An Exposition of Psalm 3 — Help in Trouble

King David Flees Jerusalem

Psalm 3

Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!

Many are they who rise up against me.

Many are they who say of me,

“There is no help for him in God.” Selah

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,

My glory and the One who lifts up my head.

I cried to the Lord with my voice,

And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

I lay down and slept;

I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.

I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people

Who have set themselves against me all around.

Arise, O Lord;

Save me, O my God!

For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;

You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.

Salvation belongs to the Lord.

Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah.

Introduction

Troubles and trials come to everyone. The question is, what do you do when they come? How do you respond? Most importantly, to whom do you turn? Sure, it’s nice to have a good group of friends to support you, but often friends abandon you in your darkest moments. There are secular counselors trained for every possible scenario, and, while their techniques certainly can help for a time, when you rely on them, you will often find they only offer temporary relief. They cannot satisfy the deepest needs of your soul. Many turn to drugs and alcohol to take the edge off the pain, but, again, these are Band-Aids at their best. Their relief will be only temporary. 

There is only one source of lasting relief and refuge in times of trial. That is the Lord Jesus Christ. But how often, have we, like unbelievers, turned to any other refuge first? How often have we preferred the passing comforts of this world to the permanent comfort of Christ?  May we never forget the source of our greatest hope and help in time of need. 

Here, in Psalm 3, David provides us a model for facing trials. He was betrayed by family and friends, running for his life, but he knew where to turn in this hour of need. He knew that the Lord supports his people in times of trouble.

As we begin this morning, we see the rise of trouble in verses 1-2.

1. The Rise of Trouble (vv. 1-2).

Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!

Many are they who rise up against me.

Many are they who say of me,

“There is no help for him in God.” Selah

Notice, first, David is crying out to the Lord in this hour of distress. He had wise counselors, valiant soldiers, and beloved friends, but he doesn’t turn to any of these as his primary source of comfort. Rather, he turns to the Lord. 

David begins this prayer with a lament. Yes, the Lord already knows of his rising trouble, but David still speaks clearly of his trial as he begins his prayer. David describes his adversaries three ways. They are increasing in number, united against him, and mocking his faith. 

In 2 Samuel, we have an account of how David’s troublers increased. Even great men, like David, have their weak points, and David’s son, Absalom, certainly exposed David’s weaknesses. Absalom was an evil son, but many of his sins began as a result of his father’s sins. In chapter 13, we learn how Absalom’s half-brother, Amnon, raped his sister. David neglected to judge this evil deed, so Absalom took matters into his own hands and murdered Amnon. After a period of exile Absalom received David’s blessing to return to Jerusalem, and this is when the events leading up to David’s current trouble begin. Absalom began standing in the gates of Jerusalem every morning to intercept everyone coming to Jerusalem with a legal case. He would tell them their case was right and good, but David did not have men appointed to hear them. Through smooth words and pretenses of compassion, Absalom stole the hearts of Israel. So, when the day came that he declared himself king, many men were eager to follow him. This is why the numbers of those who troubled David increased so quickly. It took years of deceit and flattery for Absalom to accomplish this scheme.

This uprising was not merely a protest against injustices. It was a united attack on David himself. In 2 Samuel 16, we read of the curses of Shimei and the counsels of Ahithophel. These conspirators wanted David dead. They hated him, and desired to turn the entire nation against him. 

But in all Absalom’s schemes he neglected to seek the Lord’s favor. He sought power through chariots and horses. He sought wisdom in David’s counselors. He sought the favor of the people through deceit and flattery. But, in all this, he rejected the fear of the Lord. While this sentiment is not recorded in 2 Samuel, we learn here that Absalom and his allies were so confident in their human strength, that they believed David was beyond the help of the Lord. Perhaps they also assumed the Lord would not help a man who had sinned against him as David had many times, but they forgot that God is patient with his people and abounding in mercy and forgiveness. It is this very insolence of David’s enemies that proves to be their downfall. David trusted in the Lord, and he was not disappointed. 

These verses conclude with Selah. While the exact meaning of this word is unclear, it serves as a marker for a pause in the singing of a song. Some take it as a time when a harp would be retuned, and others, a preparation for more vigorous singing. I believe the most convincing theory to be is that this word is a call to stop and observe what has been said, a call to meditation. 

