Psalm 3

Psalm 3 is the first psalm that is ascribed to David. It is an individual lament, and this sets the mood for what the psalm contains: David’s cry to God and his confidence in God’s deliverance and salvation.[1]

Meaning
What Psalm 3 conveys is David’s anguish caused by the attacks of his enemies. In the opening strophe of verses 1 and 2, the Psalmist exclaims how numerous his enemies are. One of these enemies includes David’s very own son, Absalom. David’s life began to be torn apart by family problems (2 Sam 12:15-14:33) due to his sin with Bathsheba (2 Sam 11-12). As a result of the family problems, Absalom was able to trick many people of Israel to be loyal to him, and David had to flee from Absalom and his conspirators in fear of them killing him (2 Sam 15:13-14).[2] Absalom and the conspirators are the enemies David talks about in verses 1 and 2 of this psalm. These enemies are saying that David can find no salvation in God, perhaps because they have seen the effects of David’s sin with Bathsheba and all the troubles it brought.
From verse 3 until verse 8, David’s mood seems to change. The psalmist, in verse 4, begins to write with anticipation, almost as though the disgrace of his enemies has already taken place.[3] He writes that the Lord has answered him, indicating God is already at work. The psalmist begins to boast in God and in what He is currently doing. The metaphor used in verse 8 of the Lord breaking David’s enemies’ teeth means these enemies are like animals who lose their strength when their teeth are broken (Ps 58:6).[4]

Implications
This psalm implies that no matter how numerous or ominous our enemies are, God will hear our cries for help and protect us from their attacks. This is not to say we will not face hardship for our faith, but God sustained David and will sustain His chosen, as well. When people come at us saying that we have no salvation in God, we must allow God to work on His own behalf while remaining faithful to Him. David did not break His enemies’ teeth, we must note. Rather, it was God, and vengeance belongs to Him (Ro 12:9).
Another implication is that God not only protects His beloved as a shield about them (verse 3), but He also gives them hope and confidence in the midst of despair (lifting of David’s head in verse 3). Throughout this psalm it is clear how David’s head is being lifted by God. The psalmist begins chapter 3 with a somber tone, but gradually lightens the mood as he writes of how great the Lord is.
A third implication from Psalm 3 is that God is in unreserved control of every aspect of our lives, even the small seemingly insignificant aspects. God sustained and protected David to the extent that David was able to sleep and to awake in safety. This implies that God not only protects and gives hope and confidence, but also cares enough to give rest to those who are under attack. If God is in control of such aspects like sleeping in peace, believers should not worry about anything (Matt 6:25).

Significance
This psalm is significant to my own life in that no matter how many enemies set themselves against me, I do not have to fear them, as David no longer feared his enemies. With God being my glory, I can have honor and dignity, as David was able to have God as his glory despite the shame his enemies heaped on him,[5] and our glory is to be found in the fact that Christ has redeemed us.
With the Lord being my shield, I can rest assured knowing that God will sustain, protect, and give confidence and rest to me as He did for David. It is significant that God is my shield because if anything else was my shield, it would be penetrable. But God is who I should trust in because His shield is impenetrable. Also, even though when times get tough I may become moody and dark, I can take courage because David was the same way. David was weak and distraught, but quickly moved from despair to calm confidence in God.[6] Likewise, I can be confident in Christ and His power, which is made perfect in my weakness (2 Cor 12:9).

[1]Kenneth L. Baker and John R. Kohlenberger, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old Testament Abridged Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Corporation, 1994), 795.

[2]Baker and Kohlenberger, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old Testament Abridged Edition, 795.

[3]Elmer A. Leslie, The Psalms, (Nashville, TN: Parthenon Press, 1949), 348.

[4]Baker and Kohlenberger, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old Testament Abridged Edition, 796.

[5]William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers Inc., 1995), 551.

[6]Ibid., 550.