David's Preventive of Fear
D. Davies. Psalm 27:1-14 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?… The heroic man shows us the secret of his heroism. I. THE LORD WAS THE PSALMIST'S LIGHT. Few things man recoils more from than darkness, whether physical, or of ignorance or of sin. This fear was no longer possible to David. He even anticipates John's grand utterance, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." What light was and ever had been to the world, the Lord was to David. II. THE LORD WAS HIS SALVATION. As man dreads darkness, so he dreads captivity and oppression. David rejoices in God as his salvation. This conception of God first found expression in the song of Moses (Exodus 15:4), when God led the children of Israel through the Red Sea into the light and calm of day. The word "salvation" is Jeshua — Joshua — Jesus. So near does David come to the parallel Gospel phrase: "He shall be called Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins." Thus the psalmist gripped in advance two of the central truths of the Gospel — God as light and as salvation. In face of these assurances he asks, "Whom shall I fear?" This is the question of every reformer, who, in the strength of a mighty conviction, in the inspiration of high aims, goes to the help of the Lord against the mighty. III. THE LORD WAS THE STRENGTH — THE STRONGHOLD — OF HIS LIFE. The word has a more subtle meaning still. David looks upon God as the Life of his life, the Father of his spirit. He thus falls back upon a third Gospel truth: "God is a Spirit." David's life was in possession of a power which needed not to fear any foe. By a mighty faith he drew upon God's omnipotence: be had not only enough obedience to be active, he had enough to be restful; and that power is greater than all other. Many a man, like John the Baptist, has courage and enthusiasm enough for the rush and battle of life, but falters when withdrawn into the hush of it, to await the oncoming of the foe. The strength of the psalmist enabled him to pass from "Whom shall I fear?" to "Of whom, then, shall I be afraid?" Therefore the second verse followed naturally: "When the wicked... they stumbled and fell." (D. Davies.) Parallel Verses KJV: {A Psalm of David.} The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? WEB: Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?