“Lord, I have so many enemies! So many are standing against me.
So many are talking about me: ‘Even God won’t help him.’
But you, Lord, are my shield! You are my glory!
You are the one who restores me.
I cry out loud to the Lord and he answers me from his holy mountain.
I lie down, sleep, and wake up because the Lord helps me.
I won’t be afraid of thousands of people surrounding me on all sides.
Stand up, Lord!
Save me, my God!
In fact, hit all my enemies on the jaw; shatter the teeth of the wicked!
Rescue comes from the Lord!
May your blessing be on your people!” (Psalm 3:1-8, CEB)

Have you ever felt like your critics were starting to outnumber your allies?  Maybe it seemed that way because some of your former allies turned into critics!

And, then it makes you wonder, “Who’s got my back?” Who’s on my side? Who do I trust when friends become enemies?

Undoubtedly, David felt that way when he wrote this Psalm. Only, he experienced the most extreme form of betrayal, that of his own family, his own son.

Absalom, King David’s second-born son, considered himself the heir to the throne after plotting the murder of his older brother Amnon. But King David had been prophetically informed that his young son Solomon, the son of Bathsheba, would succeed him.

Absalom must have suspected his father’s intent, so he conspired in a revolt against his father’s throne. Absalom gathered a following and David had to flee from Jerusalem.

Eventually, Absalom’s and David’s armies confronted each other in battle and David’s warriors routed Absalom’s army.  Absalom fled the battle in terror and as he was riding through the woods on his mule, he was caught by his hair in the branches of a large tree. While he was suspended in the branches of the tree, Joab, one of David’s generals gave the order that Absalom be put to death and the battle was soon discontinued.

David bitterly mourned over the death of his son and in his grief penned this Psalm.

Sometimes it seems that that there’s no end to the piling on of your troubles. You fall on your face and the next thing you know someone is kicking you while you’re down.

And, even the friends you have left can’t really solve your problems.

So, when your enemies won’t help and your friends can’t help…

Who’s got your back?

“Rescue comes from the Lord” (vs.8).

RESCUE … COMES … FROM … THE … LORD!

(See Psalm 3 – Part 2: After the Screaming Stops)