So, what should we think of these first two verses? Will God allow men to mock him in this manner? Will he allow the suffering of his saints to continue forever? No! Our good and gracious Lord supports his people in times of trouble. 

Consider the example of Job. Job was a faithful servant of the Lord, yet he endured remarkable suffering and trial. He lost his children, his possessions and his health. His wife told him to curse God and die! His friends blamed his trouble on some secret sin. But when God responded, he upheld this faithful servant, and, in time, restored every blessing on him. God helped Job, not because Job had earned his favor, but because God himself is faithful. He would not allow men to say that God abandons his people in times of trouble.

So, what should we learn from David’s lament in verses 1-2? It is good and right to cry out to the Lord when we face trials. Yes, we may benefit from the help and comfort of friends and physical treatments, but the problem of suffering is, at its core, a spiritual problem. While suffering is not always a direct result of our personal sin, suffering is ultimately a result of the curse of sin. There would be no suffering in this world if Adam never fell, and there will be no suffering when Christ restores all things on the last day. But we live in between, in a world filled with suffering. It is right and good to acknowledge this suffering and to cry out to Jesus, our great healer. He alone can save us from our sins, and, likewise, he alone can save us from the fruit of sin we experience in suffering. David sought comfort in the Lord, and so should we. 

The Christian has nothing to fear in a multitude of enemies. Though many rise against him, those who are on the Lord’s side need not fear man. As we read in Psalm 91:7-8:

    A thousand may fall at your side,

    And ten thousand at your right hand;

    But it shall not come near you.

    Only with your eyes shall you look,

    And see the reward of the wicked.

Finally, may we always remember, whatever men may say there is help for the Christian in God. Our Lord supports his people in times of trouble. 

These angry crowds and mocking cries against David foreshadow the cries against Christ on the cross, “he saved others, let him save himself if he is the Christ, the chosen of God” (Lk. 23:35). And if scoffers spoke thus against our Savior, we should not be surprised when they speak against us, in like manner. But Christ was despised, smitten by God, and afflicted (Is. 53:3-4). “The chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed” (Is. 53:5). The greatest support for the Christian is in the cross, where Christ suffered on our behalf, in our place. 

We learn more about the Lord’s help under our second point, the protection of the Lord, verses 3-4:

2. The Protection of the Lord (vv. 3-4).

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,

My glory and the One who lifts up my head.

I cried to the Lord with my voice,

And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

David moves from lamenting his troubles to confessing his faith here in verses 3-4. He confesses that the Lord is his shield, his glory, and the One who lifts up his head.

As a valiant soldier himself, the image of a shield was one very familiar to King David. While the shields that David would have carried into battle would have been small, and only useful with great strength and skill, the shield of the Lord protects from every side, no matter the strength or skill of the one who bears it. 

It is the Lord who called David from the fields where he cared for sheep to reign as king over all Israel. All of David’s glory came from the Lord. David knew this well. So, if David’s glory was to be destroyed by one who mocked the Lord, how would that impact how men considered the Lord’s glory? In calling the Lord his glory, David is humbling himself, and appealing to God’s own glory as a reason for him to move.

David continues by identifying the Lord as the one who lifted up his head. Lifting up the head was a phrase used to describe exalting or encouraging someone. God had exalted David when he raised him up to rule Israel. Through every trial and difficulty, the Lord had encouraged David and granted him the strength to press on. In contrast, Absalom had raised up his own head in rebellion against both David and the Lord. So the glory of the Lord would be greatly advanced if he chose to aid David and, once more, lift up his head.

Considering his complete dependence on the Lord, David cries out to the Lord in this hour of trial. Pagan kings might call out to their idols. Rebel sons like Absalom might use their voice to boast of their own glory. But David cries out to the Lord with his voice.

And the Lord heard David from his holy hill. Now, usually the Lord’s holy hill was another name for Zion or Jerusalem, but in this moment, Zion is overrun by enemies of the Lord. Its holiness has been compromised. But David looks past the earthly city to a far more permanent reality, the heavenly Zion, the New Jerusalem, the City of God that can never be destroyed by the schemes of men. In the darkest moments of his life, David knew there was a holy hill that could not be desecrated. He knew the Lord still reigned even in the raging of the nations. And David’s faith was rewarded, because the Lord hears his people when they cry out to him. 

