The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
Psalm 28:7 NLT
Justice is deeply important, and I do not think David is wrong at all for his feelings and his request to the Lord in v.4, “Requite them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;
Requite them according to the deeds of their hands; Repay them their recompense.”
But I am reminded that if we are to be like Jesus, we must go further: we must love mercy and forgiveness. We must love and pray for our enemies. As I read this Psalm, I am reminded of Jesus who calls us to an even higher standard than seeking justice for our own revenge.
Luke 6:27-31 (Matthew 5:44) “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Luke 23:34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
Romans 12:19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
We are not innocent. We are not righteous. We need saving as much as our worst enemy. If it were not for the grace and mercy of God we would have none of the joy in the righteousness of God that we enjoy. So not only must we leave the seeking justice for ourselves to God, we must hope that God will rescue our enemies too.
But David is clearly showing us the way to salvation. We take all our desires and hopes to God. We leave them in the hands of the Shepherd (Psalm 28:9) of our souls.
I feel compelled to go further and remind my own soul of the parable of the unforgiving debtor told by Jesus in answer to the question of Peter concerning the extent of our forgiveness. And the end of the story is we are setting the standard for how God will treat us by the way we treat others.
Matthew 18:21-35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
MAIN POINT: Trust God with all your requirements for justice, revenge and paybacks and trust Jesus to treat you better than you deserve. Psalm 28:8 “He is a saving defense to His anointed.”
Take your plea for help to God who is the only one who can save you. vv.1-2
God knows the truth, He knows the motive of everyone's heart and he can discern right from wrong, innocent from guilty. God knows where to be merciful and forgiving and where to be exacting and where to draw a line.
Be humble when going to God, recognizing His justice rightly should be turned against you. Psalm 28:3 “Do not drag me away with the wicked.”
I like how this Psalm ends with the picture of the Shepherd. This is the same image Jesus uses to describe himself. And I wonder at this picture of a shepherd carrying the sheep. Why does the shepherd carry the sheep? Surely he doesn’t carry the whole flock. And don't the sheep have to walk themselves to be able to follow? Why does David end this Psalm with a shepherd carrying the sheep? Does it go against the free will of the sheep? Does it mean we are injured? Does it mean we are weak? Do I even know why I need God to carry me?
Trust that God hears your prayer and that He helps. vv.6-9
David is confident that God hears him. v.6 Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy.
David responds with trust, joy and thanksgiving. v.7 He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart.
David reminds himself and others to have the same attitude of trust and hope in God. v.8
David plays the family and future cards. David says to God, we are yours. And we are your name, your possession, your future. You should save us and take care of us because it is a demonstration of your character, purpose and plan. A plan that sees it fulfilment in Jesus, the Shepherd saying, “Father, forgive them.”
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