Outline: Victory Over Fear

Text: Psalm 64:1-10

Introduction:

Scholars tend to agree that the context of this psalm is either when David was betrayed by Doeg (1 Samuel 21) or when Ahithophel joined Absalom’s rebellion against David (2 Samuel 15-17).  Either way, David is overwhelmed with the spirit of fear and seeks God for victory over this dreadful emotion.

1. The Petition for His Fears (v1)

A. A Request to Hear (v1a)

• “Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer”
• The word “hear” means to incline toward someone with intellectual understanding.
• David wanted the Lord to understand and relate to his circumstance.
• “Voice” implies an audible cry- to call aloud, to proclaim loudly.  David was in travail as he prayed unto God.

  B. A Request to Help (v1-2)

• “…preserve my life from fear of the enemy.”
• The word “fear” is pachad- it is the same word used for terror or dread.
• The enemy is not only capable of doing physical harm, he is able to cripple our faith
• David sought the Lord to “preserve” or guard, watch over his life.
• This term is a shepherd’s term.  It is one that David had experienced himself as a shepherd boy.
• There is an allusion here to the 23^rd Psalm- “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will FEAR no evil: for thou art with me.”
• The Good Shepherd “preserves” our life from fear

2. The Persecution of His Foes (v2)

A. The Counsel of their Wickedness (v2a)

• “Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked;”
• The counsel against David was an alliance, an assembly, a group of people who met with the specific and secret purpose of hindering David.
• There are groups against the people of God; they meet with the intent of destroying the faith and discouraging the faithful

B. The Corruption of their Wickedness (v2b)

• “…from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity.”
• Insurrection by its very nature implies rebellion or uprising
• These workers are full of corruption and iniquity.  They reject the law of God and they seek to do harm with their perverted ways.

3. The Pain of His Fight (v3-6)

A. The Piercing of their Attacks (v3)

• “Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words”
• The word whet means to pierce or penetrate.  The words of the enemy felt like a piercing sword in the heart of David.
• Their bitter words were like arrows against David’s soul.
• Oftentimes our battle stems from words and the intent of those words spoken; discouragement is one of the greatest tools Satan has against God’s people.

B. The Placement of their Attacks (v4)

• “That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not”
• The arsenal of the enemy is precisely aimed at the “perfect” or those who are mature or upright.
• Living right doesn’t exempt you from the enemy’s assault.  If anything, it alerts the enemy.

  C. The Privacy of their Attacks (v5-6)

• “They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart is deep”
• Their attacks are in the inward places of man.
• One of David’s greatest struggles was the inward battle he faced as a result of fighting the physical enemy.

4. The Protection from His Friend (v7-10)

A. The Guarding of God (v7-8)

• “But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.  So shall they make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.”
• God intervened in David’s fight and his fear.
• Consider that the enemy had “arrows” but God only had one arrow.
• One arrow from God can destroy the multitude of arrows from the enemy
• If God be for us who can be against us?  The enemy retreats at the presence of our God.

  B. The Gladness from God (v9-10)

• “And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.  The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.”
• The fear that David initially felt in the beginning of the psalm has been transferred upon those who have viciously sought after David.
• Those who are upright in spirit shall be glad in the Lord and trust in Him.

Conclusion:

Fear is a real emotion that hinders and cripples us as we engage in spiritual warfare.  The presence of our Captain takes away our fear and brings victory in our lives.