Embrace the Word for Friday, May 1, 2026
FOR AN AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE
Psalm 57 is a call for God to gloriously exalt Himself over all the earth. This call is in the context of much difficulty and distress as the superscription explains: “To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.” Psalms 56 through 60 form a subgroup of Psalms that focus on David’s persecutions from the hand of Saul. “Do Not Destroy” is most likely the tune and/or style to which the Psalm was to be sung. “When he fled from Saul, in the cave” most likely points to the episode in 1 Samuel 22, when David fled to the “cave of Adullam,” after he escaped the Philistine town of Gath (See Psalm 56; 1 Samuel 21). Psalm 57 shares some common links to Psalm 56. Each has a similar context, each has an important refrain, and each opens with an appeal for grace (56:1; 57:1). Both close with thanksgiving, both use the term “trample” (56:1-2; 57:3), and both mention “the peoples” (56:6; 57:9). Psalm 57 begins with prayer amid suffering and inserts a refrain (57:1-5), and it concludes with a confidence of faith repeating the refrain (57:6-11).
Psalm 57 opens with a double-stating plea for mercy: “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me” (57:1a). The repetition shows the intensity and urgency of the situation. David has fled Saul only to narrowly escape the clutches of the Philistines and winds up hiding in a cave. Certainly this all seems to be an unusual series of events for God’s anointed king. But David confesses his trust in the LORD: “for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by” (57:1b). David is hiding out in a cave, but he is taking refuge in the LORD. David interprets the cave as being in the “shadow of your wings.” A safe place to be until the storm blows over. Seeing the LORD’s protection in his life, David states he has taken refuge in the LORD and he will continue taking refuge in the LORD. It is as though, while in the cave, David renews the confidence he has in being dependent upon the LORD.
David voices how he is seeing the LORD while in the cave: “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah” (57:2-3a). David grasps that there is no one higher in authority or power than the LORD, who is the Most High God. No one outranks Him, nothing was before Him, and none will supersede Him. Thus, David realizes such a God will bring to fruition the purposes that He has for him. The LORD has purposed David to reign as king of Israel. And while, at the moment, David is hiding out in a cave, he will ascend to the throne. David knows that he is in great danger, but he acknowledges that help will come down from heaven. And when such help comes, David comprehends that will mean rescue for him and destruction for his enemies. David is persuaded that God will do such things, for David is cognizant of the true character of his LORD: “God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!” (57:3b). The LORD is always loyal to His people and ever trustworthy to what He promises.
The guarantee that David feels concerning the LORD’s deliverance is juxtaposed by an extremely troubling set of conditions: “My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts—the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords” (57:4). David appreciates that the LORD will deliver him in spite of his situation, but the facts of his situation are quite serious. David’s resolution that the LORD will come to his aid is confessed amid beastly killers who would eat him alive and quickly devour him like a blazing fire. As David’s enemies track him they taunt him. Their taunting alone are like spears, and arrows, and sharp swords. But rather than listening to the taunts to the point that David’s soul is overtaken, he declares: “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!” (57:5). While his enemies issue their threats, David issues praise. David’s desire is for the the “God Most High” to show Himself to be just that—the Most High. David desires the LORD to exalt Himself in such a way that His greatness and goodness will be visibly seen to all people throughout the entire earth. Since David’s ascendancy as king is linked with the grand purposes of God, the LORD will, in at least some measure, be exalted when David, God’s anointed king, emerges out of the cave and onto his throne. David’s confidence of his own fate is linked to the surety of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.
But in the meantime, David returns to describe his current situation: “They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah” (57:6). Thinking him to be a mere animal, David’s enemies have set traps to catch him, and they have dug a pit for him to fall into. These schemes have brought discouragement to David, but David has seen that his enemies have fallen into the very pits they have dug. The LORD has shown David that the schemes of his enemies will not succeed. So David reveals the posture of his heart: “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!” (57:7). David double states the state of his heart. To be emphatically clear, David, even though he is hiding out in a cave, is strong and stable. This heart posture is due to the strong promises and stable character of his God. Out of the overflow of a heart made steadfast by the LORD, David sings—gladly and beautifully sings. As his heart is stirred, David sings: “Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn!” (57:8). David calls upon all that is within him to worship. And as an extension of his own worship, David desires that what he purposes to do is to be a witness to all around him: “I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations” (57:9). David’s hope is that his worship would engage others to do the same.
As David concludes, he underscores what he expressed earlier by expanding on it: “For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds” (57:10). David desires to sing among the peoples because he is singing about a God whom he wants all the world to know about. The very God whose steadfast love and faithfulness is the source of David’s salvation is the only God. And there is no limit to the goodness and greatness of the one true God. David realizes that the hope that he has in his God is the only God in whom the world can find hope. That being so, David restates his earlier refrain: “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!” (57:11). Whereas David issues this refrain as part of his praise to the LORD concerning his own deliverance, perhaps David now issues this refrain as a part of his prayer that many, many others, all around the world, would come to experience the power of the LORD to deliver them. No matter what cave you may be in, the LORD is a refuge and the hearts of those who find refuge in Him can be steadfast.
As we reflect on Psalm 57 we should consider the passion that Jesus had for the glory of God: “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you” (See John 17:1). All throughout John 13-17, which describes the eve of Jesus’ sufferings from His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus is sharply focused on God being glorified. As David, in Psalm 57 was focused on the glory of God amid his suffering, the true Son of David, who faced even greater sufferings, was focused on God being glorified in and through His life: “When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.” (See John 13:31-32). And now, through the grace of Christ that all who believe in Jesus possess, we too can focus on God being glorified in and through our sufferings: “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (See 1 Thessalonians 1:11-12). Such grace from Christ in us who believe, not only sustains us in our sufferings, enabling us to do good works amid our sufferings, but such grace insures that God will get each of His children safely home: “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (See Jude 24-25). Safely home: all for the glory of God!
That’s all for Embrace the Word for Friday, May 1, 2026. I look forward to being back with you for the Monday, May 4, 2026 episode of Embrace the Word as we take a look at Psalm 58.