How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? (Psalm 13:1-2)
Few are they who have not heard of David and the events that led up to him being crowned king of Israel. We know about the shepherd boy who fought off bears and lions as he kept watch over his father’s flocks. We know about his victory over Goliath and his ascension to the throne to reign over a united kingdom. Obviously, we know of his ability to compose psalms. However we sometimes forget that David, among all these other life features, also functioned in the role of a prophet. It was not in the way many of us would imagine when we consider the likes of Isaiah, Elijah and others, but he spoke prophetically nonetheless. How? The spirit of prophecy upon David inspired many of the psalms ascribed to him, including Psalm 13.
According to Jewish scholars, this psalm speaks to the future (from David’s perspective), specifically referring to the time when Israel would be in exile. From Israel’s point of view, exile from the land is equivalent to death and was always the consequence of sin. In exile, God’s people were subjected to the oppressive whims of the nations which prompted them to wonder if God was still with them. Had he forgotten them? Had He hidden His face from them, which is to say, had He removed His Presence from them? Fearing that God had forsaken them, in their desperation they felt compelled to rely upon their own wits in order to withstand the oppression of their adversaries. As the exile lingered on year after year, decade after decade, their hope waned provoking the question, “How long?”
How many of us have asked that question of the LORD about our situation when it seemed He was nowhere to found? How many are currently asking that question of Him because it seems He has hidden His face? How many of us feel that our enemies are lording over us and that every day is a battle to fend off defeat and despair? If so, keep this in mind: as undesirable as exile and the oppression that goes with it are, history teaches us that it was the very thing that provoked God’s people to cry out for deliverance.
Exile and oppression was the tool God used to cause His people to turn back to Him with their all. Even in their weakened state, they found the strength to cry out for redemption, and when they did, He heard. So it is with us: our “exile” may seem to be lingering indefinitely causing us to wonder if God has forsaken us. Deep inside we know that He has not and will not forsake us, even as He requires that we endure the difficult situation — so what are we to do?
Obviously, it is critical that we turn from anything that is offensive to Him and that we renounce the sins we may have committed. Having done that, we must acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves; He alone is our strength and our refuge. Finally let us resolve in our hearts that, even though we know not when, assuredly, there is coming a day when He will arise on our behalf and deliver us from our “exile.” Until then, we continue to seek His face and call to Him for redemption and salvation.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
Recent Comments