David is on the run. Not from the police – he hasn’t done a bank job or anything like that – but from King Saul, his father-in-law, who wants to kill him. Having escaped from Saul with the help of Michal (who, despite having a boy’s name, is actually Saul’s daughter and David’s wife – hence the father-in-law bit), David has been hiding in a wooded area near the town of Ziph where, by an amazing coincidence, the Ziphites live. Most of the ‘Ites’ in the Bible are trouble, except the Israelites, of course, (generally speaking) and the Ziphites are no exception. They are Grade A snakes in the grass and, despite being Israeliites of the tribe of Judah, David’s own people, they have grassed him up to Saul (in fact they did it twice – 1 Samuel 23:19 and 1 Samuel 26:1) and David is in trouble again.
David finds out about the Ziphites’ treachery and cries out to God.
“Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might. Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth” (verses 1-2).
I don’t know about you but my standard response to times of crisis tends to be abject panic followed at a later date, if at all, by the crying out stuff.
Actually the timeline is not stated here so it is not clear whether David, on hearing that Saul is on his way with his stormtroopers, decides to sit down and write a song (like Sir Francis Drake reputedly finishing his game of bowls before going out to see off the Spanish Armada) or whether, as seems more likely, he later puts pen to papyrus at a later date to record the emotions he experienced at the time of crisis and the prayers and thanksgiving that were his response. The truth is that I don’t know but either way David knows where to look at times of trouble (have a glance at Psalm 121 verses 1-2: “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”)
David comes straight to the point, directly to his need, skipping the usual stuff at the beginning about how great God is: “Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might.” This directness speaks of the urgency of his need because, whether he actually records this prayer during or after the event, at the time of which he speaks his life is in danger. Then he implores God to listen: “Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.” (verse 2). I always think it’s rather audacious when Psalmists and other Biblical characters start telling God to pay attention, a bit like a child pulling at his parent’s sleeve while he or she is talking about grown up stuff. As if God is not going to listen! As if God turns a deaf ear to the prayers of his children! However, with God we can speak from the heart like a child to his parent.
To cut a long story shortish, God does hear and heed David’s prayer and David is saved from Saul’s murderous intent. We don’t know which occurrence of Ziphite treachery this passage refers to but 1 Samuel records that on the first occasion God sends a plague of Philistines so Saul has to break off his pursuit of David and on the second a deep sleep falls on Saul and his army enabling David to enter Saul’s tent and carry off a spear and a water jug as proof of having spared Saul’s life. Even Psychopathic Psaul has to back off after that.
How often do we pray for something and then forget – like the nine lepers in Luke 17 – to thank God when our prayer is answered? David does not forget: “I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good. You have delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.” (verses 6-7) David recalls with gratitude past deliverances. When the going gets tough, it is good to remind ourselves of God’s past mercies.
If you’re wondering what a free will offering is, the clue is sort of in the name really: it is an offering given voluntarily, outside the obligations of the law. The offering was to be of a male bull, sheep, or goat with no physical deformities or blemishes, and it was not to have been purchased from a foreigner (Leviticus 22:17–25) but I guess in these New Covenant days if you don’t have one of these God will accept our service, our love, our worship or our financial gifts. The important thing is that they come from the heart.
Comments