Psalm 3:1

Note: The commentators I respect most, Calvin and Henry, do not give any application (with only one small exception from Henry) of this psalm as pertaining to Christ. All of the others I have available to me do make such an application. I can see where they draw the parallels because of the connection between this psalm and 2 Sam. 15-18 as well as David’s path as he fled, even his similar circumstance, being compared to Christ who apparently took the same path (brook Kedron and mount of Olives) before Judas betrayed Him. With all of that said, I think Calvin and Henry got it right and the others are not entirely correct. I leave room for the fact that there is some reasonable correlation to be drawn between the two betrayals; but, as I think this study will show, this Psalm is about David’s trust in God and God’s faithfulness and deliverance for His people. I will include the notes where it is reasonable to do so, but if the commentary is just too far off base it will not be included. I have, though, included in the introductory notes their reasoning behind the exegesis of this psalm.

Introduction

• David driven forth of his kingdom, was greatly tormented in mind for his sins against God: And therefore calleth upon God, and waxeth bold through His promises, against the great railings of his enemies, yea against death itself, which he saw present before his eyes. Finally, he rejoiceth for the good success that God gave him and all the church. 1599 GB
• David, although driven from his kingdom, and pressed down with utter despair of relief from every earthly quarter, ceases not to call upon God, and supports himself from his promise against the greatest terrors, against the mockery and cruel assaults of his enemies; and, finally, against death itself, which then forced itself upon his consideration. In the end of the psalm, he congratulates himself and the whole church on the happy issue of all. JC
• David was the composer of this psalm, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, occasioned by his flight from Absalom; who, having stolen away the hearts of the people of Israel, entered into a conspiracy with them to dethrone his father and place himself in his stead; and the people so increased continually with him, that David thought it advisable to flee from Jerusalem. Now was fulfilled what God had said, by Nathan the prophet, should befall him, because of the affair of Bathsheba and Uriah. David was an eminent type of Christ, and so he was in his troubles, and in these; as one of his sons conspired against him to dethrone him, and take away his life; so Judas, one of Christ's disciples or children, for disciples were called children, His familiar friend, that did eat of His bread, lifted up his heel against Him, and sought to betray Him, and did; and who, though He knew the designs of Judas against Him, and did not flee from him, but rather went to meet him, yet it is easy to observe that He took the same route from Jerusalem as David did. At this time He went over the brook Kidron, and to the Mount of Olives. Indeed the whole psalm may be applied to Christ; and so as the second psalm sets forth the dignity of Christ's person, as the Son of God, and the stability and enlargement of His kingdom, notwithstanding the opposition made to Him; this expresses His troubles from His enemies, His death and resurrection from the dead, His victory over His enemies, and the salvation He wrought out for His people. JG
• You will remember the sad story of David’s flight from his own palace, when, in the dead of the night, he forded the brook Kedron, and went with a few faithful followers to hide himself for awhile from the fury of his rebellious son. Remember that David in this was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. He, too, fled; he, too, passed over the brook Kedron when His own people were in rebellion against Him, and with a feeble band of followers He went to the garden of Gethsemane. CHS
• The title of this psalm best leads to the contents of it. The first and literal sense on this psalm should seem to refer wholly to David; but, to an enlightened eye, there is much to be seen in it of Christ. Amidst the afflictions here complained of, there is much of the consolations of Jesus, and His great salvation. RH
• As the foregoing psalm, in the type of David in preferment, showed us the royal dignity of the Redeemer, so this, by example of David in distress, shows us the peace and holy security of the redeemed, how safe they really are, and think themselves to be, under the divine protection. Those speak best of the truths of God who speak experimentally; so David here speaks of the power and goodness of God, and of the safety and tranquility of the godly. MH

3:1

“Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!”
• David was not only dethroned, but forsaken by almost all men; so that he had well nigh as many enemies as he had subjects. It is therefore not wonderful though he was affrighted by the great numbers who were opposed to him, for nothing could have taken place more unlooked for, on his part, than so sudden a rebellion. It was a mark of uncommon faith, when smitten with so great consternation, to venture freely to make his complaint to God, and, as it were, to pour out his soul into his bosom. And certainly the only remedy for allaying our fears is this, to cast upon Him all the cares which trouble us; as, on the other hand, those who have the conviction that they are not the objects of His regard, must be prostrated and overwhelmed by the calamities which befall them. JC
• David's enemies increased in the conspiracy against him, the hearts of the men of Israel were after Absalom, and against him. Christ's enemies increased when Judas with a multitude came to take Him; when the body of the common people cried out, “crucify Him”; when the assembly of the wicked enclosed Him, and pierced His hands and His feet. And the enemies of God's people are many; the men of this world are against them; legions of devils oppose them; and they have swarms of sins in their own hearts; and all these give trouble. David's enemies troubled him… to think that his own son should seek to destroy him; that his subjects, whom he had ruled so long with clemency, and had hazarded his person in war for their defense, and to protect them in their civil and religious rights, should rebel against him. Christ's enemies troubled Him, when they bound and led Him away as a malefactor; when they spit upon Him, smote and buffeted Him; when they scourged and crucified Him, and mocked at Him. The enemies of the saints are troublers of them; in the world, and from the men of it, they have tribulation; Satan's temptations give them much uneasiness and distress. JG
• David was now under the chastening hand of God. And what tended greatly to aggravate it, was the consciousness which he could not but have in his own mind, that it was for sin. God had said concerning his transgression in the case of Uriah, that the sword should not depart from his house; so that David could not but eye God’s hand, in the natural usurpation of his son Absalom. RH
• The poor broken-hearted father complains of the multitude of his enemies. CHS
• That they were very many… beyond what they were at first, and beyond whatever he thought they would have been. Absalom’s faction, like a snowball, strangely gathered in its motion. He speaks of it as one amazed. And how little fidelity and constancy are to be found among men! David had had the hearts of his subjects as much as ever any king had, and yet now, of a sudden, he had lost them. MH

