Psalms 64

Psalms 64:7-10

There is no risk for David from his enemies; therefore, 1. He prays to God to preserve him from their malicious defenses, vers. 1, 2. 2. He gives a very ill character of them, vers. 3-6. 3. By the spirit of prophecy he foretells their destruction, which would rebound to the glory of God and the encouragement of his people, vers. 7-10. This was the Son of David profounded, but his feet at last are made his fastfall.

¶ To the chief musician, A psalm of David.

1. HEAR my voice, O God, in my prayer; P. P. 1000. preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

2. Have me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the information of the workers of iniquity:

3. Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bowls to shoot their arrows, even bitter words: 4. That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not. 5. They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune + of laying shares privily, they say, Who shall see them? 6. They search out inopinions, they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart is deep.

1-6. We have here,

1. David in fear crying unto God for protection and safety. Secret counsels and open instructions of the wicked, who flock at nothing to carry their point, expelled his life to danger great and imminent; to God therefore he applies, that he may be hid from the gathering storm, v. 1, 2. Nate, The faithful have their foes, and sometimes may find their hearts tremble when death keenly approaches them; but they have one who can deliver them from every bondage of fear.

2. He opens before God the wickedness of his enemies, as a plea for protection from them. With lies sharp as a sword, and infatuations malignant as a poisoned arrow, v. 3. they flock at him, though perfectly innocent of every charge they laid against him: in secret they watched the opportunity, or eager to embrace it suddenly let fly, fearless of confutation, and confident of success; or impunity during, cast off all fear of God, v. 4. Strengthening each other’s hands in wickedness, they confided how to destroy him privately, and pleased themselves with the atheistical conceit, that even God’s eye could not discover them, v. 5. Solicitous to pick up some shadow of accusation, with diligent search they sought to find some evil in him, or to subsum witnesses against him; and in the depth of a heart, full of malignity and wickedness, contrived how to blast his character, or to rob him of his life. Nate, (1.) The people of God have been in every age the butt of the malignant tongue, and bitter words of reproach and infamy have been liberally thus forth against them. (2.) Though no man is absolutely perfect in himself, yet they who are accepted in the Redeemer, and have the truth of grace in their heart, are complacent in him, and therefore hated of the world, who cannot bear their holy and heavenly conversation. (3.) Against a lying tongue there is no defence. (4.) During timers harden each other; and having cast off God’s government, would faint flatter themselves they can elude his unselfishence, and promise themselves impunity in their iniquities. (5.) They who are maliciously bent on mischief, flock at no pains to accomplish their designs; how few christians serve their Lord

Lord so wildiously, heart and hand, as the devil’s servants do their master!

7. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow, suddenly shall they be wounded. 8. So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: “all that fee them, shall flee away. 9. And “all men shall fear,” and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. 10. The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

Though the wicked say, God shall not see, he will awfully convince them of their folly.

1. By his judgments. God shall float at them with an arrow, suddenly shall they be wounded: one of his arrows shall do more terrible execution than all theirs; it shall pierce their hearts, and lay them dead at his feet, in the midst of their false and fatal security. v. 7. So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves; the curses they have uttered against the innocent shall return upon their own heads. Note, (1.) When God shakes, he strikes home, and there is no escape. (2.) The horrid imprecations of the passionate and prophecies, bring upon their own souls that damnation they so impiously and rashly denounce on others.

2. The effects of these judgments would be great; fear of their plagues shall make beholders flee to face themselves from perishing among them, v. 8. All that fee it, struck with conviction, shall consider, and own God’s righteous vengeance, and declare it as an admonition to the rising generation, v. 9. The righteous will be glad at beholding God glorified, and shall rejoice in his salvation, thus manifested for them; and by present experience of his gracious interposition, be encouraged to trust him in all future dangers. Note, (1.) It is wisdom to profit by others harms. (2.) Many a warning is lost by inconsideration. (3.) The persecutors of God’s people should read and learn, and tremble, whilst the door of hope is yet open. (4.) Though the misery of an enemy, simply considered, cannot be a good man’s delight; yet so he refused from the oppressor, and to see God’s righteous judgments executed, is just matter of joy. (5.) They who make God their trust, shall find him their glory.