Psalm 54
A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?”1 O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might.
2 O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves. Selah
4 Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.
5 He will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them.
6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good.
7 For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.
Psalm 91:6
"Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, For the arrow that flieth by day, For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, For the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand."
David knew - - - Pestilence. In letting Saul live, (who had killed Priests of the Temple for merely feeding David and his small band) David was risking his parents and 7 other brothers and their families. You'd have to wonder if David's group were disappointed Saul survived the hunt for David's head on a spike. Or Saul might have attached David's body on a well-known wall until falling to pieces.
Pestilence is really pretty serious. 10,000 ways to lose life.
Let's examine David's son, Solomon's opinion of the Grisly. Solomon explains his father's situation well:
1 Kings 8
31 "If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, 32 then hear in heaven and act and judge your servants, condemning the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.
We see Saul did this - after giving David his own daughter to marry.
33 "When your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and if they turn again to you and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, 34 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to their fathers.
Succinctly Solomon has described Israel - war-torn - during Saul.
And Solomon goes on to describe the Pestilence merciful David could well have experienced. These are the terrors of the Bronze Age and of all mankind:
1 Kings 8
37 "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or
blight
or mildew
or locust
or caterpillar,
if their enemy besieges them in the land at their gates,
whatever plague,
whatever sickness there is,
38 whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house, 39 then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind)
40 That they may fear you all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers.
And not only that pestilence apparently spare them and the nation - that opportunity would not pass them by - leading to more pestilence. All opportunities that lead forward into goodness:
41 "Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name's sake 42 (for they shall hear of your great name and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house,
43 hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.
David believed in the Shield of God allowing him to be merciful and blessed.
David believed in the Mercy of God allowing David to be benevolent. This is an era where your new ally might ask you into the fields to delight in child sacrifice. David was teaching the Mercy of God in doing righteousness. David is no shrinking Petunia to offer goodness and thanksgiving as sacrifice. David is fully informed of the cost of Mercy and would have Mercy be the guide.
David believes when we have approached Father God having done all within our Power - God is going to answer prayers.
The Protection of God for those placing their lives in God's hands doing Mercy and Righteousness.
Abba,
A Thousand years is one day to You. We ask The Vast and Amazing God who calls us His Father, for His Blessing this day and always -upon us and our loved ones.
Three God days ago,
Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the LORD, he arose from before the the first day of the First Temple of Jerusalem, planned lovingly by David, and went to altar of the LORD.
Solomon knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven.
And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel (that is us with God's Living and Active Word)
with a loud voice, saying,
"Blessed be the LORD
who has given rest to his people Israel,
according to all that he promised.
Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.
The LORD our God be with us,
as he was with our fathers. (Our families).
May our Father God not leave us or forsake us,
Our Father God may incline our hearts to Him,
to walk in all His Way, Truth and Life,
to worship our Father God in Spirit and Truth.
Living in Relationship with God of Love, Hope and Encouragement.
Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the LORD,
and with confidence in Jesus,
be near to the LORD our God day and night.
May Father God maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel,
as each day requires,
for all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God;
there is no other.
Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God,
walking in his statutes
and keeping his commandments,
as at this day."
Just as we are able to know the same Father God,
His Holy Spirit and Son Jesus Christ. We are able to catch the words of Solomon as they Live.
Knowing this profound blessing of Three of God's Days - is Alive - Active and the Love of our Father.
Because of the Love Father God has for us,
Jesus has made us God's temple and God's Spirit dwells in your midst.
Listening to Your Living Word with our Spirit, The Holy Spirit You place in us,
we know the Scriptures, and we know the power of God.
Jesus fill us, our loved ones, the Believing world with the Joy of the Holy Spirit.
Filling us with Joy, Hope, Love, Patience, Mercy and letting the Light of Christ
shine in our hearts, bringing Words of Life. Explaining the Love God sees in us and
He has for us.
In Jesus, we will know God eternally and forever. Amen and Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †