A Song of Ascents.
1 In my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me.
2 Deliver me, O LORD,
from lying lips,
from a deceitful tongue.
3 What shall be given to you,
and what more shall be done to you,
you deceitful tongue?
4 A warrior's sharp arrows,
with glowing coals of the broom tree!
5 Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech,
that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
6 Too long have I had my dwelling
among those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace,
but when I speak, they are for war! – Psalm 120:1-7 ESV
Psalm 120 begins a section of the psalter known as the “songs of ascent. They are Hallel psalms or songs of praise that were sung by the people of Israel as they made their way to Jerusalem for one of the three annual feasts. Because Jerusalem sits on Mount Zion, its higher elevation required all travelers to “ascend” as they entered its gates. Four of these fifteen psalms (120-134) are attributed to David, one was composed by his son Solomon, and the remainder are anonymous.
Each of these psalms focuses on some attribute or characteristic of Yahweh, meant to remind the reader of His presence and power. In this case, the psalmist finds himself in a distant land called Meshech. The exact location of Meshech is unknown, but the psalmist laments having to “sojourn” in such a distant place. He also mentions Kedar, another unidentified location that required the psalmist to spend time away from home. It would seem that the author was a king, commander, or soldier who was required to spend long periods of time on deployment to far-distant battlefronts.
He flatly states, “I am tired of living among people who hate peace” (Psalm 120:6 NLT). As a soldier, he is surrounded by those whose job is to do battle with the enemy. Their livelihoods depend on war, so they despise peace. If all the wars ended, they would have to find other employment. But the psalmist describes himself as a pacifist.
I search for peace;
but when I speak of peace, they want war! – Psalm 120:7 NLT
It seems that this individual is not just an ordinary soldier, but a person of power and influence. He isn’t a low-level private on the front lines who has to fight whether he wants to or not. This man is likely a king who holds the lives of his soldiers and the fate of his nation in his hands. He didn't take lightly the decision to declare war and order his troops to the front lines. While military conflict was always a possibility, it was not something he took lightly or entered into flippantly. But there were always those who viewed battle as the best and most viable option. These war hawks were always eager to recommend armed conflict as the solution to any problem. They could be persuasive in their arguments and unrelenting in their desire to fight their way out of any predicament.
But the psalmist expresses his frustration with the constant clamour for war. Everywhere he turns, he hears his commanders and military advisors recommending a declaration of war as the only solution. But he believes their advice to be self-serving and not entirely honest.
He begins his psalm with a prayer for Yahweh’s help.
Rescue me, O Lord, from liars
and from all deceitful people. – Psalm 120:2 NLT
To get what they want, this pro-war faction uses deceptive means to sway the king's decision. They lie and deceive, presenting opinions as fact and promoting their plans using less-than-honest assessments. But the psalmist saw through their lies, so he called on the LORD for help. He needed discernment. If he simply refused their advice, he ran the risk of losing their support. If he went against his better judgment and gave in to their counsel, lives could be lost and the safety of the kingdom could be put in jeopardy.
The psalmist seems to know that if his deceitful advisors get their wish, the outcome will be less than satisfactory. Everyone will lose, including them.
O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you?
How will he increase your punishment?
You will be pierced with sharp arrows
and burned with glowing coals. – Psalm 120:3-4 NLT
There is an old saying that states, “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” These proverbial statement actually comes from the lips of Jesus. On the night he was betrayed, armed guards sent by the Sanhedrin arrived at the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Him. In an attempt to defend his Rabbi, one of the disciples drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave. At this act of violence, Jesus said, “Put away your sword, those who use the sword will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52 NLT). Jesus knew that the impulsive actions of his well-meaning disciple would only produce further bloodshed. God had other plans for that evening that did not include a sword fight with the Sanhedrin security forces.
The psalmist seemed to know that war wasn't always the answer. Perhaps he had seen the bloody aftermath of battles entered into rashly. He seemed to understand that war should always be a last resort, not the first one. Men who make armed conflict their go-to option in all cases will always end up regretting their decision.
