the LORD publicly and unashamedly among the nations and among God’s people, Psalm 57:9. The reason for doing so is simply because of God’s great love, which is higher than the heavens, that is, it’s beyond measure. His faithfulness reaches the skies which again implies it is also without measure, Psalm 57:10.
Although God’s love and faithfulness are without measure, David asks God to be exalted above the heavens and His glory be over all the earth. In other words, God and His glory are worthy of high praise, Psalm 57:11.
After praising God, David asks God to save and help not only himself but also those he is speaking on behalf of God, Psalm 60:5. They needed to be delivered from whatever crisis they found themselves in.
David asks that God saves them with His right hand, Psalm 60:5, which signifies strength and he appeals to God’s love for them. Please note the KJV speaks in singular terms, as though it was David himself who was asking for deliverance.
‘God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth. Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah is my sceptre. Moab is my washbasin, on Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.” Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom? Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies? Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.’ Psalm 108:7-13
David now begins to prophesy, Acts 2:30, he received a message from God whilst in His sanctuary, that is, the tabernacle. The prophecy speaks about God’s ultimate victory over all the nations mentioned, Psalm 60:6-8.
God would triumph and parcel out Shechem, Joshua 1:6 / Joshua 13:6-7 / Joshua 14:5 / Joshua 18:10 / Joshua 19:51 / Joshua 23:4 / Psalm 78:55 / Acts 13:19. God would measure off the Valley of Sukkoth, Deuteronomy 27:11-13 / Joshua 8:33.
God says Gilead is His, Numbers 32:26 / Numbers 32:29 / Numbers 32:39 / Psalm 60:7. Manasseh is His, 2 Samuel 8:3, Ephraim is His helmet, that is, the strength of my head and Judah is His sceptre, that is, symbolic of dominion and governance, Genesis 49:8-12.
God said that He would exalt Himself over the surrounding nations. Both Moab, 2 Samuel 8:2 / Psalm 60:8, and Edom, 2 Samuel 8:14, were noted for their pride, Isaiah 16:6 / Obadiah 3.
Here God gives them places of humble service, Isaiah 15:1-9. Tossing the sandal was possibly a symbolic act of claiming possession, Ruth 4:7. As for the Philistines, let them, if they dare, triumph over him as they had done, he will soon force them to change their note, 2 Samuel 8:1.
David knows that Israel suffered defeat because God wasn’t fighting for them, Psalm 60:10-11, but he trusts that God will lead Israel to victory over the fortified city, Psalm 60:9, that is, the city of Petra, Isaiah 16:1. Petra was the capital city of Edom and it was Joab and Abishai who led David to Edom to be victorious, 2 Samuel 9:1.
David knows that God will take them into the fortified city, despite the fact that He allowed them to be defeated. He knows that any human help isn’t enough, in fact, he knows that any human help is useless, it’s only God’s help that would secure the victory, Psalm 60:9-12.
David ends the plasm by speaking of God giving them the total victory over their enemies, 2 Samuel 8:14 / 1 Chronicles 18:13.
Conclusion
God told David he would successfully defeat all those nations because God Himself was going to fight for him. As Christians, we too can be victorious in our own personal battles if we allow God to fight for us, Psalm 28:7 / Jeremiah 20:11.
Not only will be victorious we will be ‘more than conquerors’, Romans 8:35-39. To conquer is to be victorious over our enemies but to be ‘more than a conqueror’ means we not only achieve victory, but we’re overwhelmingly victorious, Philippians 4:13.
The hard things which we suffer will not cause Him to stop loving us, but our love toward Him may stop as a result of them. Matthew 24:11-12.
When in terrible suffering, we should not think that Christ has forsaken us. Paul quotes Psalm 44:22 to show that there is nothing peculiar in God’s people suffering.
Psalm 44 is a long Psalm dealing with the sufferings Israel had faced ‘more than conquerors’, we can abundantly and overwhelmingly conquer every obstacle.
We conquer only because Christ loves us first. Through Christ who loves us, we can overcome all the trials and hardships of life. Paul himself is an example of such conquering, 2 Timothy 4:6-8.