Calling upon the Lord and experiencing His deliverance
September 9, 2023 - Saturday, Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest
Psalm 54:3-4, 6 and 8
Psalm 54 begins with the following superscription: “When the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?” (Ps 54:2). It refers to the story told in 1 Samuel 23. Saul was pursuing David and the future king ran away to the wilderness of Ziph and settled in a place called Horesh. However, the Ziphites informed Saul about David’s hideout and promised to help him in capturing David. But, the plan did not succeed because God was protecting his anointed one (see 1 Samuel 23:14-28).
The Fathers of the Church see in this superscription and the content of this psalm a prophecy of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas. But, at the same time, they stress the fact that Jesus accepted it as a part of God’s plan for the salvation of humanity. In the Gospel of John, we hear Jesus saying: “No one takes (my life) from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” (John 10:18).
The psalm begins with a cry for help, “Save me, O God, in Your name” (Ps 54:3, LXX), and ends with a proclamation that God saved the psalmist from all his afflictions (see Ps 54:9). Pursuit by Saul, David was indeed in dire straits and it seemed like a matter of time before he would be captured. And yet, at the last moment, God intervened and David could escape (see 1 Samuel 23:25-28). Jesus’ betrayal, his unjust trial and his death sentence looked like the end of everything that Jesus stood for: his proclamation of God’s kingdom, his powerful signs, and his growing community of followers. But, we now know that it was not the end. Jesus’ resurrection proclaims the power of God’s intervention.
Between the psalmist’s request, “Save me, O God”, and his proclamation of God’s deliverance, there was a time of facing life’s challenges with trust. The psalmist tells God about the powerful enemies that come to destroy him (Ps 54:5) but at the same time, he believes that God is his helper and protector (Ps 54:6). And that is the difference between the psalmist and his enemies. They do not set God before their eyes but the psalmist calls upon the name of the Lord.
Psalm 54 provides a timeless lesson for us to emulate. We are invited to call upon God in the day of our troubles and trust in his powerful protection and guidance. The story of David escaping the clutches of Saul and Jesus’ resurrection crushing the power of death are told to strengthen our faith and hope. The Lord will not let our enemies triumph over us but will deliver us from all our afflictions. God’s powerful intervention evident in the lives of so many people steers our heart's to trust and thankfulness. What he did for others, he shall also do for us. And after experiencing his saving intervention in our lives, we thank him for his love and goodness and proclaim his powerful name to others.