Worship XIII, Day 4 I Will Hide In You: Digging Deeper
March 27, 2025
Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
Psalm 55
My heart shudders within me; terrors of death sweep over me. Fear and trembling grip me; horror has overwhelmed me. I said, ‘If only I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest. How far away I would flee; I would stay in the wilderness. Selah
I would hurry to my shelter from the raging wind and the storm.’ [. . .]
But I call to God, and the Lord will save me. I complain and groan morning, noon, and night, and he hears my voice. Though many are against me, he will redeem me from my battle unharmed. God, the one enthroned from long ago, will hear and will humiliate them because they do not change and do not fear God.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”
The Original Intent
1) Why are the psalms significant to those who trust in the Lord? (verses 1-8, 16-19, and 22)
While most books in the Bible can be categorized as epistles, historical narratives, prophecies, or Apocalyptic, the collection of hymns known as Psalms is poetic in nature as it describes both the human heart and the heart of God. Psalms emphasizes the raw, real emotions of the human experience through poetic prayers and songs of worship.
The vivid imagery and figurative language reach into the soul of the reader performing spiritual surgery by the Spirit of God on our hearts. The songs relate our feelings of emotional pain with the salve of truth in reminding us of God’s presence and faithfulness, especially during times of trouble.
“Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God.
I am deeply depressed; therefore I remember You […].” (Psalm 42:5-6)
Interestingly enough, there are 150 psalms in five separate volumes, the largest of which is Psalms of Lament. Laments unabashedly express an array of strong emotions, and although lament can seem like the antithesis of worship, bringing God our honest cries of pain and suffering is itself an act of faith.
“God is indeed good to Israel, to the pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet almost slipped; my steps nearly went astray.” (Psalm 73:1-2)
Blessedly, Psalms of Lament usually end with resolved thinking by a renewed mind and praise for the God who remains steadfast, good, and compassionate. More than a mere vehicle to vent, Psalms of Lament model for us how to manage our human emotions with integrity and, yes, worship. As we walk the paths of suffering, grief, and loss in honesty before the Lord, we find comfort in His heart of compassion and learn to trust His goodness despite our pain. (Psalm 23:5-6)
The Everyday Application
1) Why are the psalms significant to those who trust in the Lord? (verses 1-8, 16-19, and 22)
I observed my mother handle the sorrows of life’s blows with annotated psalms. Nights were coal black on our rural dirt road, with cricket choirs perfuming the air and a resounding cacophony of sweet-smelling scents of earth tucking us in. The muffled cries of my mother’s heart often escaped her lips and traveled through the plywood into the bedroom I shared with my little brother and sister. Her faith was teaching me, even in her lament, just as David’s faith instructs us now from his psalms.
Consider the groanings of verses 6-8; it’s likely you could have written these words yourself as you walked through a particular dark season just as my own mother had on many occasions. King David’s woes are so intense that he looks at a bird and desires to be as carefree and happy as this creature appears.
How many of us have done the same? Perhaps you’ve reminisced of an earlier time when life seemed easier. Years after King David’s longing, Jesus used the untroubled nature of birds when He taught us to cast off our fears onto the Lord in light of His good character, “Consider the birds of the sky: they don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?” (Matthew 6:26)
By verse 16, King David realizes God’s care for a bird is not to be envied but serves as a reminder of God’s faithfulness to all His creation, especially man. David then finds the faith to profess that God will deliver him. And He does! Read the full story in 2 Samuel 18.
The Original Intent
2) What is the painful backstory that prods King David to pen Psalm 55?
Not only is Psalm 55 a lament, but it is believed that King David composed it during his son Absalom’s rebellion. (Enduring Word) You can read the tragic, painful narrative of father and son for yourself in 2 Samuel 15-18.
Prince Absalom was King David’s third son. He was extremely handsome and gifted with eloquence, charm, and sensitivity for others. Though his name means “Peace of God,” Prince Absalom harbored bitterness and resentment toward his father, King David, over personal failings, misunderstanding, and different opinions that eventually hardened into rebellion and hatred. Prince Absalom took matters into his own hands, having individuals murdered without his father King David’s blessing. With a lust for more, Prince Absalom formed a rebellion against his father to take the throne.
Prince Absalom manipulated people’s hearts, convincing them he cared about them more than his father, King David, and would make a better king. Many followed him, including a close advisor of King David, Ahithophel. In verses 12-14, King David pours out before the Lord that his painful betrayal is not from an expected enemy but a “peer, companion, and friend”, meaning Ahithophel.
