Psalm 3

3:1,2David felt like he was in the minority. As many as 10,000 soldiers may have been surrounding him at this time (3:6). Not only did David's enemies view life differently, they actively sought to harm him. As king, David could have trusted his army to defeat Absalom. Instead, he depended upon God’s mercy (3:4); therefore, he was at peace with whatever outcome occurred, knowing that God’s great purposes would prevail. We can overcome fear by trusting God for his protection in our darkest hour.

3:1-3David was not sitting on his throne in a place of power; he was running for his life from his rebellious son, Absalom, and a host of traitors. When circumstances go against us, we may be tempted to think that God also is against us. But David reminds us that the opposite is true. When everything seems to go wrong, God is still for us. If a circumstance has turned against you, don’t blame God—seek him!

3:2The word /nterlude is a translation of the Hebrew word Selah which occurs 71 times in Psalms and three times in Habakkuk (3:3, 9, 13). Though its precise use is unknown, the word was most likely a musical sign. Three suggestions for its meaning include: (1) It was a musical direction to the singers and orchestra to play forte or crescendo, (2) It was a signal to lift up the hands or voice in worship, or to the priest to give a benediction. (3) It was a phrase like “Amen” meaning “So be it,” or “Hallelujah” meaning “Praise the LORD.”

3:4God's holy mountain was Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, the place where David’s son Solomon would build the Temple (2 Chronicles 3:1). David knew that God could not be confined to any space, but he wrote poetically, expressing confidence that God would hear him when he prayed. God responds to us when we earnestly pray to him.

3:5Sleep does not come easily during a crisis. David could have had sleepless nights when his son Absalom rebelled and gathered an army to kill him. But he slept peacefully, even during the rebellion. What made the difference? David cried out to the LORD, and the LORD heard him. The assurance of answered prayer brings peace. It is easier to sleep well when we have full assurance that God is in control of circumstances. If you are lying awake at night worrying about what you can’t change, pour out your heart to God, and thank him that he is in control. Then sleep will come.

3:7David's call for God to act reveals his desire for justice against his persecutors. David himself had been slapped and insulted, and here he simply asks for equal treatment for his enemies. He did this, not out of personal revenge, but for the sake of God's justice. Verse 8 shows the humility behind David's words—he realized that faith in God's timing was the answer to his question about the success the wicked had unfairly achieved.