The Lord’s protection of his people in trouble is vividly displayed in the birth of Christ. Jesus was born in a generation when Israel was ruled by Rome. When the wise men came from the east to worship Christ, they found a jealous King Herod, and ambivalent priests and scribes (Mt. 2). Herod feared the prophecies of this newborn king, so he murdered all the male children in Bethlehem and surrounding regions to eliminate this perceived threat. But God the Father was a shield around Jesus Christ the Son. He warned Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt, so they escaped the wrath of Herod. 

The Gospels are full of accounts that illustrate the Father’s shield placed around Jesus, but another one of the clearest cases would be Luke 4:28-30:

So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

It is clear from the Gospel accounts that God provided this shield around Jesus until his time had come. 

We have seen how the Lord protected David and Jesus, but how does this theme of the Lord’s protection of his people apply to us today? The Lord remains our shield and protector. He saves and supports for his own glory. We cannot and dare not exalt ourselves, but we may trust that God is able to raise us up in due season. It is good and right to cry out to the Lord in trouble, for he still hears from Zion’s holy hill.

One might question the value of this shield of the Lord as both David and Jesus fell into trouble, and so do we. It is true that the Lord does not shield his people from every trouble, but often he protects his people while they go through trials. Remember, suffering is a natural result of living in a sin-cursed world. One day Jesus will return and make all things new, but, until that day, he shields his people in trouble, not from trouble. 

We, like David, may confess that the Lord is our glory. Any position, strength, or skill we gain is a gift from his hand, so we should trust that if help will come in the hour of trial, it will come from his gracious hand, and for his own glory. We may also appeal to God’s glory. We may ask him to move on our behalf, because his protection in trials will be a demonstration of his glory to all who witness his mighty hand move. If we are to be raised up or exalted, may it be the Lord who lifts our head, and not our foolish pride.

Let us cry out to the Lord in our suffering and trust that he will hear. Why may we trust that God will hear? Because he has set his love on us. Consider 1 John 4:9-10:

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

The first thing every Christian must accept is that God freely chose to love us while we were still dead in our sins, in rebellion against him. So, as we face trials and testing as Christians, let us remember what we already know. The Father loved us enough that he sent the Son to die in our place. Jesus went to the cross because of his own love for us. And if he loved us enough to die for us, he will certainly hear when we cry out to him. Zion’s holy hill still stands far above the chaos and tumult of this world. If anything, this side of the death, burial, and resurrection, we have even more reason to trust that God will hear and respond from Zion’s holy hill than David could. We have a greater revelation, and, consequently, a more certain hope.

And this more certain hope leads with even greater certainty to the third point in our text this morning: the rest from the Lord, verses 5-6:

3. The Rest from the Lord (vv. 5-6).

I lay down and slept;

I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.

I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people

Who have set themselves against me all around.

In these verses David finds peace sufficient to sleep. Remember the context of this Psalm. In 2 Samuel 17, we read that on the day David fled from Absalom, Absalom’s adviser, Ahithophel, suggested he ought to pursue David that night and defeat him in battle before he had time to rest. David’s friend, Husahi advised against this strategy, and the Lord caused Absalom to follow Hushai’s advice. If Ahithophel had prevailed, there would have been no rest that night for David, and it is quite possible he would have died in battle. But God had other plans.

David both lay down and slept. There, in the midst of one of the greatest trials of his life, David slept soundly. Most men would be driven to anxiety and despair in moments like this, but David trusted in the Lord. He rested in confidence that the Lord would uphold his own glory. David’s faith was rewarded. Morning came and he awoke, finding that the Lord had sustained him through that night. 

And, seeing his faith so well rewarded, David declares even greater faith in verse 6. Just as the Lord had been David’s help when he faced the lion and the bear as a youth in his shepherding years, just as the Lord granted him victory over Goliath, and over other enemies on so many occasions, David now declares that he will not fear the tens of thousands of revolting Israelites who were gathering against him. Just as he had trusted in the Lord so many times before and witnessed God’s good and gracious deliverance, he again declares his confidence in the Lord. 

