David trusted in God’s Deliverance from a Slanderous Accuser
Brave women are finally telling their stories at the same time that one slanderous accuser after another is taking advantage and spewing lies. Who is telling the truth? Only God knows.
Psalm Seven; David responds to his slanderous accuser by pleading with God to judge him fairly.
The Hebrew title to this Psalm:
A Meditation of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.
The New King James translates the Hebrew word “Shiggaion” as meditation. The word is difficult to translate and is found in one other place in the Bible in Habakkuk 3:1. Instead of meditation, the word could be translated as a rambling poetic complaint. It would better fit the content for both writers in the situations in which they wrote.
The content is chosen for this site based on a couple of criteria. First, the content must have a biblical focus, and second, it should have a prophetic importance. The Psalms deal with a wide range of real-life issues all of us are confronted with. They also deal with many prophetic topics and contain key prophetic scriptures. Psalm seven deals with tough life issues and the solution to the problems is found in the prophetic nature of the scriptures.
Simply defining prophecy
Here’s a simple layman’s definition of Bible prophecy: God’s Word tells us the Lord will fix a problem and make things better in the future.
In Psalm seven, David encountered a slanderous accuser, and he turns to God for a just defense. He has been falsely accused of doing something he knows he did not do. In the Psalm, we see, once again, the claim that God is just and will meet justice at his own discretion and timing. That’s a basic element of Bible prophecy.
There is a sin problem, and a just God will not let it continue without his righteous response.
No Coincidence that the accuser is now speaking out
This post is not a coincidence. I intended to write a post from content found in the Psalms. I looked through my previous Psalms posts and saw I had last posted content for Psalm six. When I read the seventh Psalm, it was clear this was the subject matter I should write about. American politics, in our current setting, are filled with daily assaults upon truth. On one hand, many women are finally telling the public how wrong they have been treated. On the other hand, with the public ready to believe everyone who comes forward, other women are making false claims in order to push an agenda.
Some of these accusers are lying. This is the subject of Psalm Seven. David was falsely accused by someone, Cush the Benjamite, who wrongly accused him of something he knew he wasn’t guilty of.
The Ninth Commandment and the warning of being a false accuser.
The ninth commandment isn’t about fibbing to your mother, telling her you did your homework when you know you were playing games on your phone. The Ninth Commandment is specifically about the subject we find in Psalm Seven, bringing false accusations against your neighbor for the purpose of bringing harm to them.
It’s more than a fib, it’s a malicious lie with evil intent.
In the link below you will find some great content and a video on this subject.
https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/10-commandments/lying-ninth-commandment/
David begs the Lord to help him
Psa 7:1-2
O LORD my God, in You I put my trust;
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me,
Lest they tear me like a lion,
Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
In You I put my trust:
He knew where to turn for help. He knew the accuser was wrong so he pleaded his case with the righteous judge. When David was under attack from Cush the Benjamite, his accuser, he knew he could trust God. When a false accuser steps up to tell their lie against you, it is often difficult to get people to believe your rebuttal. This is especially true if the accuser tells a convincing story. David apparently was having trouble getting others to believe that he was telling the truth.
In this Psalm, David doesn’t tell us what the accusation was and we can only guess who the accuser was. The Bible gives little detail so let’s skip the guessing part and stick to what we know. He was falsely accused and he went to the only One who could verify his claim. We should do the same and trust the outcome to God. A jury of our peers will not always rule justly. Our friends, neighbors, fellow employees, and the media will often choose to believe a salacious story. God doesn’t read the headlines. He knows the truth before a lie is told.
And deliver me from the persecution and the accuser:
Sometimes God helps us breeze through challenging situations. Other times He doesn’t. It’s those times when He allows us to endure troubling times that our trust in Him either grows strong or crumbles into weakness. Faith is only made stronger in trials. You can’t get a strong healthy body while sitting on the couch eating ice cream. You need to get up and challenge your body. The same is true of our faith in God. Our faith is made strong when trials go long into a dark night of struggle. David knew the Lord’s character and lessons learned from years of following him brought him to a place of stronger faith.
He was ready for this trial, though it wasn’t easy. He turned to the One who would not abandon him.
