Psalm 3- Family is Messy

 Psalm 3- Family is Messy

Psalm 3

A psalm of David, written when he fled from his son Absalom.^b

1 LORD, how numerous are my enemies!

Many attack me.

2 Many say about me,

“God will not deliver him.” (Selah)

3 But you, LORD, are a shield that protects me;

you are my glory and the one who restores me.

4 To the LORD I cried out,

and he answered me from his holy hill. (Selah)

5 I rested and slept;

I awoke, for the LORD protects me.

6 I am not afraid of the multitude of people

who attack me from all directions.

7 Rise up, LORD!

Deliver me, my God!

Yes, you will strike all my enemies on the jaw;

you will break the teeth of the wicked.

8 The LORD delivers;

you show favor to your people. (Selah) NET Bible

^b sn According to Jewish tradition, David offered this prayer when he was forced to flee from Jerusalem during his son Absalom's attempted coup (see 2 Sam 15:13-17).

The Backstory

The story behind the writing of Psalm 3 is a lurid tale of deceit, rape, murder, treason and family betrayal that is worthy of any soap opera or country song. Tradition has it that this psalm was written when King David was forced to flee from Jerusalem when Absalom was attempting to take over the kingdom. If this is accurate, then there were indeed many enemies attacking King David at that time. But the story of Absalom really goes back to the time of Joshua.

Absalom’s mother was Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur. (2 Sam 3:3, 1 Ch 3:2) The Geshurites were not Jews, but were descendants of the Canaanite kingdom of Geshur. Theirs was one of the Canaanite kingdoms that the Israelites were not able to drive our when the occupied the promised land in Joshua’s time (Josh 13:8) They continued to occupy territory east of the Jordan in the land allotted to Manasseh, Reuben, and Gad. In the time that David was in exile, hiding from King Saul, He conducted raids on the land of the Geshurites. (1 Sam 27:8). Now it is not clear how David met Maacah but it could have been a political alliance with the King of Geshur. In any case, she was a Canaanite and was the mother of David’s third son, Absalom.

The sordid tale continues when Absalom’s eldest half brother, Amnon, raped his sister Tamar. Absalom was furious, but didn’t exact revenge for two years. Eventually, Absalom killed Amnon. (2 Sam 13:22). After that, Absalom fled from Jerusalem to his grandfather’s family in Geshur (2 Sam 13:37-38) He remained there for 3 years until her returned and started to plot to take over the kingdom of Israel from King David. (2 Sam 15). It is when he proclaims himself king, that David was forced to flee Jerusalem. It is in the midst of this treason and betrayal the King David wrote Psalm 3.

Enemies surround me

Psalm 3:1 LORD, how numerous are my enemies!

Many attack me.

2 Many say about me,

“God will not deliver him.” (Selah)

Who are our enemies? In many cases our fiercest enemies are those closest to us; Those who through sin and hurt have been used by Satan to turn against us. This was certainly true in King David’s case. Going back to Joshua, the Israelites had failed to fully carry out the Lord’s instructions to clear the promised land of all previous inhabitants. The Geshurites remained as a thorn in their side for many years. The story of how King David obtained his many wives is not a G rated one, and culminated with the story of Bathsheba, which was a tale of adultery and murder. After that affair, God placed a curse on the house of David saying “ʻI am about to bring disaster on you from inside your own household!” (2 Sam 12:11) One such disaster was the rebellion and death of Absalom.

In talking and praying with many men about their problems, it is often the case that the root of their problems traces back to some sin, abusive behavior or neglect by their family. It’s not really that their family is their enemy, but rather that the sins of the fathers have consequences, and the enemy can use these sins to torment subsequent generations. However, if we continue on in Psalm 3, we can see how the Lord can bring victory even in these cases.

But You, O Lord, are a Shield to Me

Psalm 3:3 But you, LORD, are a shield that protects me;

you are my glory and the one who restores me.

4 To the LORD I cried out,

and he answered me from his holy hill. (Selah)

5 I rested and slept;

I awoke, for the LORD protects me.

The promise here is that the Lord can protect and restore, no matter how fierce the enemy appears to be. When you cry out to the Lord, he can heal and deliver you from any kind of trouble. In the story of King David and Absalom, this was not the end of his family problems, but David was restored to his rightful throne in Jerusalem and Absalom did not prevail against him. This is also a sad story, because King David still loved his son Absalom and mourned his death even as he celebrated his victory over the attempted coup. (2 Sam 18:33) This lets us know that the people in the family are not the true enemies, but it is the spiritual forces of wickedness that are behind their actions that are our true enemy.

Ephesians 6:12

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

Rejoice in Victory

Psalm 3:5-8

5 I rested and slept;

I awoke, for the LORD protects me.

6 I am not afraid of the multitude of people

who attack me from all directions.

7 Rise up, LORD!

Deliver me, my God!

Yes, you will strike all my enemies on the jaw;

you will break the teeth of the wicked.

8 The LORD delivers;

you show favor to your people. (Selah)

So the final message of this psalm is to rise up! Praise the Lord for His deliverance and cast off all fear. The Lord can deliver even as you sleep! So trust in the Lord, pray for deliverance, and praise His for is favor.

If you are one of those who have been hurt by family members or close friends, seek out a trusted believer who can pray with you and counsel you. It is possible to experience healing over these hurts and in many cases family relations can be restored through forgiveness and the healing power of the Holy Spirit. You too can sing with King David:

Psalms 3:3

3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me;

my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. KJV