20250810 Psalm 3 – Feel, Think, Do

How do you normally answer the question, "How are you?" I can imagine these two extremes. This is one extreme. Every time anyone asks you how you are doing, you say, “Good!” “Great!” or “Excellent!” In this extreme, a person is blind to the suffering around them and their own suffering. Their determination to be positive prevents them from experiencing the good emotions of grief, anger, and sadness. This commitment not to admit hardship will cause their relationships to remain shallow with God and others.

This is the other extreme. There is not a day in which a person is not complaining about how hard life is. They are so focused on their hardships that they only think of themselves that they have no empathy for others. They are judgmental, gossips, and grumblers. They take no responsibility for any of their hardships.

The Christian message speaks to both extremes. The extreme optimist needs to face the reality of sin and suffering or the Christian message will mean nothing. If everything is always great, why did Jesus die on the cross? If we deny hardship, Jesus’ words, “Why have you forsaken me?” will have no color, no depth. The phrase, “Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” will be something we know in our heads but that does not transform our hearts. To the extreme pessimists, if all we do is complain, grumble, and blame others, we are not changed by the glory of God in worship. Our lives teach the watching world that God is absent.

Psalm 3 strikes the right balance of anxiety, despair, and faith and hope. We experience goodness and hardship. God created the world, so there is so much to enjoy. And, sin entered the world, so we struggle with our sin and suffer. And, God is also our redeemer, so no matter what, we will always have joy and hope. In striking this right balance, Psalm 3 reflects mature Christianity. Christian maturity is learning to experience God in our suffering so we can weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. Denying our suffering or suffering without God both miss the mark. Suffering with God is the height of what it means to be a Christian. It allows us to love others with the comfort we’ve received from God. It allows us to worship the Lord most honestly and authentically. It presents a God to the watching world who redeems and transforms a sinful people in a fallen world.

Psalm 3 has at least two layers of meaning. First, the book of Psalms is a Messianic book. Taken together, the 150 Psalms build an expectation of the coming Messiah. Psalm 1 and 2 introduce the Psalms to show that meditating on the Scriptures day and night leads to trusting and submitting to the Messiah. Psalm 3 is the first Psalm after the introduction. Psalm 3 has a superscription. It is a description before the Psalm begins that tells us how to read this poem and prayer with 2 Sam 15-18 as context. In 2 Sam 7:12-16, God promised David that one of his sons would sit on his throne forever. A few chapters later, David's son rebels against him and wants to replace him as king. God promised David a Messiah from his line, but David's reality is the experience of betrayal from his line. Psalm 3 shows that David did not waiver even in the face of a grievous obstacle to the fulfillment of the promise of a Messiah. In this way, Psalm 3 is a biblical example of trusting in God and his promise of a Messiah in times of distress.

Also, because the words of the Psalm remain vague and does not directly describe any historical event, we can appropriate Psalm 3 in our own suffering. We will look at Psalm 3 from both these perspectives, in the life of David and for us.

This Psalm has three movements in it – There is the Distress at what is happening (v.1-2), the Doctrine: What the Psalmist Believes about God (v.3-6), and there are the Psalmist’s Demands (v.7-8).

This Psalm does not offer a quick fix with three steps on how to be happy. Rather, this psalm gives us a way to endure suffering as Christians with God. We must become familiar with suffering, grow in our relationship with God, and pray his will in our lives. These are the three movements of Psalm 3, Distress, Doctrine, and Demands.

First, we look at Distress in Ps 3:1-2.

Ps 3:1-2

The Psalm begins: “O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; 2 many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God.” These verses respond to hostility, oppression, taunting and reflect distress.

The superscript invites us to read this in light of David's distress. The life of David is found in 1 Sam 16 to 1 Kings 2, it is marked by suffering. David rose to fame when he killed Goliath in 1 Sam 17. He was a successful warrior (1 Sam 18:5). His popularity made king Saul jealous of him (1 Sam 18:7-8). David spent the rest of Saul's life as a fugitive since he wanted to kill him (1 Sam 18:9-11). During his time as a fugitive, he was betrayed (1 Sam 23:19), and he lost Jonathan, his close friend (1 Sam 31:1-6).

After Saul’s death, David became king of the tribe of Judah, and then over all Israel. David had a good run as King defeating more nations, from 2 Sam 5 to 1 Sam 11. 2 Sam 7 is the most important chapter in the life of David. God made his covenant with David and promised him that one of his sons will sit on his throne forever!

From 2 Sam 11 everything goes bad. David commits adultery with Bathsheba. He has her husband killed. He loses a son in infancy (2 Sam 12:18). Then he deals with problems among his children. One of his sons violates his daughter. One son murders another. His Son Absalom rebels against David (2 Sam 15-18). Once again David is a fugitive. There is another rebellion against him in 2 Sam 20.