This can be seen in the life of Abner, the military commander for King Saul. This seasoned warrior had lived his entire life by the sword. He was a fighter who viewed warfare as inevitable and, sometimes, preferable to any other option. When the forces of David began to grow in strength and threaten the reign of King Saul, Abner decided to take matters into his own hands. He made a fateful decision to sleep with one of the concubines of Saul's son, Ishbosheth. When Ishbosheth confronted Abner for this gross indiscretion, the commander responded in anger.
“After all I have done for your father, Saul, and his family and friends by not handing you over to David, is this my reward—that you find fault with me about this woman? May God strike me and even kill me if I don’t do everything I can to help David get what the Lord has promised him! I’m going to take Saul’s kingdom and give it to David.” – 2 Samuel 3:8-10 NLT
Offended by Ishbosheth’s accusation, Abner chose to switch sides and align himself with David. He was a fighter and had determined that David had the upper hand in this conflict, so he pledged his allegiance to the opposing team.
Then Abner said to David, “Let me go and call an assembly of all Israel to support my lord the king. They will make a covenant with you to make you their king, and you will rule over everything your heart desires.” So David sent Abner safely on his way. – 2 Samuel 3:21 NLT
Everything seemed to be going well for Abner. He had convinced David of his allegiance and would soon be wielding his sword for a new king. But he had forgotten about Joab, the brother of a man he had murdered. Joab was the commander of David's forces and also a seasoned warrior. When he heard that David had made an alliance with Abner, he was incensed.
“What have you done? What do you mean by letting Abner get away? You know perfectly well that he came to spy on you and find out everything you’re doing!” – 2 Samuel 3:24-25 NLT
Joab saw Abner's overtures of peace as a poorly disguised ploy to seek David's downfall. Enflamed by the memories of his brother's murder, Joab sought out Abner and put him to death.
Joab took him aside at the gateway as if to speak with him privately. But then he stabbed Abner in the stomach and killed him in revenge for killing his brother Asahel. – 2 Samuel 3:27 NLT
Abner had lived by the sword, and he died by the sword. He was a man of bloodshed who was used to getting his own way. His affair with Ishbosheth's concubine was a blatant attempt to assert his power and authority. His abandonment of Saul was his way of saying he was in control. But his penchant for power and reliance upon the sword to solve all his problems returned to haunt him.
The psalmist writes like a man weary of war and worn out by the constant clamoring of those who preferred conflict to peace. Perhaps David was the author of this psalm. He was a man well-acquainted with war and had spent most of his life living by the sword. In fact, it was his track record of violence that kept him from building a Temple for Yahweh.
God said to me, “You must not build a Temple to honor my name, for you are a warrior and have shed much blood.” – 1 Chronicles 28:3 NLT
Yet David longed for peace and desired to see the wars end and the nation of Israel experience tranquility and prosperity. That day would come, but not in David's lifetime. Yet, it did not keep him from asking Yahweh to hear his call and answer. In Psalm 4, David shares his deep desire to experience the peace of God. His life had not been easy. Difficulties and difficult people had been a constant part of his life. But he also expresses his appreciation for all the good things God had done.
Answer me when I call to you,
O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
How long will you people ruin my reputation?
How long will you make groundless accusations?
How long will you continue your lies? Interlude
You can be sure of this:
The LORD set apart the godly for himself.
The LORD will answer when I call to him.
Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
Think about it overnight and remain silent. Interlude
Offer sacrifices in the right spirit,
and trust the LORD.
Many people say, “Who will show us better times?”
Let your face smile on us, LORD.
You have given me greater joy
than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe. – Psalm 4:1-8 NLT
Who will show us better times? For David, the answer was Yahweh. He was grateful for the goodness of God in this life and was confident he would experience it in the life to come. He desired perfect peace, but he knew only Yahweh could bring it about, so he prayed and willingly waited for it.
Father, we all long for peace in this life but it doesn't always come. Conflict seems to be a regular part of life in this fallen world. Some of it we create ourselves, while at other times we suffer innocently and unjustly. But You can bring peace even in the midst of the storms of life. Your very presence should create a tranquility and calmness in our lives because You are always in control at all times. The conflicts of life will remain, but Your presence and power will always be available to us. And we thank You for that assurance.. Amen
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.