About a week ago I started reading through Charles
Spurgeon’s Treasury of David (even though there are 1528
pages, and I am only on page 15!).
Today, a passage in Psalm 3 struck me. It actually struck me
so hard that, as I read verse 3, I 'added words' in my head. This realization
left me to say, “wow~that’s good stuff!”
Here is what led to that ‘added phrase’.
Spurgeon used the opportunity from verse 2 to introduce the
word SELAH (I have a friend who named their daughter Selah. What a beautiful
name when you consider the following description). He defines SELAH as a
musical pause to prepare the voice or the instrument for a change in pitch or
volume to introduce a dramatic theme or conclusion. I think of it as the high
soprano taking that deep breath before ‘belting’ out the high note at the
climax of the cantata!
Spurgeon states that with a SELAH "there is always something
excellent where we are required to rest, pause, meditate, or lift our hearts in
grateful song." He encourages us to read and contemplate on what comes just
before and just after the SELAH.
So, I went back and reread the end of verse two and the
beginning of verse three. In verses 1-2, David laments his troubles as he runs
from his son, Abasolm. He admits that his enemies are taunting that even His
God has turned His back on David and can’t/won’t help him now! David probably
feels this as well as he recalls his sins against Uriah and Bathsheba (a
Spurgeon note).
Then verse three follows the SELAH: But…..You, Lord….
At this point, I wrote in the margin~ But “no, they’ve got it
all wrong”. Actually I wrote “NOO-ooo,
they’ve got it all wrong!” Can’t you just see David rising, placing one hand on
his hip and shaking the pointer finger of the other hand and saying, “They may say you have turned against me too, but NOO-ooo, they have it all wrong,
because you O, Lord are my shield, you lift up my head, and you hear my voice
from your Holy hill!
Wow! Can’t you just hear (and feel) the confidence return?
Spurgeon explains that the word shield is actually from the
word buckler, which protects you from all sides.
Are you in a tough spot? Going through tough circumstances?
Feel like everything and everyone is caving in around you? Feel like even God
has forsaken you? Take heart~~~
Take that deep breath and belt it out~~NOOO, I’ve got it all
wrong!
He is my shield (my buckler!)
He will lift my head
He will hear my voice from His holy hill
Get out of the pit and move forward~~~The sovereign creator
God has your back!
SELAH,
Debbie
That was great!
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