David is a great sinner and a great sufferer, but he is remembered for two things. First, God promised him, that his descendant would be the Messiah. His son would be the seed of the woman who destroys the devil. His descendant would be the descendant of Abraham who blesses all the families of the earth. This son according to Psalm 2 will inherit the nations and the ends of the earth will be his possessions (Ps 2:8).

The second thing David is known for is being a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14). David made horrible mistakes, and he was also a man of faith. He grieved when his enemies died. He could have killed Saul, the man trying to kill him for many years. He refused. The Psalms attributed to David show David continually pursued God, whether in times of distress, despair, grief, and guilt. David knew real distress and he knew God’s plan of salvation and was a man after God’s own heart. 

The superscript invites us to interpret Ps 3 in light of David, but it is also a Psalm for us in our distress.

We can befriend David in our despair, in our grief, and our guilt. Psalm 3 begins with "Many are my foes, many are rising against me, many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God." Our lives are hard and we experience distress. We can appropriate these words.

Whether it be in sickness or during ongoing complicated family situations. Whether it is a colleague who seems like she is out to get you, a longing that has not been met, a miscarriage, a sibling who is estranged, or a voice in your head that questions your salvation, we can pray Psalm 3. We can lament like we see in Psalm 3. The Psalms and the book of Lamentations teaches us that suffering in silent is not a virtue. This is not a call to grumble but to pray honestly and be known by close friends in our hardest places.

Second, we look at Doctrine in Ps 3:3-6.

The Psalm goes from distress to doctrine. This Psalm begins in distress but offers a way forward, while not being a simple quick fix solution. We want a quick fix, we want to avoid pain. We hope the Bible will help us avoid pain. When we face distress, some of us are experts at minimizing our harm. We minimize by comparing ourselves to others who have it worse than us. Or, we minimize by spiritualizing our pain away with Bible verses. The way forward does not make the pain go away, or minimize pain. David’s own son betrayed him and treats him like an enemy. There is no quick fix for this.

For us as well, when a tragedy strikes and grief is overwhelming, there is no quick fix and healing is not making the situation go away. Healing is learning to hold the grief differently. Sadness, pain, and even despair may still be felt even long after the painful event. Healing and growth means we can turn to the Lord quicker and find that he is with us in our suffering. That is what we aim for and this is what we see in this next point in Ps 3:3-6.

What we believe and our worldview are crucial to interpret every tragedy. When our lives are characterized by continually trusting a faithful God and re-enforcing our trust by knowing and applying scripture, attending a church that sings the Bible preaches the Bible, prays the Bible… we respond differently to suffering than if we did not. Trusting God and choosing to take time to heal well rather than dismiss harm does not mean we suffer less. Being fully aware of the depth of our sin and suffering in the world can lead to experiencing more pain than if we were in denial. Yet, we suffer differently because we suffer with God rather than without him.

Without God, our suffering can take over our lives. Without God, when a tragedy strikes, our despair can feel absolute. Knowing an absolute God allows our suffering to remain relative and keep its appropriate place.

Ps 3:3-6

Following distress in Ps 3:1-2, Ps 3:3-6 reveal that despite his reality, the Psalmist believes in things that are even more true than his present experience. In response to his distress, the Psalmist confronts the enemies’ taunts with the truth. In Ps 3:2, his enemies said, “There is no salvation for him in God.”

But according to Ps 3:3-6, the Psalmist believes these five truths: (1) the Lord is his shield, (2) the Lord is his glory, (3) the Lord is the lifter of his head, (4) the Lord hears his prayers and answers, and (5) the Lord sustains him. So the result in Ps 3:6 is that he is not afraid. He is in a hopeless situation but he is not hopeless. He is in a situation that demands fear, but he does not fear.

Now, we should not assume that this Psalm was written the day the distressing situation arose. There can be months between experiencing a crisis and relating properly to God in our suffering.

The statements of Ps 3:3-6 show that intimate knowledge of God gives the Psalmist peace. In response to “many are rising against me” in Ps 3:1, the Psalmist says “O Lord you are a shield about me” in Ps 3:3. He pictures a shield that is not just to protect a part of his body but his whole body. Ps 3:3 affirms that The LORD is a help in time of need.

Still in Ps 3:3, the Psalmist declares that the LORD is his glory and the lifter of his head. The Psalmist’s honor is under attack by his enemies and he recognizes that his only hope is in the honor and dignity supplied and guaranteed by God alone. Lifting of the head is a sign of approval (Gen 40:13).

In Ps 3:4, the Psalmist recalls a time in the past when God answered his prayer. This gives him confidence that he will answer again. In Ps 3:5-6, following the beliefs about God’s protection, the one who gives honor, the Psalmist is able to rest and not fear.

Now Doctrine for us.