By verse 19, King David is confident God has heard his prayer and will exact justice. As the narrative unfolds in 2 Samuel, Ahithophel hangs himself when he realizes Prince Absalom will not supersede his father King David after all. Adding to King David’s heartbreak in losing his friend’s life on top of the betrayal, his son, Prince Absalom, is killed during battle despite David’s pleas to keep him alive.
The Everyday Application
2) What is the painful backstory that prods King David to pen Psalm 55?
A spirit of pride and self-love is a serious threat to the spiritual well-being of a person.
Paul warns in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 that a spirit of rebellion and lawlessness (like Absalom’s) is abundant. It affects every aspect of our lives and those around us, even the church body if we are not continuously on guard against these workings of our enemy, Satan. He desires to be enthroned in our lives and will manipulate our desires, worming his way into our thoughts, convincing us to believe we are entitled and God is stingy.
A person who has allowed this spirit of lawless rebellion to pervade their minds harbors bitterness and resentment about unresolved issues. They are judgmental and critical of others, which causes them to be blind to their own sins. They are defensive when confronted with their own sinful blind spots, they are easily lured into manipulating others for their self-centered gain, and they quickly become fixated on correcting and punishing others.
Consider the below indicators with careful prayer and ask the Spirit of Truth to illuminate any areas within you.
- A belief they should garner greater attention for their wisdom or actions, evidencing a puffed-up sense of self. (1 Corinthians 8:1-3)
- A ready-judgement of harshness that demeans another and elevates self as they determine their own definition of a moral code or twist Scripture to benefit themselves. (Matthew 15:3, 7-11)
- Easily offended by leadership or other fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus, holding tightly to themselves rather than stooping low to love with compassion and set themselves aside. (John 13:13-17)
- Marked by divisiveness, whether covert or blatant, they insist on their own way, are quick to argue and prove the ‘correctness’ of their point. They would rather argue points of morality than serve with humility. (Titus 3:9-11)
Forgiveness and humility are the only effective defenses against such destructive Self-Love; put these on by the Spirit of God!
The Original Intent
3) What is the meaning and purpose of the word “Selah”? (verse 19)
The meaning of the Hebrew word “Selah” isn’t perfectly clear to Bible translators. Scholarly guesses range from “raising voices or instruments louder in praise” to “a musical direction meaning instrumental pause”, which would allow voices to continue acapella. We do know that a synonym for Selah is another Hebrew word meaning “forever”. (Logos.com)
Selah is used in many psalms at the end of a verse as it transitions from a phase of grievance and protest to a point of praise. It’s as if it’s the lull in the storm to redirect a worshipper’s heart toward the character of the One they worship.
Note how Psalm 55 includes a weaving in and out of honest complaints (verses 3-7 and verses 12-15), and trust (verses 8 and verses 16-21), which lead to a confident request for deliverance (verses 9-11 and verses 19-21). The grand conclusion of the psalm finds the psalmist returning to the assurances of truth he has learned from knowing the Lord personally (verse 22), and, once settled in assured truth, honest, humble worship flows unhindered (verse 23).
Notice how the instructional “Selah” is strategically placed throughout the psalm, directing the psalmist’s heart to slow down, pause, and reflect just as the psalm’s trajectory begins to shift. Even if we don’t know the exact meaning of Selah, we can observe its importance both in flow of the psalm and the outcome of the heart.
The Everyday Application
3) What is the meaning and purpose of the word “Selah”? (verse 19)
As I write this, it’s Thanksgiving Day. Much like the meaning and purpose of “Selah” in Scripture, this North American holiday reminds us to pause, spend time with loved ones, and express gratitude for their blessings.
While the Hebrew word “Selah” is a directional reminder to pause and worship God amid song, the Israelites also celebrated The Passover, The Days of Unleavened Bread, and The Pentecost for much of the same reason as the command “Selah” is noted in Scripture. Most national festivals took place over several days and ensured the Israelites made time to commune with God, teach their children about God, and remember God’s miraculous acts.
In Luke 22:19-20, Jesus commanded New Testament believers to participate together in the sacrament of Communion (also known as the Lord’s Supper or the Last Supper) and remember His sacrifices for our salvation. “Selah” is just one aspect of a disciplined, developed habit of thanksgiving which God nurtures in His believers. Just as believers should join together in weekly gathering for worship, teaching, and regular participation in Communion, so should we each be diligent about practicing and safeguarding Selah in our everyday lives!
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