The Peace, Restoration, and Deliverance of the Godly

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 52-54

 

Psalm 52:9

I will praise You forever,
Because You have done it;
And in the presence of Your saints
I will wait on Your name, for it ^[c]is good.

(NKJV)

 

As we have observed so far in the study of the Psalms, they represent a contrast of good and evil in our fallen world and show how God is with His people. These three psalms are contemplations of David and demonstrate the peace, restoration, and deliverance from God that those placing their trust in Him can experience. While these psalms were written three thousand years ago, God has not changed, making these psalms relevant in a believer’s life today.

 

In Psalm 52, David contemplates the end of the wicked with the peace of the Godly, beginning with David asking why mighty evil men boast in evil while the goodness of God is eternal (Psalm 52:1). The tongue of the mighty evil man devises destruction like a sharp razor, works deceit with him, loving evil more than good (Psalm 52:2-4). The destiny of this mighty evil man is destruction, removal from his dwelling place, and death (Psalm 52:5). The righteous will see and fear him, but also laugh, saying, “Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.” (Psalm 52:6-7). David concludes his contemplation by saying he is like an olive tree in the house of God who will praise God forever because of what He has done and in the presence of the saints wait on His name because it is good (Psalm 52:8-9)

 

In Psalm 53, David contemplates the folly of Godlessness and the restoration of Israel, beginning by saying that the fool believes in his heart that there is no God (Psalm 53:1). David then contemplates God looking down on the Children of men, seeking any who understand and seek God, but finding none (Psalm 53:2-3). David then wonders if the workers of iniquity who eat up the people of God like bread lack knowledge and do not call upon the Lord (Psalm 53:4). These workers of iniquity are afraid when there is no reason to fear, with God scattering the bones of those encamping against God put them to shame because they are despised by God (Psalm 53:5). David concludes this contemplation with a prayer for salvation to come to Israel from Zion with God restoring his captive people (Psalm 53:6).

 

In Psalm 54, David contemplates God answering his prayer for deliverance from adversaries, with David asking God to save him by His name and to vindicate him by His strength (Psalm 54:1). David then asks God to hear his prayer, listening to the words of his mouth, because strangers, who do not worship God, have risen against him to kill him (Psalm 54:2-3). David then declares God is his helper and is with those upholding his life, declaring God will repay his enemies for their evil, cutting them off in His truth (Psalm 54:4-5). David vows to freely sacrifice to the Lord, praising His name because it is good (Psalm 54:6). David concludes his contemplation by declaring God has delivered him out of his troubles with his eye seeing its desire upon his enemies (Psalm 54:7).

 

In a fallen world of evil, one choosing to trust God will experience threats from evil men, but with trust in God, there is peace, restoration, and deliverance.

 

• Peace (Psalm 52) – David is writing this psalm at a time when Doeg the Edomite has told Saul, who is chasing David and seeking his life, that David has gone to the house of Ahimelech. Therefore, our interpretation of this Psalm is that the mighty man of evil is Saul, with David seeking peace from Saul wanting to kill him. The tongue of Saul devises destruction and works deceit like a sharp razor (Psalm 52:2). Even when facing an imminent threat after the discovery of his hiding place, David has peace in knowing that God will destroy his adversary.
• Restoration (Psalm 53) – This psalm is a contemplation of David for the restoration of Israel. It is unclear when this was written, but possible that he wrote it after becoming king upon the death of Saul, but only king of Judah (2 Samuel 2:4). When Samuel anointed David as king, it was as king of Israel, not just one tribe, so David sought God for the restoration and unification of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1-13). This would occur in 2 Samuel 5:1-5.
• Deliverance (Psalm 54) – Like the contemplation of Psalm 52, this is a contemplation by David of when the Ziphites told Saul that David was hiding with them. While the timing of the writing of this Psalm is uncertain, it was likely written when David discovered Saul knew where he was hiding. When Saul arrived at where David was, he was on one side of the mountain with David on the other (1 Samuel 23:24-26). God did hear David’s prayer and provided deliverance, with Saul receiving a report that the Philistines had invaded the land, causing him to cease his pursuit of David 1 Samuel 23:27-29).

 

We live in an evil, hate-filled world full of anger, but like those writing these psalms, we can have peace, restoration, and deliverance.

 

• Peace in a world of Chaos – The Bible reminds us that we can experience peace when our minds focus on God (Isaiah 26:3). In the book of Romans, Paul encourages the believers in Rome to lose conformity with the world through the renewing of their minds (Romans 12:1-2). Believers in Christ must not dwell on what is happening in our chaotic, fallen world, but focus on the Word of God, praying without ceasing for the saints and the lost in our world (Ephesians 6:18). Believers must not cease lifting up Jesus Christ because when the Church does, Jesus draws all to Him (John 12:32).
• Restoration with God – Restoration with God because what Jesus did on the cross is more than just a pass into eternity with Christ, but adoption into the family of God (1 John 3:1; Romans 8:16-17). This is a complete restoration of humanity to the state He intended in the Garden of Eden, with the earth transformed at the second coming of Christ.
• Deliverance from our past – As restored children of God, our sins are completely forgiven by God when we confess them to the Lord of our lives (1 John 1:9; Psalm 103:12). It is impossible to measure the distance from east to west because, since the earth is round, if one continues traveling east, they will arrive back at where they started. Therefore, our sins are an immeasurable distance from us and completely forgiven, making our deliverance from sin complete. As Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished,” meaning the debt of sin is paid in full (John 19:30).

 

 If you are reading this and have never prayed to accept God’s gift of salvation and the complete forgiveness of sin, I encourage you to do so now.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9). I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

If you meant what you just prayed, know God has forgiven all your sins and you now have a relationship with God and are a child of God (Romans 8:16). Like any relationship, it grows as we get to know each other. While God already knows all about us, we must study the Bible, the word of God, to learn more about Him. If you just prayed, I encourage you to find a Church that teaches the truth of the Bible so you can learn more about the Lord. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.