What Can Man Do to Me?

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Psalm 56

What can man do to me? — Quite a lot actually!  In fact, I have a brief sampling from the news headlines since we met last Sunday:

1. On Friday, a lone gunman opened fire in a Fedex facility in Indianapolis, killing himself, making a total of 8 people dead.
2. Protests and riots in Minnesota have been continuing now for 7 nights straight and have led to over 100 arrests.
3. An 18-year-old young man was arrested with a loaded AK-47 in Times Square, New York City.
4. A manhunt is underway in Kenosha, Wisconsin for an armed and dangerous individual suspected in slaying 3 people and injuring 2 others in a bar fight gone bad.  
5. In Canton, Ohio, a man walked into a Bob Evans restaurant and killed his ex-girlfriend.
6. The U.S. border patrol nabbed 3 convicted sex offenders in 2 days.
7. A man stabbed a woman to death in Los Angeles just after being released from parole for serving a 30-year sentence for stabbing a different woman to death in 1982.

What can man do to me? — Quite a lot indeed!  

We are reminded of the words of the great 19^th century poet, Mr. William Wordsworth when he wrote of “man’s inhumanity to man”

What can man do to me? — Well, man can destroy our reputations, he can murder and kill us, man can maim, injure, hate and all sorts of terrible things!  But, David gives us an answer to this question which none of us would expect — Nothing!  Especially when God Almighty Himself is for us and He stands against our enemies!

Have you ever been afraid?  Desperate?  Alone?  If you have, then this Psalm is for you!  Psalm 56 is not merely about feelings of fear and loneliness, it is an encouragement to trust God in faith, and He can and will give you victory over those dark feelings and emotions!

It is important we understand the historical background of this Psalm first, then we shall take note of the Voice of Fear, the Voice of Faith and the Victory in Christ!              

1. Historical Background
   1. Live like a king? — Perhaps someone may say, “Well, it’s easy for king David to say because he was a king, he could have commanded his army to stop his attackers, he could simply hide behind the walls of his fortified city, but we are not as lucky as David”.  Well, the title for this Psalm tells us that David had none of those luxuries because it was before he sat on the throne as king, “when the Philistines had seized him in Gath”
   2. The background — Remember in Psalm 52, we discussed the betrayal David experienced at the hand of the evil Doeg.  During this time, there were 2 important incidents which occurred and are recorded in I Samuel 21-22:
      1. David flees to the Philistine city of Gath.  He thought he would hide from Saul there.  
      2. David sought refuge in the cave of Adullam, after he found no safety in Gath, where his brothers and other dissidents began to gather around him.  It was this time when David began to collect around 400 faithful fighting men who would become the core of his army.
      3. Context:  Psalm 56 was written about David’s experience in Gath, in between the time he passed through Nob and arrived at the cave at Adullam.
      4. 3 Important Notes about this period:
         1. David felt lonely
         2. David felt despair — What we can surmise is that it was feelings of hopeless desperation which caused David to go to Gath.  
            • “To have fled from Saul to Gath of all places, the home town of Goliath, took the courage of despair; it measured David’s estimate of his standing with his people.” David’s attempt to find safety in Gath was not successful, of course. So Kidner adds, “This has failed, and [David] is [now] doubly encircled.”
         3. David felt fearful — (1 Sam. 21:11).
            • The “tens of thousands” were Philistines.  And David is at the home town of his great enemy Goliath!
            • I Samuel 21:12 should be easy to understand: “David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath”
            • David resorted to pretending to be insane, so Achish would cast David away from his presence…and it worked!
            • Now we have the occasion and context for the main thoughts of this Psalm: “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” — Verse 3 & 4
2. The Voice of Fear — Even though the words of the great J.J. Stewart Perowne about Psalm 56 are true when he said this song is about “the victory rather than the struggle of faith”, that does NOT mean fear is absent from this Psalm.
   1. The Fury of the Attack in Verses 1 & 2 — Notice the words, “trample,” “attack,” and “all day long” are repeated twice in these verses.
      • Interpretation: “I am overwhelmed, simply overwhelmed; because no matter what direction I turn they are always after me, after me, pursuing me, always pursuing me.”—Dr. Boice   
   2. The Nature of the Attack in Verses 5-9 — David’s enemies twisted his words to make it seem he was speaking evil against Saul: “All day long they twist my words; they are always plotting to harm me. They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, eager to take my life” — Verses 5–6
   3. The Goodness of God in Verses 7-8
      • Did it ever occur to you that God remembers troubles and heartaches which you have long forgotten? 
3. The Voice of Faith in Verses 4, 10 & 11 — We have observed David in his many fears, now let’s see his incredible example of Faith!
   1. Confidence in God — David is able to answer the question of “what can man do to me?” with the resounding “Nothing” because he puts his faith in God and not man!
      1. Application — Do we trust God?  If we say we have trusted God for salvation that is the greatest thing of all.  But, do we trust God for the lesser things?  Such as:
         • Loneliness? 
         • Desperation?  
         • Fear?
         • God has promised to take care of us if we are His:
           • (Ps. 37:25). 
           • (Ps. 55:22).
           • (Phil. 4:19).
   2. Confidence in God’s Word in Verses 4 & 10 — 3 times in these 2 verses we have the phrase “whose word I praise”.  Exactly which part of the Word of God did David have?  We have a far greater Word than even David had, we have the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments.
4. The Victory in Christ in Verses 12-13—When we go to God with our fears, anxieties and discouragements, God fills us with confidence.  This Psalm is quoted by Jesus Christ in John 8:12 — “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
   • The “light of life” is Christ Himself who lives inside the believer in the form of the Holy Spirit!
   • The great Alexander MacLaren said “The really living are they who live in Jesus, and the real light of the living is the sunshine that streams on those who thus live, because they live in him.”
   • Conclusion—If you really want to move away from your fear, despair, darkness and loneliness then come to God through Christ to bask in the sunshine of God’s loving grace!  Then you will find yourself saying “In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”