David was a man who was much
beset by many troubles in his life. He spent many days being hunted
like a dog by Saul who meant to kill him, even though David
was the most loyal of subjects and designed no ill to Saul. Saul hated him simply because
David was favored of the Lord. David was also beset by many
other problems, most of which were brought on, humanly speaking,
by his own doing, such as his dalliance with Bathsheba, his
lack of parental supervision and being a good example to his
children, as well as his outright disobedience to the Lord as when
he numbered the people. Thus he knew what it was to be
exercised by the consequences of his sin. But more importantly,
he knew what it was to be under the chastening hand of the Lord,
who ordered his every step and purpose to bring him through
these trials, as well as deliver him out of all his troubles,
to magnify the glory of His grace. Just as Job's friends constantly
laid the cause of his problems at his own feet, so too does
the sinful flesh of the born-again child of God seek to turn him
away from resting in the hand of Him who forms the light and
creates the darkness. The moralists of the world always
fail to see the hand of God in all things, preferring to give
homage to their own free will and believing that both the blessings
and the trials of this life are its result. David knew his sin
was his own, yet he also knew that to be found in the hand
of the Lord, regardless of the trial, was yet a mercy. Religious
men fall into two main categories. Those whose chief desire is to
sail upon calm seas that are soothed over with the platitudes
of their religious prophets of peace. And then there are those
who believe that their own sound doctrine and an adherence thereto
precludes a troubled mind and heart. The sons of God are ordained
unto various trials, troubles, and problems which serve the
main purpose of driving them to their knees to call upon the
Lord for deliverance. They see their sin ever before
them, sometimes more clearly than at others, yet never presuming
themselves to be without sin, as John points out in 1 John
chapter 1. At the same time as their sin
does ever present itself in their eyes with its hideous grin and
constant foul breathings of condemnation, the Spirit of God is ever at
work to deliver them from total despair by reminding them of
the promises of God to preserve them even to the very end. Yet
when they can read their title clear from time to time, they
even rejoice to consider that all condemnation is taken from
them by Him who is their Deliverer and Champion. But they are ever
convinced that this work is of the Lord and not themselves,
neither by their faith or their doctrine. The troubles which
beset the sons of God are quite real, and the feelings of despair
are not imagined. just as the winds were boisterous
and the ship was nigh unto sinking when the Lord lay asleep in the
vessel. Fear in the face of these difficulties is the very emotion
which the Lord uses to remind the sons of God that it is not
by might nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of
hosts. While the psalmist describes the depths of his own despair,
yet he knows that the purpose of it is unto his good, and he
finds solace in it. The troubles which beset David
are here recorded to remind us of our Lord Jesus Christ, as
He was afflicted, stricken, and smitten in our behalf, as He
was made sin for us, and bore our sorrows and took our griefs.
He was indeed a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Whereas
we are called upon to suffer even as He did, we are only temporarily
beset by it. Yet he actually entered into
the anteroom of hell as he sweat great drops of blood for us in
Gethsemane. And then into that cold, dark
place where there is no light, when the heavens became dark
and he cried, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Not
one of the redeemed sons of God has or shall ever enter into
such a place, for he has swallowed it up and destroyed its power
to condemn. My son, despise not thou the
chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.
For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every
soul whom he receiveth.