“Many are they who rise up against me”
• Many in quantity… such as Ahithophel and others, who rose up against David in a hostile manner, to dispossess him of his kingdom, and to destroy his life. And many were they that rose up against Christ; the multitude came against Him as a thief, with clubs and staves: the men of this world rise up against the saints with their tongues, and sometimes with open force and violence; Satan, like a roaring lion, seeks to devour them, and their own fleshly lusts war against them. JG
• Christ, the Son of David, had many enemies. When the great multitude came to seize Him, when the crowd cried, Crucify Him! Crucify Him, how were those then increased that troubled Him. Even good people must not think it strange if the stream be against them and the powers that threaten them grow more and more formidable. MH

Personal Summary:
How many of us have been in a circumstance where it felt like the whole world was stacked up against us? The weight of it pressing us down into a deep despair; at its worst, it seems like our very lives are about to collapse and whither away into nothing. I have been there multiple times in my life and I am reasonably sure that many, if not all, of you have been there too. The difference here is that David really was in such a circumstance. Can you imagine the despair; not only of what was going on, but that it was being driven along and facilitated by his own son? I can imagine that between his broken heart and the stress of death pursuing him constantly that David’s life was a mess. Perhaps to aggravate the matter more is the guilt that must’ve have been at the forefront of his mind knowing that his sin caused this and that God was disciplining him for that sin. David had not only been an adulterer but a murderer and now the Lord was disciplining him. But the picture grows dimmer still; for David’s son, born to him by Bathsheba, was killed by the Lord as part of his punishment. What a bleak picture! You sin, Nathan the prophet is sent by the Lord to convict you of your sin, your son dies as a direct result of your sin, then another son turns your people against you and you have to flee your kingdom and hide lest he and his followers kill you. Wow! In our worst moments I would guess that we have not been in this most unenviable position. If we felt crushed under the weight of our moment, imagine how crushed David must’ve been.

Yet, in the face of utter ruin what was David’s response? Did he curse God? Did he lose faith? Did he complain about the severity of God’s wrath against his sin? No, no, and no… he did none of those things. He drew closer to God, he repented, he cast his cares upon God and had faith that the Lord would deliver him. In Hebrews 11:32 the faith of David is one of those listed as an example for all of Christianity to follow for all of time. His faith was great and this psalm tells us about that faith in the face of great adversity. What an example we have for our own lives! As Henry says, “Is any afflicted? Let him pray, nay, let him sing psalms, let him sing this psalm. Perils and frights should drive us to God, not drive us from Him. Even our sorrow for sin must not hinder either our joy in God or our hope in God.” I can say that in times of great despair, specifically despair brought on by sin, that I have mulled over the idea of hiding from God. I have made feeble attempts at avoiding Him in my shame. Yet where am I to go to escape so great a God? What would I achieve should He allow me to escape? Surely I have known no ruin or despair like I would feel if that were to happen.

But, God is more faithful than I am, or, for that matter, any man ever to have lived on this earth. What are we running from? Was the blood of Christ not a sufficient propitiation for the sins of the elect? God loves me and I may have to endure His discipline as Pr 3:12 says, “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” But, I am not going to lose Him! I am not going to be cast from Him! I am eternally secured by Christ. I am justified! Do we know what that means? I am, through the imputed righteousness of Christ, found not guilty. Notice in Rom. 8:30 it is written in the past tense. Do we think the bible made a mistake here and forgot to account for sins that we were yet to commit? No! Of course it didn’t. The redemptive work of Christ stands just as sure with sin number one as it does with the very last sin we will ever commit before the Lord takes us home. Yes, we must repent and we must confess our sins to God. But, when we do we are told, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn 1:9).

So what are we hiding from? What discipline have we not deserved? What trial is not put here for our good? We have a faithful God who is infinitely greater than you or I. Like David, regardless of the cause for our troubles and despair, we cannot run from God. We must draw ever closer to Him and in complete surrender depend upon Him to care for His children. The promise stands true which Christ Himself said, “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (Jn 10:28) Do not allow sinful logic to convince you that you have done something that will separate you from the Lord, you have not. Draw near to God, no matter the circumstance, and your life will be more beautiful than you ever have imagined it to be. Under no circumstance can the child of God sever himself from his God and hope to achieve that which is good or fruitful. Our well being, every single aspect of our lives, every detail of our salvation and our passing into eternity has always been, and always will be, dependent on God, not you or I. Thanks be to Him for that! For if the opposite were true we would all be awaiting damnation. Praise be to God!