1 Samuel 19 recalls the first time David had to flee from Saul. Consumed with jealousy, Saul decided to kill David (v. 1). He ″sent men to David's house to watch it and to kill him in the morning″ (v. 11). However, Michal, David's wife and Saul's daughter, helped David escape by letting him down through a window. In this psalm, David remembers this event and how God rescued him.

Psalm 59 tells us something about David's enemies and something about David's God.

David speaks about two kinds of enemies. First, he cries out about ″fierce men who conspire against me″ (Psalm 59:3). They are sent by Saul to kill David, whom he sees as a threat to his throne. Second, he implores God ″to punish all the nations″ (v. 5) who are ″snarling like dogs″ (v. 6). Though two separate groups of people, they are connected in their desire to kill David. And in opposing God's anointed king, both Saul and the nations are united in opposing God. As such, Saul, his supporters, and the surrounding nations will face God's judgment (vv. 5, 8, 13).

In Ephesians 6:12, Paul tells us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the evil spiritual powers. Of course, Paul knew that his enemies were real people like false teachers and those who persecuted him. But Paul also knew that behind them, working through them, were ″the powers of this dark world and . . . the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms″. Like David, Paul prayed for deliverance from both these enemies.

Psalm 59 also teaches us about David's God. As David goes through various trials, he continually relies on God's steadfast love. He sings, ″in the morning I will sing of your love″ (v. 16). David knew that God's love for him was expressed most wonderfully in that He would exalt him and make him the ruler over His people Israel (see 1 Samuel 16). Even under the threat of death, David relies on God's loving commitment to him to keep this promise.

But David wrote this psalm to be sung by all Israel. All Israel could rely on God's steadfast love. God will keep His promise to make them into a great nation that will bring blessing to all the world.

Christians, too, live every day relying on the Lord's steadfast love. As we face our enemies, both personal and spiritual, we rely on the same loving God who keeps His promises to us. I'm sure there were moments when David wondered whether he'd survive. We, too, might wonder whether we can keep going as faithful disciples from time to time. But, like David, we can share the same confidence in the Lord, ″I will sing of your strength; in the morning I will sing of your love″ (Psalm 59:16).