Some good quotes about slander from an accuser
To vilify a great man is the readiest way in which a little man can himself attain greatness.Edgar Allan Poe
It takes an enemy and a friend, working together, to hurt you to the heart. The one to slander you, and the other to get the news to you.Mark Twain
To be slandered is a severe trial. “It appears probable that Cush the Benjaminite had accused David to Saul of treasonable conspiracy against his royal authority. This the king would be ready enough to credit, both from his jealousy of David, and from the relation which most probably existed between himself, the son of Kish, and this Cush, or Kish, the Benjaminite. . . . This may be called the SONG OF THE SLANDERED SAINT.” Charles Spurgeon
Lest they tear me like a lion:
David, as an experienced shepherd, knew what a lion could do when it tore into its prey. He feared the same for himself in the situation he was faced with. The Lions were out to get him. His accuser would not let up. Other lions eagerly paced around him looking for their chance to pounce on the prey. David expected there would be serious consequences if God did not deliver him from his lion-like enemies.
Urgent prayers to defend against the accuser
David knew he was in trouble. His accuser had succeeded in getting others to believe the lie. The urgency of his prayers reveals a growing concern. God will allow difficult circumstances in our lives. Troubles are not an indication that God has abandoned us. They are tests for us, that can help us to know if our faith is real or phony as the lies one faces from the accuser.
Are you facing a test, then pray? Is the test urgent, then pray urgently?
“It will be well for us here to remember that this is a description of the danger to which the Psalmist was exposed from slanderous tongues. Verily this is not an overdrawn picture, for the wounds of a sword will heal, but the wounds of the tongue cut deeper than the flesh, and are not soon cured.” Charles Spurgeon
Psa 7:3-5
But I’m innocent!
O LORD my God, if I have done this:
If there is iniquity in my hands,
If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me,
Or have plundered my enemy without cause,
Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me;
Yes, let him trample my life to the earth,
And lay my honor in the dust. Selah
If there is iniquity in my hands:
David was not so ignorant that he claimed he was sinless. He knew himself. He was a filthy rotten sinner like everyone else. In this passage, he is speaking about the lies that were brought against him. “If there is sin in me with these claims,” David was saying, then Lord you will judge me. “I stand here at your mercy,” he was saying to the Lord. David rejected the lies that his accuser brought against him that others were quick to believe.
In these verses, we can see something about the accusation made against him. In his defense, David claimed he didn’t do evil against someone who was at peace with him. He also didn’t take plunder from someone.
Lest the enemy pursues me and overtakes me:
David’s enemies were eager to bring him down. Men and women of integrity don’t stoop to lies and deceit, but David’s enemies didn’t have the problem. They apparently had no integrity to hold on to. The lies of the accuser were told with the intent of bringing down the accused. Telling the truth was not the intent. The defeat of the opponent, David in this case, was the intent. David was confident in his right standing with God in the situation. In God, he placed his trust.
Psa 7:6-7
Arise, O LORD, in Your anger;
Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies;
Rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded!
So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You;
For their sakes, therefore, return on high.
Arise, O LORD, in Your anger:
David, no doubt had dealt with his own anger about this. He was now asking God to get angry on his behalf. This isn’t something we would normally think to ask God, but it was a fair response from a child of God.
“Get mad at them God!”
The Bible describes, in many instances, situations in which the Lord’s anger is stirred in response to the actions of others. David knows this and is asking for a similar response because of what his accuser is saying. David also knows what the Bible affirms regarding God’s attitude toward truth, lies, and false accusations.
God never suggests that truth is a good idea. The Ninth Commandment says, “You shall not bring a false accusation against your neighbor.”
That’s not a suggestion, it’s a command.
God is not uncaring about what his children go through when they face a false accusation. David makes his plea with the understanding that the Heavenly Father cares for what his children endure at the hands of a false accuser. He knew the Lord cared for him.
Liars should beware if they bring an accusation against God’s child. But, if the accusation is true, and the child of God has done wrong and is lying about it; God is just and will see fit to allow a Christian to face the punishment that is deserving.
We can lie to men, but we can’t lie to God.
Psa 7:8-10
The LORD shall judge the peoples;
Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness,
And according to my integrity within me.
Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
But establish the just;
For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.
My defense is of God,
Who saves the upright in heart.
The LORD shall judge the peoples; judge me, O LORD:
God will judge everyone, Christian and non-Christian. From David’s perspective, it was Jew or non-Jew. The righteous, those who are in good standing with God, will face judgment as will the unrighteous. The good thing is that the righteous, those in good standing, will receive a just verdict from a fair God. David knew this so he was willing to face the verdict from God who would only judge fairly.
God is not swayed by the emotions of a crowd or the lies of a false accuser. God is just, he judges fairly in every case.
Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just:
In his prayer, David reveals his heart’s cry for justice. He wanted vindication, but I think it’s fair to say he was even more interested in God’s justice to be known. People were lying about him. He couldn’t make people believe the truth. He needed God to do that. David had special favor from God. He asked that God would reveal the wicked for who they were. Like David, want the truth to be known.
Psa 7:11-13
God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day.
If he does not turn back, he will sharpen His sword,
He bends His bow and makes it ready, he also prepares for Himself instruments of death,
He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.
God is a just judge:
Now David takes what he knows about God and applies bold claims upon his accuser and those who listen to his lies. He refers to him as “wicked.”
We know the Bible tells us that God is love. This response from David doesn’t seem to fit with a God of love. But is that wrong? I think so. The Lord does love His creation, mankind, and animals, but He will not overlook sin and rebellion. The animals are safe, but humans are sick with rebellion and God will judge it when He determines that time is right.
Is God angry?
David says God is angry with the wicked every day. This might be a case of David taking things too far in his prayer. We all can be guilty of that at times. Certainly, the Lord is never happy with rebellious sinners who reject His love and guidance, but we shouldn’t picture God as an angry parent stomping around every day because he can’t control his anger. That’s not a correct picture of our loving Father.
But it is true that every day that a sinner remains in rebellion, the Lord is not happy with that.
Is God always angry at the wicked?
Adam Clarke believed a more accurate translation of Psalm 7:11 is, “He is NOT angry every day.” He writes: “The mass of evidence supports the latter reading. The Chaldee first corrupted the text by making the addition, with the wicked, which our translators have followed.”
Another quote:
If the original is taken as more correct the “The sense seems to be, that there are daily instances in the world of God’s favor toward his people; as also of his displeasure against the ungodly, who are frequently visited by sore judgments, and taken away in their sins.” Horne
He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready:
Why does God wait to judge the sinner? David wasn’t alone in considering this question. Haven’t we all asked this question in one way or another? When Lord, when? If God is willing and able to judge, why does He wait so long? We touched on that earlier. If there is no trial our faith will not strengthen and If a trial is short, our faith will be small. When trials are long, if we hold to our faith, it can become great faith.
Do you want great faith, weak faith, or no faith at all? If you answered, ‘Great,’ then you can expect great trials.
Are you ready? We never are.
Why does God hold off his judgment on those who obviously deserve it?
The only thing that holds back the immediate judgment of God against the sinner is the undeserved mercy of God, giving the sinner an unknown period of time to repent. Such mercy should never be presumed upon. “Did I say, he will do it? Nay, he hath already done it; his sword is drawn, his bow is bent, and the arrows are prepared and ready to be shot.” Poole
“The wrath of God may be slow, but it is always sure. In thoughtless security man wantons and whiles away the precious hours; he knows not that every transgression sets a fresh edge on the sword, which is thus continually whetting for his destruction.” Horne
Psa 7:14
Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity;
Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.
Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity:
You can’t get blood from a turnip nor can you get good fruit from a bad fruit tree. I once had a diseased orange tree in my yard, so I tried for years to coax good fruit from that tree. I finally found the solution, I chopped it down, and no more bad fruit after that.
David states the obvious here. Wicked people sin. Captain Obvious speaks again. Sinners sin and wicked people produce wickedness. David applied this to his accuser.
Psa 7:15-16
The Irony of it all
He made a pit and dug it out,
And has fallen into the ditch which he made.
His trouble shall return upon his own head,
And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.
Fallen into the ditch which he made:
This is ironic justice at its best. What the accuser meant for David turns out to be his own punishment. God often brings this ironic justice to bear on the wicked who try to ruin the righteous. They plan it for others, the Lord allows them to fall into their own trap.
It’s hard not to laugh when it happens.
“God is righteous. The way of the wickedness cannot prosper. It creates its own destruction. The pit digged is the grave of the man who digs it.” Morgan
“Dives, that wasted so many tuns of wine, cannot now procure water, not a pot of water, not a handful of water, not a drop of water, to cool his tongue… A just recompense! He would not give a crumb; he shall not have a drop.” Charles Spurgeon
Psa 7:17
I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
a. I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness: David was wise enough to praise God according to His righteousness and not his own.
David responded as any of us should when pulled out of a pit we couldn’t escape from. He praised the Lord who bailed him out. He sang and rejoiced that God was once again watching out for him.
Thank you, Jesus!
Let me know what you think.