Linked verse: 1 Samuel 24
Awake, My Soul! – by @MicahHayns
This is the first of a series of posts on the Psalms, which we’re working on for a new book with BRF. Each post is illustrated with an original piece of art by Micah, and I’m working on prayers to accompany them as well.
Whilst we can’t be sure of the author of each of the psalms it is likely that this psalm is, as the introduction to it suggests:
‘Of David.. when he fled from Saul, in the cave’.
David, the young shepherd boy who had been anointed by the prophet Samuel, had caught the eye of King Saul because his ability with the lyre calmed Saul’s tormented soul. David became Saul’s musician, then his armour-bearer, and ‘Saul loved him greatly’ (1 Samuel 24.21).
He was given a prominent place in the royal household, and eventually even given the hand of Saul’s daughter Michal in marriage (you can read about their love/hate relationship here). However, Saul was a bitterly jealous man and as David began to grow in stature and prominence, particularly after seeing off the marauding rival Goliath with only his sling-shot and a few stones, Saul became consumed with resentment. He became increasingly violent in his rages towards his young prodigy and David had to dodge spears, was sent to the frontline of battle, and had to be protected from the Kings rages by two of Saul’s children, Jonathan and Michal. These eventually became so bad that David had to escape in the dead of night where he fled to a cave in the mountains.
Perhaps it was in this cave that David uttered the heartfelt prayer:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me
Psalm 57.1
The psalm speaks of a ‘soul.. bowed down’ (v.6) and in dire need of protection, ‘my soul takes refuge, in the shadow of your wings’. (v.1)
The psalmist’s prayer is answered in an extraordinary way, involving a seruptitious pee in the dark.
David remained in this cave hide-out for some time, developing a large following – ‘those who were with him numbered about four thousand’ (1 Samuel 22.2). Saul wasn’t going to give up easily and so set off with his men to seek out his enemy. On the way he stumbled across David’s cave and, without knowing his rival was inside, used the cave as a toilet! Whilst ‘he went in to relieve himself’, David snuck up behind him and snipped off a piece of his clothing, presumably to torment him with it. David immediately felt convicted by God, called off his men, and spared Saul’s life.
The two rivals were re-united in a powerful and beautiful scene – David bowed down to Saul recognising him as anointed by God, Saul ‘lifted up his voice and wept’ realising the error of his actions. (1 Samuel 24: 16-20)
We’re unlikely to have been hunted down by a jealous king, but we surely know what it is to be threatened or frightened to the point we would love to run away from the situation and hide in a cave. Similarly, perhaps there have been times when we’ve been so consumed by rage that we lose perspective and it seems our very soul becomes ‘bowed down’.
The psalmist reminds us that God will be with us, even in the darkness of the deepest cave: in fact we are given refuge under God’s protective wings ‘until the destroying storms pass by’ (v. 1). And when the storms pass, which they surely will, how wonderful it is to emerge from the cave into the glorious light, outstretch our arms in praise, and to say:
‘Awake, my Soul! Awake O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn’
Psalm 57.8
Prayer
O Lord, you are with us even in the darkest cave; protect us when our souls are bowed down, our hopes are crushed, and all we want to do is hibernate. May we rest under the shadow of your wings until such time that we can emerge from the gloom, raise our arms, and our souls can sing once again. Amen
Psalm 57 (NRSV)
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,
until the destroying storms pass by.
2 I cry to God Most High,
to God who fulfils his purpose for me.
3 He will send from heaven and save me,
he will put to shame those who trample on me.
God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.
4 I lie down among lions
that greedily devour human prey;
their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongues 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 path,
but they have fallen into it themselves.
7 My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast.
I will sing and make melody.
8 Awake, my soul!
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 as high as the heavens;
your faithfulness extends to the clouds.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
Let your glory be over all the earth.
Consider the Lilies - Clare Hayns 