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. (Psalm 3:7-8)
Kings of the earth, generally speaking, have always enjoyed (and many times abused) ruling with absolute power and authority. David, no doubt, exercised the power he had been entrusted with for good and for bad. What distinguishes David from most, however, is his ability and willingness to recognize his shortcomings and the need for repentance. Furthermore, as we see in these verses, David realized that, for all the power at his disposal, he was still unable to save himself and thus he cried, “Arise, O Lord; Save me, O my God!”
Seeing that we have previously pointed out the distinctions between the Hebrew names for God, Elohim and Yahweh, it bears noting that David used both in this statement. He calls upon YHVH to arise and pleads to the Almighty as Elohim to save him. The point is that, he appeals to God for mercy and, as Supreme Judge, to act on his behalf where his enemies are concerned. In short, David places confidence in God that He will act justly where all are considered, himself included, and that in the end — though he believes God will humble and silence his foes — “salvation belongs to the Lord.”
In other words, though we believe God hears our prayers and petitions, He doesn’t always answer in the way we would prefer — but sometimes He does. David hoped for deliverance through the destruction of his enemies, and as it turned out, that is exactly what happened. Yet in saying that salvation only comes from the Lord, he acknowledged that whatever the outcome, God always acts justly and in the best interests of those who serve Him faithfully. He may or may not “break the teeth” of those who oppose us, but we can be assured that He will bestow goodness and blessing upon us because we are His people.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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