Psalms: Saying Yes in the DarknessSample

Today we got a fuller picture of David as he penned down Psalm 59. Let’s dig in a little more to what was going on in his life during this time and figure out why on earth Saul wanted him dead.

We learn in 1 Samuel 18 that “in everything [David] did he had great success, because the Lord was with him” (18:14, niv). David did all he was asked and then some. He went from shepherd boy who delivered food to his brothers in battle (1 Samuel 17:17-9) to the hero of it all (1 Samuel 17:32-51). He was taken into the palace (1 Samuel 18:2) and became the king’s number-one musician (1 Samuel 16:14-23), his most successful warrior (1 Samuel 18:5, 12-16), his son’s best friend (1 Samuel 18:1-4), and his daughter’s husband (1 Samuel 18:22-27).

David went from zero to hero with one swing of a stone and was forced to run for his life from the king himself, who couldn’t control his envy and sought to kill David (1 Samuel 18:28-29).

I heard once that jealousy has two victims, and that is certainly true here. 

Knowing God removed His blessing from his kingship,  Saul became quickly jealous of David, convincing himself the younger man was out to steal his throne. In 1 Samuel 17, soon after Saul learns that God has removed His favor from Saul, David defeats Goliath. It’s here that young David becomes a household name . . . and King Saul’s anxiety begins to simmer.

David was not out for Saul’s throne. But Saul simply couldn’t wrap his mind around that fact. The young man who brought joy and support to the king would soon became a source of anger and resentment. The king’s jealousy went unchecked and boiled over to a point that he simply couldn’t reign it in himself.

Consider Psalm 59 again. Does David’s freak-out mode make more sense now? It’s not easy to be at peace when evil is stationed outside your door or a jealous tries to take us down. But let’s be like David—and take our fears and freak-outs to God.