Be Exalted

A couple of years ago, a close friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer. Despite the chemo and radiation treatments, she remained joyful. She was purposeful in creating fun memories with her husband and three young children. She made bracelets with her daughter to give as gifts. And when she and I would text, she would always ask about my health. Her primary focus was never on herself. It was on God and others until the day God took her to glory.

David had a similar mindset in Psalm 57.

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.

1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,

for in you my soul takes refuge;

in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,

till the storms of destruction pass by.

2 I cry out to God Most High,

to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

3 He will send from heaven and save me;

he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah

God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

4 My soul is in the midst of lions;

I lie down amid fiery beasts—

the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,

whose tongues are sharp swords.

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Let your glory be over all the earth!

6 They set a net for my steps;

my soul was bowed down.

They dug a pit in my way,

but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah

7 My heart is steadfast, O God,

my heart is steadfast!

I will sing and make melody!

8 Awake, my glory!

Awake, O harp and lyre!

I will awake the dawn!

9 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;

I will sing praises to you among the nations.

10 For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the clouds.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

Let your glory be over all the earth! [1]

David wrote this Psalm when he fled Saul either in 1 Samuel 22 or 24. We understand the danger David was in by his descriptions of his enemies in verses 4 and 6. “The fiercest of beasts, the most devouring of elements, and the sharpest of military weapons, are selected to represent the power and fury of David’s enemies.” (Horne) [2]

It is no wonder David cried out to God twice to be merciful to him (vs 1a), but note that David did not demand of God to deliver him. He did not presume that he deserved to be delivered. He was humble, seeking God’s mercy towards him, and he was confident that God had all ability to act and would deliver him. David’s steadfast heart reflects his confidence in God (vs 7).

David trusted and hoped in God alone. God was his refuge not the cave he was hiding in. David likened the refuge he found in God to being in the shadow of God’s wings, a picture of a mother bird shielding and protecting her young, keeping them close to her. David sought this refuge until the “storms of destruction pass by” (vs 1b). David had confidence in God that the storms would pass. When we are suffering, it is tempting to think that suffering will never end. David looked beyond his suffering.

David cried to God Most High recognizing that God was superior and transcended David’s enemies. God was omnipotent and had all authority. God fulfilled His purposes for David. This is why David could confidently declare that God would save him, shame his enemies (vs 3), and cause his enemies to fall into the pit they dug for David (vs 6). He could even lie down in his enemies’ midst (vs 4, reminiscent of Psalm 23) because he had faith that God would send His steadfast love and faithfulness to him (vs 3).

Yes, David described his peril and pled for mercy, but are you beginning to ascertain that David and his circumstance are not the center of this Psalm? The theme of the psalm is having faith in God in the midst of hardship, but God’s glory was of primary importance to David. “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth!” (vs 5, 11).

David desired God to be glorified both in his circumstances and in his response to his circumstances. David doesn’t only desire God to be glorified, but he himself went on to glorify God using instruments and “waking” the dawn to sing to God. David gave thanks among the people and sang praises among the nations. “The universal audience for the praise of God was owing to the universal scope of the unfailing love and faithfulness of God.” [3]

As Mark Futato stated, the reason for David’s praise among the people and nations was God’s steadfast love that is great to the heavens, and His faithfulness to the clouds (vs 10). In verse 3, David expectantly trusted God to send out His steadfast love and faithfulness. Now, in verse 10, David praises God because His steadfast love and faithfulness are always present and without measure. Throughout the psalm, David has drawn his (and our) gaze away from his circumstance and onto God. At least for me, the language of verse 10 literally directs my gaze upward to God.

David ends by reiterating, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let Your glory be over all the earth!”

From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture points us to Jesus. Psalm 57 is no different. The perfect picture of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness culminate in Jesus, in His leaving glory and taking on flesh, in His suffering and dying in our place for our sin, and in His resurrection. For those who place their faith in Jesus’ atoning work, we are in Christ, our refuge forever. Nothing will ever separate us from the love of God. We may be unfaithful, but God is not. He will keep us.

Reflection

1. What is your mindset before God in times of suffering? Are you humble or demanding and presuming you deserve for God to work in a certain way?

2. In a past or current time of suffering, was/is your faith and hope in God alone? Are you looking to God as God Most High, who has all power and authority, who alone is transcendent? Are you trusting in God’s steadfast love and faithfulness? How do these “God is…” truths apply specifically to your past or current time of suffering? How do they encourage you and enlarge your faith in God?

3. In a past or current time of suffering, was/is God’s glory of primary importance? How can you exalt God in how you respond to a current circumstance?

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 57:title–11. [2] Guzik, David. Psalms 41-80 Commentary (p. 155). Enduring Word. Kindle Edition. [3] Mark D. Futato, “The Book of Psalms,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 7: The Book of Psalms, The Book of Proverbs (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2009), 200.