1. A lament Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Psalm 3
A lament
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

2. Core beliefs of a Hebrew psalmist
People with a heritage
Psalm 105 – Abraham to Canaan
Called to make known his deeds among the peoples
People of faith
Psalm 1
The way of the righteous and the wicked
Delighting in and meditating on his law day and night
Living a righteous life
Psalm 2
The reign of the Lord’s anointed
A subject in his realm
I have set my king on Zion
Psalms 1&2 the gateway to the psalms – introducing recurring themes
The core values of a person of faith

3. Lament psalms
‘a lament is an appeal to God’s compassion to intervene and change a desperate situation’
Roland Murphy
‘expressions of praise, offered in a minor key in the confidence that YHWY is faithful and in anticipation of a new lease of life’
Bernhard Anderson

4. A systematic approach for meditating on a lament
Breakdown
Thoughts
Title
Subject: Save me O God
Author: King David
Occasion: Fleeing from Absalom
2 Sam 15:13-17
The reign of God’s anointed king is being maliciously challenged 2 Sam 7:12;16:12
Address – to whom is he talking?
3:1a O LORD
LORD YAHWEH Jehovah
He who brought them out of Egypt Ex 20:2
Complaint – what’s his problem?
3:1b-3 an uprising with many foes
saying God won’t save him
Overwhelming odds
Judged to be beyond God’s help

5. A systematic approach for meditating on a lament
Breakdown
Thoughts
Confession of trust – God’s value to him
3:3 a shield about me
my glory
lifter of my head
Trusting God for protection
God’s glory in David is all that matters
The restorer of his spirit/status? 2 Sam 15:30
3:4-6 prayer answered
slept and woke
no fear of surrounding enemies
Why past tense? 1 Pet 5:7
- Strength for today
Plea for deliverance – please save!
3:7a Arise , O LORD!
Save me, O my God!
Bold expectation
And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Lke 18:7

6. A systematic approach for meditating on a lament
Breakdown
Thoughts
Words of assurance – God’s ways
3:7b all enemies struck on the cheek
the teeth of the wicked broken
Metaphor – past experience?
God will do whatever it takes to foil the plans of his enemies
Vow of praise and thanksgiving – Hope
3:8 The LORD saves
The LORD blesses his people!
Trusting exclamations of praise for what God will do.
Reflect: How does David view his distressing circumstances in the light of his faith relationship with the LORD?

7. A lament writer owns these values
They are a person of heritage
- blessed to be a blessing
They are a person of faith
- delighting in and meditating on the ‘teachings’
day and night - upholding the life of righteousness - acknowledging the LORDship of God’s anointed
King - they are people of trust when their
circumstances become desperate
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow