Psalm 7
Cush the Benjamite was among King Saul's fawning flatterers. He was one of a group of evil men from Saul's tribe who reported what they heard about David during those years when Saul was out to capture and destroy his rival. Saul played on the sympathy of his leaders and bribed them into serving as spies (1 Sam. 22:6ff.; 23:21; 24:8ff.; 26:18–19). To earn the king's approval and rewards, they even lied about David, and Saul believed them. We don't know what lies Cush told Saul, but David was concerned enough to cry out to God for deliverance and vindication. Shiggaion is used only here in The Psalms (but see Hab. 3:1) and could mean "a passionate psalm with strong emotion." Some believe it comes from a word meaning "to wander, to cry aloud." The theme is God's vindication of His servant and judgment on his enemies (vv. 6, 8, 11). The psalm describes four different judgments.
The Strain of Despair (vv. 5–7) We have gone from a morning psalm (3:5) to an evening psalm (4:8) and back to a morning psalm (5:3). Now we have another evening psalm (6:6). But whereas in the previous psalms, the Lord gave sleep and peace to David, here we find the king sleepless because of fear and pain. He was worn out from groaning, tossing, and turning, and he spent a good deal of time weeping. "I soak my pillow … I drench my couch" (v. 6 AB; see 38:9–10). Sleeping had been replaced by suffering. Sleep is important for healing (John 11:11–12), so David's lack of sleep only made the condition worse. David's weakened condition was revealed by the dullness of his eyes (v. 7; see 1 Sam. 14:27, 29). It's remarkable how much physicians can discover about our physical condition by looking into our eyes.
A man I considered to be a godly spiritual leader once said, "I hear Christians say that their pain and sickness brought them closer to God, but in my case, that didn't always happen." That encouraged me! From my own experience and pastoral ministry, I've learned that sickness and pain either make us better or bitter, and the difference is faith. If we turn to God, pray, remember His promises, and trust Him, we will find His grace sufficient for our needs (2 Cor. 12:9). The Lord may not do what we ask, when we want it, but He will do what needs to be done and help us glorify His name. The question we should ask isn't "When will I get out of this?" but "What can I get out of this?"
Other People Judge us Wrongly (vv. 1–2) Cush lied about David; therefore, Saul persecuted and pursued David (vv. 1, 5, 13). David fled to the Lord for refuge (see 11:1; 16:1; 31:1; 57:1; 71:1l; 141:8) because the Lord knew that David was innocent of Saul's accusations. David had saved his father's sheep from the attacks of dangerous beasts (1 Sam. 17:34–37), and now he felt like he was the victim. (For animals as symbols of enemies, see 10:9; 17:12; 22:12–13, 16, 20–21; 35:17; 57:4; 58:6; 124:6.) David saw himself as a "dead dog," a "flea," or a hunted bird (1 Sam. 24:14; 26:20). Note that the King James Version and the New American Standard Bible move from the plural (v. 1) to the singular (v. 2), from Saul's men to Saul himself. Saul's judgment of David was false, and David trusted the Lord to protect and save him. When today people falsely accuse us and create problems for us, we should follow David's example and find refuge in the Lord. But let's be sure that we are suffering wrongfully and not because of our own foolishness or disobedience (Matt. 5:11–12; 1 Peter 3:13–17).
The Joy of Deliverance (vv. 8–10) At this point, there's a sudden and surprising change from suffering to joy, an experience recorded in other psalms (22:22; 56:10; 69:30). It doesn't matter whether this change occurred later or immediately after David prayed, but he felt healing in his body and peace in his heart and mind. Perhaps word came to him that the enemy had retreated or, better yet, had been defeated, and he knew God had heard his cries. Or maybe his circumstances hadn't changed at all, but David felt God's witness in his heart that all would be well. The Lord had heard his weeping and requests and had accepted his prayer.
We Judge Ourselves Honestly (vv. 3–5) David affirmed his integrity before the Lord and