Section 2. His Recognition of God's Help and Protection.
‘But you, O YHWH, are a shield about me,
My glory and the lifter up of my head.
I was crying to YHWH with my voice,
And he was answering me out of his holy hill.' Selah (think of that!)
However, in the moment of his extremity David did the wisest thing possible. He took his eyes off himself and looked at God. Having acknowledged his own inadequacy he turned his thoughts towards God's complete adequacy and faithfulness.
What the people had overlooked was that he was a forgiven sinner, that he had deeply repented of his sins, and had been forgiven and accepted back by God. That he was still therefore YHWH's anointed. Thus in this moment of deepest need, and even perplexity, and with his conscience screaming out at him, his heart reached upwards and he turned towards YHWH, his covenant God. He no longer now prayed to Him as ‘God'. He prayed to Him as ‘YHWH', the One Who loved him.
Lonely and desolate in his tent he sought reassurance. He reminded YHWH, and himself, (for that is often what prayer is, something in which we remind ourselves of the promises of God), that YHWH had promised to be his shield. To be the One Who guarded and protected him, like a great shield of war. That He was his glory, the One without Whom David knew that he was nothing, and that He was the One Who lifted up the head of, and restored, those who were cast down, and so would lift up David's head. And he threw himself on the grace of God.
‘You are a shield about me.' To a warrior like David the shield was a vital weapon. His trusty shield had saved his life many a time. Thus the thought of YHWH as his shield comforted him. He Who was Abram's shield (Genesis 15:1) must be his shield, for he was the seed of Abram, one of the kings who came from his loins. He Who was Israel's shield (Deuteronomy 33:29) must be his shield, for in himself he represented Israel before God. And he could remember back to when God had given him the shield of His deliverance when He had saved him from Saul (2 Samuel 22:3; 2 Samuel 22:36. See also Psalms 5:12; Psalms 84:11; Psalms 119:14). So he knew that God was like a surrounding shield to him, a great protective shield, even greater than one carried in the ordinary way into battle.
We also as we face the problems that life can bring need to constantly remember that if we are truly His, God is our shield. If we are walking in faithfulness to Him, with our sin forgiven and behind us, we too can be confident of His protection, both in the trials of life, and from the arrows of the Evil One. He will not fail us nor forsake us.
‘You are my glory.' The glory of the king was the reflected glory of YHWH. He was YHWH's anointed, glorious because YHWH was glorious. For the king's glory was obtained from YHWH, and given to Him by YHWH. YHWH's glory was also revealed in His deliverance of him, when YHWH laid on him honour and majesty (Psalms 21:5 compare Psalms 62:7). So in every way he knew that his glory depended on YHWH Who was his glory. Without YHWH he was nothing. And without YHWH he would no longer gain the victory. So he now looked again to YHWH and trusted Him to restore his glory, because He was his God.
We too need to recognise that without God our glory is nothing, our lives are nothing. We may strut around for a while convinced that we are something, and that we are achieving great things, or we may stumble along in doubt and feel that life is no longer worthwhile. But unless we recognise that our glory comes from God we will finally achieve nothing. Either way we need to look off to God's glory, the one in order to learn humility, the other in order to gain strength. For it is only as our eyes are set on things above, and as our confidence is placed in Him, that our lives will become finally meaningful and we will then become ‘something', something that will be everlastingly worthwhile. Jesus Christ will cover us with His glory (John 17:22).
‘The lifter up of my head.' At this moment when his conscience was revived over his past doings David's head was bowed, and he needed it to be lifted up, so that he was no more ashamed and could be assured that he was truly restored to favour. He knew that YHWH had done exactly that for him in the past and he was confident that He would do it again. Thus his cry was that YHWH would lift up his head in deliverance.
In other references the lifting up of the head also reflects release from prison and restoration to favour and prominence (Genesis 40:13; Genesis 40:20; 2 Kings 25:27), and its negative to not being able to invade any more because of weakness (Judges 8:28). Compare also Psalms 27:6; Psalms 83:2. Thus the idea includes here David's confidence that God will restore him in his time of need, will release him from the danger of captivity, and will weaken Absalom in his plotting against him.
And he knew within him that his prayer was answered. That is why he wrote down his agonised complaint and his prayer, - and then the consequence of his prayer. He knew that it was happening already. ‘I was crying to YHWH with my voice, and He was answering me out of His holy hill.' Peace now flooded his soul. He knew that his prayer was being heard. YHWH had seen his distress and had drawn near to him and was in process of delivering him. As he continued on with YHWH, constantly looking to Him, he knew that he need not be afraid. He may still lay tossing in his tent, with the enemy still pursuing. He may have to strike camp shortly and continue his flight. But now he knew that God was on his side, and he had nothing to fear.
‘Out of His holy hill.' Probably, in the light of Psalms 2:6, this means the holy hill of Zion. There was the Tabernacle, and there was the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH. There were the symbols that spoke of His faithfulness and love. There was YHWH's earthly dwellingplace, and from there He had responded to David in the past and would continue to do so.
His faithful priests had in fact brought the Ark to accompany them in their flight, but David had sent it back to the Tabernacle, confident that if it was YHWH's will that he should be restored to minister there again (2 Samuel 15:24-29), it would be so. He knew that God was with him wherever he was, whether the Ark was there or not, but he had wanted YHWH still to be seen as reigning from Zion. Whatever happened to him God was not to be put to flight. That was unthinkable. He was the God of Israel, not just of David.