I think that we’ve all experience betrayal in our lives. And

if we haven’t had any or even much, we can likely expect to face this kind of

thing at some point in our lives.

In fact, if we haven’t had much betrayal in our lives then

what that might indicate is that we really don’t let people get very close to

us.

Because the reality is that betrayal is less likely the less

we actually trust other people. If you keep yourself quarantined from other

people and never have many interactions that might leave you vulnerable to

them, then you will be pretty much immune to the painful reality of betrayal.

And yet, to live your life in such a way as to try to avoid

betrayal at all costs and to live the hermit life is to be missing out on

relational realities that God wants you and me to have in this life.

So, God does not want you and me to just avoid the potential

of betrayal at the cost of never having serious interpersonal relationships.

And so, if you’re involved in relationships as God has created us to be in,

then you are very likely going to experience betrayal.

And you and I need to know how to handle that. Because

betrayal is painful. No one gets into a relationship wanting to be betrayed!

And yet it happens.

So, how should we handle betrayal?

Well, let’s turn our attention to Psalm 55.

Because in Psalm 55 we have the author – whom we’re told is David

– and he’s working through betrayal.

David had been betrayed by a man who was very close to him.

He reports in this psalm that the two of them had previously experienced sweet

fellowship in the Lord’s house together with all of the rest of God’s people.

But now this man had turned on him and was actually getting

together a mob to kill him.

And here’s what I want us to recognize as we go through this

psalm. We might tend to look at David and his betrayal and think that this

doesn’t apply to us. After all – we

might think – I’m not being pursued by

people wanting to kill me. Therefore, I’m not really sure how this psalm could

be a help to me, personally.

I don’t want us to think that way. I think that we need to

approach this in our minds like a greater-to-lesser situation. If David could

cope with being chased by a murderous group of people due to his being betrayed

by one of those people, then can’t you learn to deal with betrayal in a

situation that’s maybe not quite as difficult and extreme as David’s?

And the answer to that is – yes. Of course we can learn from

David’s praying to the Lord on this matter of being betrayed.

So, let’s read this psalm in its entirety to see how David

dealt with betrayal.

{Read Psa 55:1-23}

Superscription

So, that’s a quick read-through of how David dealt with

betrayal. Now, let’s get into the details.

We’re going to just read through the superscription once

more without much comment, because it’s a fairly standardly-worded

superscription.

<{To/For} the {chief Musician/choir director/music director/director of music} {on/to be accompanied by/with} {Neginoth/stringed instruments}, {Maschil, A Psalm/A Maskil/a well-written song} {of/by} David.>

1-2 Call God’s Attention to the Problem

Now, the first thing that David does when faced with

betrayal is that he draws God’s attention to this reality in verses 1 and 2.

KJV Psalm 55:1 {Give ear/Listen} to my prayer, O God; {and hide not thyself from my supplication./And do not hide Yourself from my supplication./Do not ignore my appeal for mercy!/do not ignore my plea;/and disregard not my supplication.}2 {Attend unto/Give heed to/Pay attention to} me, and {hear/answer} me: {I mourn in my complaint,/I am restless in my complaint/I am so upset and distressed/My thoughts trouble me} {and make a noise/and am surely distracted/I am beside myself/and I am distraught};

This is so obvious that when we experience betrayal or any

negative reality in our lives, you need to pray to the Lord about it. And yet,

how often do we just sit