3. We Submit to the Lord (vv. 7-12). When he wrote “But as for me,” David contrasted himself with the wicked crowd that rebelled against the king. David had come to pray, and he had three requests.
He prayed for guidance (vv. 7-8). Because he wasn’t a member of the tribe of Levi, David couldn’t actually enter the tabernacle as could the priests, but he used that phrase to describe his approach to the Lord. David was in the wilderness, but he came to the Lord with the kind of awe that the priests and Levites displayed in the tabernacle. In the worship of our great God, there’s no place for cuteness and flippancy. For believers to enter into the presence of God to worship and pray, it cost Jesus His life (Heb. 10:19-20), and to treat this privilege lightly is to cheapen that sacrifice. David knew he needed guidance from God, for he had to put the kingdom back together again. (See James 1:5.)
He prayed for justice (vv. 9-10). David didn’t issue orders to his officers to go out and slaughter his enemies; instead, he turned them over to the Lord. During that tragic battle in which Absalom was slain, “the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured” (2 Sam. 18:8). David’s prayer was answered: “Let them fall by their own counsels” (v. 10). But it was not because they rebelled against David; their great sin was that they had rebelled against God. “The Lord loves righteousness and justice” (Ps. 33:5 niv; and see 36:6; 58:11; 97:2; Isa. 30:18; Luke 18:7-8; Rom. 1:32). Anybody who resents this kind of praying can’t honestly pray, “Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:9-10). In Romans 3:13, Paul quoted “their throat is an open sepulchre” as part of his proof that the whole world is guilty before God (Rom. 3:19)–and that includes all of us! Instead of being upset over God’s treatment of David’s enemies, we need to examine our own relationship with the Lord!
He prayed for God’s blessing (vv. 11-12). David didn’t rejoice because some of God’s covenant people were evil and were judged by the Lord, but because Israel’s God had been glorified and His king vindicated. The future of God’s great plan of salvation rested with Israel. And if the Davidic dynasty was destroyed, what about God’s gracious messianic covenant with David (2 Sam. 7:8)? The outcome of our fellowship with the Lord should be joy in His character, His promises, and His gracious answers to prayer. Even though some of his own people had turned against him, David prayed that God would bless and protect them! This sounds like our Lord on the cross (Luke 23:34) and Stephen when he was stoned to death (Acts 7:60). Note that verse 11 emphasizes faith and love, and verse 12 gives the assurance of future hope. The shield in verse 12 is the large rectangular shield, like a door, and not the smaller round shield of 3:3.
David began his devotions seeking help for himself but ended by seeking blessing for all the people, including his enemies. That’s the way our devotional times ought to end.