My tongue-twister of a title for this lament attempts to capture how the psalmist prays for God’s help in the face of fear and foolishness.
Facing Fear (v.1)
The psalmist prays to the Lord, “preserve
my life from dread of the enemy.” 
Photo by M.T ElGassier on Unsplash
We might join him and pray for
protection from the enemy, but do we pray for protection from the fear of the
enemy? It might be a good idea. Our world is increasingly motivated by fear and
anxiety, and as the old song says, “fear is a liar!” If we are moved by our
fear or dread of the enemy, we are not standing in faith and love. I find that
the more I consume news and social media accounts, the less faith-motivated I
am. Not only that, but I am less likely to act in love and kindness towards
those I face today.
The trick is for us not to be
controlled by fear. The Bible tells us to “fear not,” “do not fear,” or “do
not be afraid” more than 100 times! One of the most famous was God’s charge
to Joshua,
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth,
but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to
do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way
prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded
you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be
dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:8-9)
Or Paul’s oft-quoted charge to
the Philippians,
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let
your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not
be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:4-7)
What do these two passages about
not being afraid or anxious have in common? It is not our strength of giftedness,
nor is it our ability to have all the right answers. The key is remembering
that the Lord is with us! How can we keep from forgetting that important fact?
By reading and thinking about his word (the Bible) and talking with him about everything, we will not forget that he is with us and greater
than all our problems. I confess that I am not always gentle in my speech, nor am I always free from anxiety, but I have noticed that both are impacted by my awareness that Christ is present with me.
Facing Foolishness (v.2-6)
They hold fast to their evil purpose;
they talk of laying snares secretly,
thinking, “Who can see them?”
They search out injustice,
saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.”
For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.
Their wickedly hateful words are the expression of violent thoughts, the manifestation of
their secret plotting for our demise, their declaration of their atheism (that he doesn't exist to oppose them). The imagery used is vivid—they “whet
their tongues like swords,” just as steel weapons are sharpened on a
stone for battle. These verses are not describing particularly witty humor or friendly banter.
Rather, it is speech intended to slander, snare, and slay its target. In
Proverbs 12:18, Solomon writes, “There is one whose rash words are like
sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Such speech can cause
real damage on every level.
Will we fight our enemies on their terms? Or will we pick good ground and sound tactics? When verbally ambushed, whether with
slander or threats, the enemy of the righteous wants us to either run in fear or fight (a losing
battle) according to the flesh.
There is a warning here for
those who think they can plan in secret and act with impunity. We fool
ourselves when we think that God doesn't see our sinful plans and that judgment
won't come. I know that those most in danger of God’s judgment are often the
most oblivious to it. They think they will not be held accountable for their
wickedly violent words and actions and are thus emboldened. Silence in the moment is no proof of secrecy. God judges justly and surely, though in his mercy it may not be immediate. Yet, it will happen suddenly.
Photo by Majestic Lukas on Unsplash
Finally comes “suddenly” (v.7-9)
But God shoots his arrow at them;
they are wounded suddenly.
They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them;
all who see them will wag their heads.
Then all mankind fears;
they tell what God has brought about
and ponder what he has done.
Photo by Torsten Dederichs on Unsplash
Their very devices will be turned against them when God acts suddenly. They are caught by their own words, trapped by their own tricks. This
is a consistent theme in Psalms and Proverbs. For example...
Behold, the wicked
man conceives evil
and is pregnant with mischief
and gives birth to lies.
He makes a pit, digging it out,
and falls into the hole that he has made.
His mischief returns upon his own head,
and on his own skull his violence descends. (Psalm 7:14-16)
And Psalm 57:6,
They set a
net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
but they have fallen into it themselves.
And Proverbs 26:27,
Whoever digs a pit
will fall into it,
and a stone will come back on him who starts it
rolling.
When suddenly the enemy is caught in his own words, when they fall into their own
pit, when they are brought to ruin, do we fear (show great reverence and awe)
the Lord? I hope so! We do not celebrate their des
Further, let this truth instruct our mouths so that our tongues do not
cause harm to others nor ensnare us. We all need to make sure that we come to
Christ before he comes for us!
Faith’s Freedom from Fetters (v.10)
When we put our faith in God, we
are set free from our besetting fears so that we can worship him. We learn that we can rejoice in the Lord always!
Photo by Ismael Paramo on Unsplash
Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord
and take refuge in him!
Let all the upright in heart exult!
While fear and foolishness both serve to bind and ensnare us, faith sets us free to celebrate his righteous works! In humble submission to Jesus, we are empowered to resist the enemy, and he will flee (James 4:7)!
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