Psalm 27

The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold  of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.

3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.

5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek  my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
9 Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.

12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.

13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!

Main Point: Verses 1-6 David is meditating on the faithfulness of the Lord’s protection. He reminds himself several times that with the Lord protecting him there is nothing to Fear. It’s almost like he is gearing himself up mentally for the storm that is about to come his way. But this isn’t just wishfully thinking, or the name it and claim mentality. This is rock solid truth. It is the Lord who decides our days, so why should we fear anyone else. David is confident in the faithfulness of God to take care of his needs, and to protect him.

In verses 7-12 David turns to asking God to reveal Himself to him. David wants to see the face of God. He asks the Lord to not forsake him, and reminds himself that even if those who are closest to him on earth abandon him the Lord will not. He asks for the Lord’s instruction and protection.

Finally he concludes much like he started in verses 13 and 14. He reminds his readers to wait on the Lord. I think this is probably the most difficult thing to do in our “self-made” culture. We think that we are what we make of ourselves, and don’t realize we are what God has made us and what God has provided us. We must wait on Him for all that we receive in this life is from his hand. Since we know that He will show us goodness we can we can be “strong” and take heart.

Interesting Points: David again uses great imagery to aid his prayers, and strengthen his soul. David use his imagination well to stir himself to praise and worship of God, and to bring power to his prayers.

David uses image of the Lord being “Light.” It is a reminder of how he drives our all darkness, and exposes all things. I could imagine David writing this the night before a major battle between himself and another king of the ancient day. For me the idea of the Lord being the light that defeats the darkness, and evil is very powerful. I would imagine for David it would be for him as well. Light is also a guide to show us the way we should walk. It is a reminder that he Lord is or great counselor.

Other images that David uses in describing the Lord are : stronghold, shelter, tent, and rock. These are very concrete things that help us get a better idea of the inscrutable God that is the Lord of heaven and earth.

Emotional Reactions: I love this Psalm. Its confidence in the Lord in the face of adversity speaks to me. It reminds me that the ultimate authority in all the Universe is the Lord. This just brings a flood of emotions: Joy, peace, excitement, happiness and contentment just to name a few.

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”