God Is My Helper – Psalm 54

This is a lament psalm of David with a particular historical backdrop recounted in 1 Samuel 23.  David had been running from the jealousy of Saul and sought refuge with people he thought were loyal to him.  They weren’t.  David makes reference commonly in the psalms to holding a banquet around the giving of a freewill offering and using the opportunity to testify to the goodness of God.

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?”

O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might.  O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.

For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves. Selah

Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.  He will return the evil to my enemies; in your faithfulness put an end to them.

With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good.  For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.  (Psalm 54 ESV)

Who can you trust?  Ultimately only God.  He is our helper, Elohim otzer, the one we can count on in times of direst need.

When David sought shelter among the Ziphites they turned him in to Saul.  It could have cost them dearly to harbor David and perhaps they hoped for a kingly reward.  When our enemies do us harm we do not take vengeance but ask God to avenge in His own time.  He will return to them the evil they perpetrated against us.  We, like David, will take the opportunity to give testimony before our friends and family (the purpose of the freewill offering) of His deliverance.