Psalm 7: Responding to False Accusations (Psalm 7:1-17)

Unlike Ps 6, where the root issue behind David's problems was sin, in Ps 7 he is innocent being falsely slandered and pursued to death - a song of a slandered saint. The background is from when he was on the run from king Saul. Early in his reign Saul rebelled against God and Samuel told him God had rejected him and would replace him by another king (1Saml 13:13-14, 15:22-29). From then on he was on the look out for who this new replacement might be. David was anointed by Samuel (1Sam 16), then came into favour after slaying Goliath (1Sam 17), but when the people praised him more than Saul, he began to eye David with jealousy, believing he was going to usurp him as king (1Sam 18:5-9). He then tried to kill David on a number of occasions (1Sam 18), so that David had to go on the run from Saul (1Sam 19–31). The heading of Ps 7 says David sang it to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. Cush was from the same tribe as Saul, one of his close advisors, feeding his paranoia by making accusations against David that he was conspiring to overthrow him (those who spoke the truth and defended David's innocence, like Jonathan, experienced Saul's wrath). David knew about these false accusers stirring up Saul against David, and twice was able to protest his innocence to Saul (1Sam 22:6ff, 24:8ff). So David faced a double trial of (1) false accusations, which resulted in (2) being hunted to death. David gives us an example of how to respond to false accusation and persecution, by not taking revenge but by turning to the Lord for refuge, and committing our situation to Him, pleading our case, and asking Him in faith for vindication and deliverance. He starts with a plea to God for deliverance (v1-2), followed by a strong plea of innocence - equivalent to making an oath. He said: "if I am guilty of the charges being made against me then let my enemies pursue, overtake and kill me" (v3-5). He did not claim sinless perfection, but that in this case he was completely innocent of the charges being made against him. Next David, believing the Lord was angry on his behalf, urges Him to quickly move into action, due to the hostility of his enemies, and ascend to His Judge's Seat and initiate a court case to decide the issue, so He can make His judgment and command justice to be done (v6). David wants a court case, where all nations are assembled to witness the outcome and his public vindication. He says this is "for their sakes" for it is good for people to see justice done, for it causes them to trust in God (when evil-doers seem to get away with it, people cast off restraint). Also David had a special role in the plan of God, bringing salvation to all nations through Messiah, so it was "for their sakes" that God judged in David's favour and spared his life (v7). Clearly God answered his prayer, because in the Bible, God has declared His verdict of vindication of David in this situation to all mankind. Notice he turned the matter over to the Lord, rather than taking it into his own hands and taking revenge himself: "Vengeance is Mine says the Lord" (Rom 12:19). In v8-9, David declares that God will render justice to all people, and he renews his plea: "Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my integrity within me." He is not referring to his final eternal judgment before God (in which he would not dare to stand on his own righteousness), but that God would make a judgment between him and his enemies in his earthly situation. In v9, he points out that God is qualified to judge for He is righteous and sees into everyone's heart and motives. He also expands his prayer beyond his own personal needs, where his situation is an example of many other cases of injustice, so that he prays for universal justice, where God brings the wickedness of the wicked to an end, and establishes the just forever, just as we pray: "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth" and 'Lord, come and set all things in order.' In v10, David declares his confidence God has heard his prayer and judged his case, so that justice will be done concerning him and his false accusers, and that therefore God will defend him from those who seek to destroy him. In v11, David declares God is the just Judge, who continually hates and resists all evil, and who therefore is angry with the wicked every day (John 3:36). Sinners never imagine they will stand before a God, who is perfectly just and who cannot ignore the crime of sin. Therefore, if the sinner does not turn back (repent), God will suddenly release His arrows of fiery judgment upon him (v12,13). David sees God as being ever ready to judge the sinner, like an archer with his bow bent back, ready to release his arrow at any time. The only reason that, in His love and mercy for the sinner, God delays His judgment is to give men a chance to repent. It is not because He is weak, slack or unconcerned with justice. Man should not presume upon such mercy, ass if it will last for e