In all this, consider how David’s perspective is neither carnal pessimism or optimism. The carnal pessimist might see the tens of thousands of soldiers and give himself over to anxiety and desperation. The carnal optimist might deny the strength of his foes or overestimate his own strength and skill. David does neither. Rather, looking with eyes of faith, he rightly analyzes the strength of his foes. He humbly observes that this situation is far beyond his strength and skill. But he does not despair. Instead, in his hour of need, David places his confidence in the Lord who has delivered so many times before, and he trusts, will deliver again. This is a hope worth resting in.

There is no better illustration of the rest the Lord gives his people in times of trouble than the rest the Father gave the Son in times of great danger during his time on earth. David’s faith is weak and his rest, troubled, compared to the perfect faith and rest of Jesus. 

We read in Matthew 8 of a time when Jesus and his disciples were caught in a violent storm on the sea of Galilee in a fishing boat. The disciples were astonished to find Jesus sleeping in the midst of this storm that threatened their lives. When they awoke him, this was his response:

But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm (Mt. 8:26).

So, Jesus not only rested in the storm, but expected his disciples to rest as well. This is the fruit of living by faith in God. There is refuge and rest even in the greatest troubles for the people of God. Consider Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail. They sang the praises of the Lord in their darkest moments. Consider the testimony of countless martyrs throughout church history. God has granted them rest, even peace and joy, while they await certain death. No matter the outcome, these saints rested in Christ because they knew that the Lord supports his people in times of trouble.

We find our hope in times of trouble in the same place as David. If Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, why should we fear armies of adversaries? If Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, how could we keep from singing his praises in the darkest trial? If Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, should we not also rest in him? Though the hosts of hell and darkness gather against us, we have our Lord Jesus Christ, so let us never fear these foes. We may lay down and sleep even in the face of their greatest threats for Christ our King supports his people. Christ, our King, grants us rest in trouble.

We come now to our fourth point in verses 7-8: the salvation of the Lord.

4. The Salvation of the Lord (vv. 7-8).

Arise, O Lord;

Save me, O my God!

For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;

You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.

Salvation belongs to the Lord.

Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah

Here, in verses 7-8, David completes his plea with the Lord. He begins this prayer with a lament over the rise of troublers. Next, he confesses his faith in the Lord’s protection of his people. Third he recounts the result of that faith. He was able to sleep peacefully, and rise refreshed. Finally, he raises his voice to plead for salvation, and confesses his confidence that the Lord has and will save him. 

As we considered in the title, David wrote this Psalm when he was fleeing from Absalom. Most of this Psalm seems to indicate that David had been delivered from the danger, but here in verse 7, it appears that David is not yet free from his trouble. It is as if David knew the battle would be won, but still anticipated the battle being won. 

Whatever the exact timing of this plea may have been, David knew where to turn in his hour of trouble. He calls on the Lord to arise and save him. As Charles Spurgeon puts it: 

His only hope is in his God, but that is so strong a confidence, that he feels the Lord hath but to arise and he is saved. It is enough for the Lord to stand up, and all is well.

God’s people have often repeated this plea for the Lord to arise. In Psalms 10 and 12, the Psalmist cries out for God to arise and bring personal salvation. In Psalm 44 the sons of Korah cry out for the Lord to arise and save Israel corporately. In Isaiah 51:9-10 the prophet appeals to the very character and glory of God:

Awake, awake, put on strength,

O arm of the Lord!

Awake as in the ancient days,

In the generations of old.

Are You not the arm that cut Rahab apart,

And wounded the serpent?

Are You not the One who dried up the sea,

The waters of the great deep;

That made the depths of the sea a road

For the redeemed to cross over?

And generation after generation, God has rewarded these cries by arising and saving his people.

While Absalom and his armies may have still been pursuing David as he wrote this Psalm, David had been saved by the hand of the Lord enough times to trust he would be saved again. Just as Isaiah would generations later, David appeals to the previous salvation of the Lord to demonstrate his faith that God would move yet again. What good is a lion with a crushed jaw, or a toothless Rottweiler? Or what damage does a dragon with a crushed head inflict? David had seen God utterly crush his enemies before, and he believed it would happen again. Those who plotted violence against the Lord’s people would suffer violence at his hand. 

