Psalm, Chapter 57

Prayer for Rescue from Persecutors.

For the choir director; set to [a]Al-tashheth. A [b]Mikhtam of David, [c]when he fled from Saul in the cave.

57 Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me,
 For my soul takes refuge in You;
 And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge
 Until destruction passes by.

-          The title of this message is Prayer for Rescue from Persecutors

o   It brings to the front line our need to pray for rescue (we need to be rescured)

o   It also brings to mind “from persecutors” all Christians have persecutors (those who are trying to cause us trouble to damage our Christian testimony)

-          For the choir director

o   This means it was meant to be a song and the worship leaders were to encourage God’s people to sing this song for a specific reason

-          Set to Al-tashheth (Al-tashheth means “destroy not” or “do not destroy”

-          A Mikhtam (Mikhtam means “golden thing that covers or hides” or “precious tablet inscription” the idea is so precious of words it warrants being engraved. A psalm precious as stamped gold)

-          When he fled from Saul in the cave

o   David means “beloved” but also “weak” or “flowing”

o   Saul means “to ask” or “ask for”

-          Consider this

o   We have prayer for rescue from persecutors

o   Then we have Al-tashheth (do not destroy), then David (beloved), then Saul (asked for or to ask)

o   Everything points towards the beloved of God who are weak asking God to help!

-          What is the thing you are afraid of today that makes you want to run and hide in a cave?

o   It’s time to ask God to rescue you because you are His beloved!

-          Now David shows us how to do it

o   Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me

o   The first thing David asked is for God to be gracious to him

o   grace is absolutely the thing we need (it is unearned, undeserved favor)

o   he repeats the phrase twice be gracious to me; be gracious to me; apparently David wants to make sure God heard this request so he repeated it

§  so too sometimes we need to repeat our request to God multiple times

§  that does not mean he did not hear you the first time

§  it means sometimes you have to say it multiple times to get to the place of faith where you will believe that he heard you and that he will answer

-          for my soul takes refuge in you

o   your soul is the part of you that lasts forever

o   David says his soul is taking refuge in God

o   a refuge is a safe harbor or a safe place

§  it is a place that you can run to in your protected from all harm

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