We will all find ourselves in situations that we cannot change. The only thing we can change is our perspective. This is where theology comes in. The Bible offers us a framework to understand pain and suffering. According to Ps 3:3-6, (1) God protects us, (2) God gives us our true identity, (3) God gives us peace. These three are true for us at all times. (1) God protects us. In the Bible, God protect his people using “angels (Psalm 91:11–12), fire (2 Kings 1:9–10), floods (Judges 5:21), escape routes (Acts 9:24–25), royal decrees (Ezra 6:11–12), pagan armies (Acts 23:23–24), and insomnia (Esther 6). God’s power and creativity to protect his people are unlimited.” We still need to be careful to not claim what God has not promised. We cannot claim that God promises to protect us from physical danger. Christians die in tragedies every day. What is true for all Christians is that God protects us spiritually. Eph 6:10-18 speaks of our spiritual armor to endure through the end. Our road to the New Heavens and New Earth is protected by God and guaranteed no matter what comes our way.

(2) The second truth from Ps 3:3-6 that is true for us is that God gives us our true identity. When our distress comes from people, we may feel like we are less than. Some people have mastered the toxic skill of making others feel small. God gives us our true identity in Christ. We are God’s children, in whom he delights, we are his image bearers.

When we feel down because of interactions with others, the Bible teaches us the following – Zeph 3:17 is probably the greatest declaration in the Bible of how God views us, his children no matter what others say: “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

(3) Third application is that God gives us peace. There are good reasons for insomnia and fear. However, when our sleep is constantly interrupted by worry, it may be an indicator that we have not yet learned how to rest ourselves in the arms of the one who says: “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:30).” We find peace by reflecting on how God has answered our prayers in the past and knowing his attributes – he is all powerful, all knowing, and sovereign.

We will experience distress, but the right doctrine helps us to remain steady even as our distress remains.

Third, we look at the Psalmist’s Demands in Ps 3:7-8).

In response to distress, with the proper Biblical framework in which God offers himself to us, we can then act and pray.

The Psalmist writes, “Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. 8Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people! — Selah"

Ps 3:7-8

Ps 3:7-8 answers Ps 3:2. The people said there is no salvation for him with God, and now he asks, “Save me God” and declares, “Salvation belongs to the LORD.”

When he says, “you strike all me enemies on the jaw,” he refers to a slapping of the cheek that is a public form of disgrace (1 Kings 22:24; Job 16:10; Lam 3:30). The Psalmist is seeking vindication he wants his enemies to be disgraced.

The phrase, “break the teeth of the wicked” expresses a desire to see the wicked cease from doing harm. The wicked can be described as ravenous lions mauling the righteous (Joel 1:6), and breaking the teeth is a way to disarm them and make them drop their innocent prey (Job 29:17; Ps 58:6).

The Psalm began in distress but here ends with bold demands of deliverance and expressions of assurance of salvation. The Psalm ends with “Salvation belongs to the Lord” and the declaration that the Lord blesses his people. The Psalmist expresses his confidence in the good intent of the LORD to deliver and bless the faithful.

This applies to us today.

We can be confident in our salvation. Christian salvation does not belong to us or to others, but to the LORD. Our sins make us liable to God’s just judgment but God offers salvation. Jesus took the punishment we deserve, so if we trust in Him, our sins are forgiven and we can now be confident in our salvation. If we believe this, we run to our savior in times of distress.

It is tragic when hardships lead people away from God. It happens too often. People have bad theology. When their life is good God is good, but when life gets tough, God is bad. When hardship strikes, they struggle with God and then leave the church. One of the ways God always works in hardship is that he wants us to have a deeper relationship with us.

If all this is true, the church, the body of Christ ought to be a community that welcomes sufferers, and that gives room for sufferers to lament. The church must teach healthy, correct theology, without offering quick fixes. The Church must also make much of God and his salvation in Christ that we would know, "Salvation belongs to the Lord."

Conclusion

So, "How are you doing?" Is everything great, or is everything the worst? This Psalm teaches us that theology and life are related. Sometimes having a positive attitude in life will not be enough to endure We need something more robust. We need a sovereign God. Sometimes Life’s Crises call for a renewal of our faith in God and ceasing our grumbling.

The Psalm ends with “Upon your people is your blessing.” These words turn this Psalm into a communal prayer. Please, if you are struggling with your marriage, with depression, with feeling lost, feeling like God is far, struggling with other things, please hear this, it is not your job to take this Psalm home on your own and figure it out alone. This Psalm ends with the blessing on the people. We are in this together. Please come talk to one of the elders if you need care. If you are in community group, your group leaders can also help care for you. We will keep your situation confidential. We will listen, not give you quick fixes. If you want to work through this Psalm with me and a real situation you are dealing with, I would love to talk to you. Psalm 3 is a great Psalm God has for his people in their time of suffering to guide us into a deeper relationship with Him.