Day 57: The Summer of His Face Shining Upon Us- Psalm 57

Day 57 – Join Johnny Enlow for a 67-day walk through Psalms.

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DAVID’ CULTURE

Key Verse: “Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens; May Your glory shine over all the earth” (v.5 and 11)

Key Theme: David still fleeing from Saul, still praising God.

Key Descriptives of God: Most High; Exalted

We are in a repeat theme here in Psalm 57 but such a timely perspective for us comes from this. From the beginning, we are told this Psalm is by David when he fled from Saul to a cave. Yesterday we covered David behaving as if he were insane to move on from the Philistines at Gath. That was 1 Sam. 21. 1 Samuel 22 starts with letting us know that where David went next was to the cave of Adullam where his first army came to him. 

“And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about 400 men with him” (1 Sam.22:2)

 Wow, what a church plant. Whereas Saul was chasing him with 3000 chosen and experienced men of war, David was now surrounded by the 3 D’s of Distress, Debt, and Discontented. As his “army” comes in, you can imagine the interviews going something like this. “So what can you do? Ah, nothing I am just stressed out with life. As he moves to the next.” “Okay, so how about you?” “No skills either, I’m just way in debt, so I have nothing to lose coming with you. I kinda liked the way you took out Goliath too.” On to the next one. “Okay great, so what about you?” “No skills either, I’m just very unhappy. Really, I’m depressed. To be real honest, it was this or suicide so I chose this.” Remember it says EVERYONE who came to him was one or more of these three categories. How do you even start with this much hopelessness and negativity around you? For David, it was to model his culture.

DAVID’ CULTURE

To remind you David did not have a “prophet’s room” to retreat to. This was a cave and he was on the run. Everything he is doing is “show and tell”. It is wartime and challenging in every way but his “devotional” life is not on hold “until the danger passes”. His devotional life is what carries him through the storm. Imagine the whole of this Psalm taking place in the cave of Adullam with 400 “losers” in life. Surely, all of them also had just a spark of hope that this man would lead them to a better day. His first words in this chapter were, “HAVE MERCY on me, O God, have mercy! I look to You for protection. I WILL HIDE beneath the shadow of your wings, until the danger passes by.” You are listening to your new commander, who can rip lions with his bare hands, and he wants “MERCY from God” so he can “HIDE”. Verse 2, “I CRY OUT to God Most High”. A thought of “Have we followed the wrong guy?” might well have arisen among the new recruits. “So our strategy is hiding and crying out to God for mercy?” “Hmmm. Not what I expected”. But David’s sincerity intrigues them and memories of his battlefield exploits makes them sponges for more. David follows with, “God will fulfill His purpose for me. He will send help from heaven to rescue me, disgracing those who hound me. My God will send forth His unfailing love and faithfulness” (v.2,3) Wow! Many of these guys might have shown up just to find out what was David’s secret to his strength. Was there some desert herb that he was taking that they might take as well and it be their own “game-changer” in life? Quickly, they are finding out that it is not the secret herbs.

BE EXALTED O GOD

“Be exalted O God, above the highest heavens! May Your glory shine over all the earth” (v.5,11). Twice they will hear David say this—  in their first cave experience with him. Actually, we can assume that they probably heard him SING this.  In verse 8, “Wake up my heart! Wake up, O lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song.” Can you imagine how inconvenient it had to be for David to run from place to place in the wilderness while carrying his harp? He should leave it somewhere and pick it up at a better time. But this is his primary weapon of war and he is not leaving it anywhere. He doesn’t go to worship so he can then go do what he needs to do. Worship is what he needs to do. In danger, on the run, with his band of depressed ones— this is what he needs to do. This is David’ culture. They hear him playing his harp and singing “Be exalted O God” as they wake up. If he is waking his dawn, he is waking their dawn— they are in a cave together. As they whisper to each other, “He is waking us up. Does he know we can hear him?” He suddenly bursts out with verse 9,” I will praise You, O Lord. AMONG the peoples.” Oh, yes he knows they can hear. It is a major point. It is important they can hear. This is the new culture. You want “impartation from the man of God” to overcome your 3 D’s? This is it. When and while you are most challenged, “I am surrounded by fierce lions who greedily devour human prey— whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows, and whose tongues (MEDIA) cut like swords” (v.4)— at this very moment, “Be exalted O God above the highest heavens!”

MAY YOUR GLORY SHINE

How can David be even seriously considering God’s heart at this time? EVERYTHING that can be shaken is being shaken. This is not a good day. This is not the day after Goliath has come down. This is the day after you had to fake insanity to escape the king of Gath. This is the day your new friends are the riff-raff of society. How can David be turned to “Exalting God” and then concerned that “His glory shine over all the earth”. “Glory”, that word KABOWD in Hebrew meaning, “splendor, reputation, honor, dignity”, among other things. David gets on his harp and all he cares about is God. “Are You being exalted? Is Your reputation and honor shining for all?” Truly, it is in this chapter that we see this other-worldly aspect of David that makes us want to almost revere him and not take him so matter-of-factly. It dawns on us, as it dawned on his 400 that THIS is the secret to David’s supernatural strength, speed, and passion. Out of this riff-raff of society will come David’s “mighty men”. They too will become supernatural in battle. They too will easily kill lions. They too will chase thousands with one or two. They too will leap over walls. They too will become his “choir”, waking the dawn together. The 3 D’s gang will become the new superheroes. I love it! Can we head that way today, right in the midst of the great challenges around us? I think so. His face is shining on us and it is “The Summer of His Love”.

 

 

 

Written by: Johnny Enlow

Featured Image by chris ganser on Unsplash


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The 67 Day Countdown Series is brought to you by Johnny and Elizabeth Enlow, founders of Restore7 ministry, as well as international speakers and best-selling authors. Among Johnny’s books are The Seven Mountain Prophecy, The Seven Mountain Mantle, Rainbow God, The Seven Mountain Renaissance, Becoming A Superhero, and RISE. Elizabeth serves as CEO and penned Rainbow God: The Seven Colors of Love and God in Every Season.

The views and opinions expressed by Kingdom Winds Collective Members, authors, and contributors are their own and do not represent the views of Kingdom Winds LLC.

About the Author

Kingdom Winds Contributors - Johnny and Elizabeth Enlow are social reformers at heart, as well as international speakers and authors of The Seven Mountain Prophecy, The Seven Mountain Mantle, and Rainbow God. As ones focused on the reformation of the 7 primary areas of culture, they are spiritual mentors to many in Media, Arts and Entertainment, Government, Family, Religion, Economy, and Education. Their passion is to awaken our generation to the reality of the God of all of life, Who not only cares for our souls but also has practical solutions to offer through His sons and daughters for every problem that exists in society.