David concludes by confessing, Salvation belongs to the Lord, and his blessing is on his people. Salvation is all of God. While many today call this Calvinism, and deny it as a doctrine of men, we see it here on the pages of Scripture. It is not even legitimate to say this doctrine was developed by Augustine in the 4th century, or Paul in the 1st century. David confesses this truth 1000 years before Christ! And David does not merely confess that the Lord saves, or that he tries to save, but needs a little help from men. No, David confesses that Salvation belongs to the Lord. It is part of the very character and nature of God to save his people.

And it is not enough for God to merely save. He also places his blessing upon his people. Blessings on earth and blessings in heaven. Blessings now, and blessings eternally. Consider this, though David is fleeing for his life from a rebellious son leading the armies of Israel against him to destroy his life, David confesses that God’s blessing is upon his people. Eyes of faith reveal a depth and glory of blessing that far surpasses the feelings of the present moment. In his darkest trials, David still confessed that God’s blessing is upon his people. This is not merely a wish, a desire, a belief that someday blessings will come. No, it is a confession that those blessings are present even in the trial. 

David concludes this Psalm with a second “Selah.” Stop and consider the glorious truths David has just proclaimed. Salvation belongs to the Lord. His blessing is upon his people. 

The salvation of the Lord is most clearly displayed in the cross of Christ. Christ died to save his people once and for all. He left the splendors of heaven to take on human flesh, live a perfect life, die a substitutionary death on our behalf, and rise again to assure us of eternal glory. Yet, much like David’s perspective of past and future salvation, we live between the defeat and the destruction of the power of sin and Satan. Man’s bondage to sin was broken at the cross, but the last remnants of sin will not be abolished until the last day, when Christ returns in glory.  

Even now, the martyred saints cry out from under the altar:

How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? (Rev. 6:9)

The saints of Nigeria, Iran, and China now join the cries of those faithful martyrs who have gone before slain by Israel, Rome, France, and Germany. Yes, their Lord has broken the teeth of countless enemies of the cross, and that record of Christ’s conquest inspires them to trust that he will complete his work. Christ’s death was not in vain! Salvation belongs to the Lord, and no power of hell, no scheme of man, will prevent him from saving and blessing his people. 

As we consider how these verses may be applied in our own lives, it is essential for us to step back and evaluate our own spiritual condition. All of us go through trials, so all of us will have moments when we must cry out for the salvation of the Lord. But general, corporate application of these verses is of very limited value. It’s one thing to recognize that salvation belongs to the Lord, it is another, entirely, to be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ! 

Friend, if you are here today, and you have only ever recognized Christ as a Savior, but never as your Savior, you are no better off than those demons that believe and tremble. You must be born again! You must recognize that you are sinner bound for hell, that you can never pay the price for your own sins, and that you desperately need a great and mighty Savior. Since salvation belongs to our Lord, you must repent of your sins and rest in him. He is able. He is willing. Doubt no more. 

Perhaps there are some among us who cry out for assistance or salvation when life is going poorly but lean on their own strength in better times. Perhaps you, like David, have seen the Lord intervene in your greatest trials, but once the trial passed, you went back to living according to your own will and desires, with little concern for God and his righteousness. Do not presume on the grace of God! You also must recognize that salvation belongs to the Lord. Many will say on the last day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And God will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (Mt. 7:22-23)!’ You, also, must repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

I trust that most of you here today do possess saving faith in Christ. Like David, you have seen the salvation of the Lord before, yet trials still come. Remember that this trial came upon David in his later years. We are not promised complete deliverance from trials in this life, and often, some of the greatest trials the saints face come after years of faithful service in Christ’s kingdom. The salvation of the Lord is displayed most vividly through trials. Yet, even in these hours of darkness, may you, like David, remember that salvation belongs to the Lord. May you, like David, be given eyes of faith to behold the blessings of the Lord that rest upon his people even in the midst of trials. May the Lord support you in your darkest trials, for salvation belongs to the Lord.

Conclusion

As we conclude today, may we remember that trials and troubles do still come upon God’s people. When they come, may we find our protection in the Lord, our rest in the Lord, and our salvation in the Lord. May we always remember that our Lord Jesus Christ supports his people in times of trouble. May we find our salvation and blessing, both now, and eternally in him.