Psalm 3 – One man with God is always a majority
Although I’ve never seen it, apparently there is an
inscription on the Reformation Wall (a monument to reformers) in Geneva that
reads: un homme avec Dieu est toujours
dans la majorité. Translation: “one
man with God is always in the majority”.
A statement like that could sound arrogant or be abused as a cover for
some very bad behaviour (who are you to question me – God agrees with me?), but
the sentiment it expresses finds a rich basis in Scripture, not least in Psalm
3. This poem is an insight into the
thoughts of King David when he was on the run from his rebellious son,
Absalom. Admittedly David had made some
pretty big mistakes that had helped to foment the uprising led by this most
photogenic of his progeny, but the fact remains that David was God’s anointed
king. The sheer number of people who
turned away from David in this moment is astounding as we read about it in 2
Samuel. It seems that David was left
with the barest handful of loyal followers and many of his enemies believed
that God would np longer move to rescue this aging and increasingly ineffective
ruler.
In this most trying of times David did what a lifetime of
habitual praise had taught him to do instinctively. He cries out to the Lord. His expression of peaceful trust in God is
inspiring – he can sleep at peace and know that he will wake again, because God
sustains him (verse 5). He is confident
that God will answer his cry (verse 4) and so He refuses to fear even if he is
outnumbered 10,000 to one (verse 6). God
is the shield that defends him and the one who will lift his head up so he can
stand tall (verse 3). David calls on God
to deliver him and so bless His people (verses 7-8). Here is a man whose faith convinces him that
ultimate vindication will be his because God is on his side. There will be no majority verdict, no finely
balanced contest, no question of a rematch – when God acts there will be no
other outcome than decisive victory.
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