Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19960519.htm

PSALMS: DIARIES OF GODLY OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS
Psalm Twenty-Seven: Overcoming A Fear Of Opponents Who Aim To Discredit Us
(Psalm 27:1-14)
  1. Introduction
    1. One of the toughest interpersonal challenges anyone can face is the threat of a loss of personal support by others due to being discredited by malicious opponents. One really cannot defend himself effectively during such an attack as the defense itself is suspect if one tries too hard to defend himself!
    2. David faced this problem in Psalm 27, and wrote about its pain and victory as follows:
  2. Overcoming A Fear Of Opponents Who Aim To Discredit Us, Psalm 27:1-14.
    1. David struggled in Psalm 27 with a nagging dread of opponents who sought to discredit him so as to neutralize his supporters and defeat David's rule and influence.
      1. Verses 1-6 are a confident statement of trust in God's protection against his enemies, and verses 13-14 pick up that same confidence.
      2. However, verses 7-12 are an urgent appeal for protection from his enemies, showing that David was in a state of struggling with this nagging fear of them, cf. Bib. Know. Com., O.T., p. 814.
      3. The enemies in the context were those who maliciously spied on David so as to find something they could use to discredit him so as to remove his support and attack him to the death:
        1. David's enemies had risen up with false testimonies against him, v. 12b.
        2. Their intent through this discrediting effort was to isolate David from his associates, even from his parents if possible (v. 10) and then kill him, v. 13 and 3.
    2. David's way of handling this great and demoralizing threat instructs us as follows:
      1. Step One - David claimed God as his light to illumine his path in confusing circumstances, and His help; in view of being helped by God, David could afford to be opposed by all other humans, Ps. 27:1,3.
      2. Step Two - He recalled that God had previously helped him overcome the threats of dangerous opponents due to God's will for David's life as a precedent for current problems he faced, Ps. 27:2.
      3. Step Three - David took great delight in fellowship with God to offset the paranoia he was tempted to feel with more fickle human relationships that his opponents could destroy by slander, Ps. 27:4-5,6.
      4. Step Four - Based upon such assurances, David pleaded with God for deliverance now, Ps. 27:7-10,12.
      5. Step Five - He also asked for instruction from God as how he should conduct his pathway in a sure way to offset the insidious ambushes of his detractors, Ps. 27:11.
      6. Step Six - He later testified that his faith in God's help kept his courage up above despair, Ps. 27:13.
      7. Step Seven - Either addressing himself or giving instruction to his listeners, David tells us of the need to wait upon God for Him to offset the threatening pressures of opponents who try to discredit us, 27:14.
Lesson: When facing opponents who sought to discredit David before his supporters so as to isolate him and thus destroy him, David handled this threat as follows: (a) he reviewed the truth that one with God is a majority, so all he really needed to concentrate on was his relationship with God and he would come out alright, Ps. 27:1,3. (b) Additionally, he remembered God's past deliverances during similar encounters with his enemies as confidence that God still intended to deliver him, Ps. 27:2. (c) Accordingly, David took delight in fellowshipping with the supportive Lord to offset the loneliness his paranoia aroused due to problems with his discrediting opponents, Ps. 27:4-5,6. (d) David then prayed earnestly and confidently to God for help, Ps. 27 :7-10,12. (e) In prayer, he asked for divine guidance as to how to operate so as to avoid giving his opponents "fodder" for further discrediting efforts against him, Ps. 27:11. (f) In the process, he trusted God to keep himself from despair and losi ng his head, Ps. 27:13. (g) Finally, David WAITED for God to act to settle the situation and direct him in David's appropriate moves, v. 14!

Application: If we follow these steps by David, we will not need to fear even if our mother and father abandon us due to the discrediting efforts of detractors! In such a case, God will gather us up like frightened livestock who have scattered fro m the attacks of wild animals, Ps. 27:10!