Psalm 144 is one of the eight psalms that was written by
David and placed by whoever complied or organized the psalms just before the
last five psalms of the Book of Psalms. We can be sure that God sovereignly directed
that these psalms be exactly where they are in the book so that His people
would have these final words of encouragement and instructions from their great
king and poet, King David.
In the first four verses, David acknowledges that Jehovah
is his Rock, and is a loving God Who personally cares for His people. We are
but mere men, and our lives are like a breath of air and a passing shadow, but
our great creator God takes knowledge of us and has us in His mind (vs. 3-4).
David used the same vivid images of mountains smoking, with
lightning and thunder that causes them to shake with the presence of Jehovah,
in Psalm 18:8-9, 14-17, 45, and 50. The Jewish people would never forget God's
dramatic appearance at Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:18-25 and 20:18-21), where God met
with Moses and gave them the Law. But
here in Psalm 144, the “mountains” and "great waters" seem to stand
for the enemies of Israel (Psalm 104:32; Isa. 8:7; 59:19; 64:1-5; Mic. 1:4;
Nah. 1:5; and Hab. 3:10).
Our problems and challenges that cause us to worry and fear
and have doubts often appear as great mountains that are unmovable and floods
of water that overwhelm us. They are like the enemies of David that were determined
to destroy him and take him down. But David cried out to the LORD to “come
down” and His touch would cause them to be like smoke that the wind would
quickly drive away.
Today we should remember what Jesus told His disciples in Matthew
21:21 “…Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you
will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this
mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.” Mark 11:23
put it this way: “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this
mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his
heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have
whatever he says.”
What an awesome promise for us today as we face difficulties
and problems that appear to be giant mountains that stand in our way and floods
of water that would drown us. David’s life is a testimony to this great truth
that God gives victory and deliverance to His people when they trust Him by
faith!
The "foreigners" of verse 7 are the outsiders who
attacked Israel. David mentions the “hand of foreigners” twice in verses
7 and 11. These “foreigners” tried
to illegally get into the land of Israel and cause trouble (v. 11). They told
lies and took oaths they never meant to keep. When they lifted their right hand
in an oath, it was only deception. That might sound familiar to what we are
dealing with today on our southern border.
So how did David respond? In verse 9, as he contemplated
God's power and mercy, David sang a new song to the Lord, for he had
experienced God's help in a new way, learned afresh the wonderful character of
the Lord, and was making a new beginning as king of the nation. David had faith
that the LORD would not only deliver him but also all the “kings” that followed
him if they obeyed and put the LORD first!
May the LORD give us the grace we need today, to put our faith
in God without doubting, so the mountains of trouble and trials we face will be
victoriously overcome as we are “rescued” by God and experience His deliverance!
God bless!
