TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
Psalm 64:1-10
Romans 12:19-21

“But love ye your enemies,
and do good …”

“VENGEANCE IS MINE; I WILL REPAY, SAITH THE LORD”

The higher a man goes, the more enemies he makes. David, being king of all Israel, yea also conqueror of Israel’s neighbouring tribes, had more enemies than any other king. A leader of men must expect criticisms, whether constructive or destructive.

Now, when the enemy is without, we must have weapons to defend ourselves when he attacks. In olden days, they used swords and spears, bows and arrows. In modern times, they use rifles and machine guns, tanks and howitzers. To defend against visible attack, we must watch for the direction from which it comes. David not only had defended himself from all these, he had by the physical strength God gave him successfully overpowered his enemies. He had power even over the lion and the bear.

The enemy he talks about in this Psalm is one within his nation, yea in his own palace. These “workers of iniquity” (Ps 64:2) plot for his life and rebel against his rule. Their weapons are not swords and arrows but their tongues. Psalm 41 and Psalm 55 elaborate on their tactics and hypocrisies. “Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish? And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it. All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt” (Ps 41:5-7). “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords” (Ps 55:21). The most deadly of these psychological arrows is flattery (Prov 29:5).

These plotters against David, thinking that their plot is not seen by anyone, leave no stone unturned (Ps 64:6). Is this the way to treat your king? Such treachery against a leader can lead only to a just retribution on themselves! (Never betray your superior!) God, who is Judge of the earth (Gen 18:25), will pay them back in their own coin (Ps 64:7)!

THOUGHT: (Read Psalm 64:10.)
PRAYER: (Use Psalm 64:1.)