A long wait for God

This royal psalm, the lament of a king who is under military threat or attack of some kind, is in three parts. The first section (1–10) has a lot of military language; it carries an expectation of victory with God’s intervention. Verses 11–18 recount the humiliation of the king, whose ally has become his enemy, even though he has remained faithful. Still, this king determines to praise God in the Temple (18). The final section shows the king praying for vindication, even retribution (20–28), but concluding with a further commitment to praise God, confident that God is the ultimate witness and judge (22,24). He wants the ally/enemy to be defeated, for his own sake, the sake of his people and to vindicate the name of the Lord himself.   This psalm has a contemporary relevance in our war-torn world. The keeping of treaty obligations is a challenge. Peace deals are so easily made and broken. The integrity of the leaders of nations at war and those in the international community is tested. They may fear for their lives and certainly for their position. Along with the psalmist, the faithful can have confidence that God is active, even though they may have to wait (17).