Psalm 27:1 "(A Psalm of David.) The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life (or translation: strength), Who shall I fear?"
"Light" in the Bible represents good things from God, such as salvation (verse 1), truth (Psalm 43:3), and goodness (Isaiah 5) 20), joy (Psalm 97:11), and life (Psalm 36:9). In this article, "light" and "salvation" are used to explain the same thing from two angles: God's "light" brings man's "salvation"; and the reason why "salvation" comes to man is because God is " light".
God’s “light” illuminates us, not only making us aware of our own darkness, but also dispelling the darkness in our hearts and “saving” us from this darkness. If people do not recognize their own darkness, they will not feel the need for light, and they will not be able to receive God’s salvation. Only when we recognize our own darkness, God will perform His “salvation.”
People who don’t fear God are afraid of everything, afraid of people, difficulties, failures, diseases, and death... But people who fear God don’t have to fear anything: because “The Lord is the guarantee of my life.” , who should I be afraid of?”
Psalm 27:2 "The workers of evil are my enemies; they stumble and fall when they come to eat my flesh."
Psalm 27:3: "Although there are Even if an army encamps against me, my heart will not fear; though a sword shall be raised against me, I will remain safe."
God's people will have enemies, because the world "sees that you will not run with them. This dissolute way will seem strange to you and will speak evil against you” (1 Peter 4:4). But “Blessed are you when the Son of Man hates you, rejects you, reviles you, and rejects your name as evil” (Luke 6:22), because this shows that we are God’s people; and when “everyone "Woe to you when we say good things to you" (Luke 6:26), because this shows that we have fallen in line with the world.
The reason why God allows the enemy’s “armies to camp against me” is to allow us to experience God as our “defence” in difficulties (verse 1) and learn to “not be afraid” by faith, because “ "The peace of God which surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7) and "remain secure".
Psalm 27:4 “One thing I have asked the Lord, and I will seek after him: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold his beauty, and to inquire in his house. ”
David’s life experience taught him that the most important thing to do in trouble is not to rush for peace, but to seek to “dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life, beholding his beauty, in his Ask in the palace.” For those who seek God and get close to God, God will be responsible for their peace. And when we turn our eyes away from the environment and ourselves and simply "behold His beauty," God will allow our hearts to "remain stable" in the midst of difficulties (verse 3).
"Temple" refers to the tabernacle. Solomon's temple had not yet been built.
Psalm 27:5 "For he will keep me secretly in my trouble; he will hide me in the secret of his tabernacle in his pavilion; he will lift me up on the rock." /p>
God has never promised that we will not encounter troubles, but He has promised that “He will keep me secretly” in the midst of troubles. We are in the Lord and He is in us. This is our greatest security. Every time we are tempted and attacked by the enemy, it is because we have left the "secret place of the tabernacle" of God and failed to "keep ourselves in the love of God" (Jude 1:21).
"Hidden in the secret of his tent" is a metaphor for the owner of the statue in the ancient Middle East, who would be duty-bound to protect the safety of his guests. Therefore, the most important thing we should do when we are in trouble is to quickly return to God’s “tent” and let our God protect us.
Many times, God’s way of saving us is not to destroy our enemies and remove our difficulties, but to “lift me up on a rock” so that our enemies cannot reach us and our difficulties cannot touch us. Although the enemy is still rampant and difficulties still exist, our lives have been "lifted high on the rock" by God. Not only will difficulties and enemies no longer bother us, but they will become "food" for the growth of our lives (Numbers 14:9 ).
Psalm 27:6 "Now I will lift up my head above my enemies on all sides. I will offer sacrifices with joy in his tabernacle; I will sing songs to the Lord."
Psalm 27:7 "Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice; have mercy on me and answer me."
Psalm 27:8 "You said, "Seek My face. Then my heart said to you: "Lord, your face I am seeking."
David's prayer is to talk intimately with God with "heart". Responding to God’s call is true prayer.
Psalm 27:9 "Do not hide your face from me. Do not drive away your servants in your anger, for you have always been my help. Do not cast me away, O God of my salvation, nor forsake me."
Psalm 27:9 p>
Psalm 27:10 “My parents have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.”
What people should worry about is not that God will “forsake” them (verse 9), but themselves. May be far away from God. Anyone who sincerely seeks God will not be “abandoned” by God; and those who truly fear God will not dare to stay away from Him.
"My parents forsake me" means "If my parents forsake me" (Isaiah 49:15).
Psalm 27:11 “Teach me your ways, O Lord, and guide me in a straight path because of my enemies.”
Psalm 27:12 "Please do not hand me over to my enemies to do what they want; for false witnesses and evil speakers have risen up against me."
"For my enemies' sake" (verse 11) , meaning asking God to lead him on the right path, lest the enemy seize the opportunity to attack him.
God sometimes “delivers us over to the enemy” temporarily, just as Job was delivered into the hands of Satan and the Lord Jesus was delivered into the hands of evil men. But the wicked are but the fire by which God refines his people, and God will not leave us permanently in the hands of our enemies to "do what they desire."
Psalm 27:13 “If I had not believed that I would see the favor of the Lord in the land of the living, I would have lost heart.”
Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the Lord! Be courageous and strengthen your heart. Again I say: Wait for the Lord!”
“The land of the living” (verse 13) refers to this life.
The reason why we are not “fazed” in the face of difficulties (v. 13) is not because we are strong, but because we see God’s “favor” in faith (v. 13). Human self-confidence is unreliable, so God does not ask us to rely on physical efforts to follow Him, but uses His “favor and love” to follow us throughout our lives (Psalm 23), allowing us to continuously experience God’s favor and kindness throughout our lives. Faithful and growing in faith.
David’s encouragement to himself is also the “emboldening” and “strengthening” of the Holy Spirit to us: “Wait on the Lord”! Many people today mock us, just as they mocked the Lord on the cross: "He trusted in God, and if God pleased him, he could save him now" (Matthew 27:43). The time has come when we will be able to say, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us.
This is the LORD, in whom we have waited, and we will rejoice and be glad in his salvation” (Isaiah 25:9)!