Psalm 57:4
My soul is among the lions; I lie down with ravenous beasts--with men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
Sermons
Among LionsPsalm 57:4
Christ Our RefugeL. Shorey.Psalm 57:1-11
Expectation and Assurance of DeliveranceC. Short Psalm 57:1-11
One of God's RescuesW. Forsyth Psalm 57:1-11
Sorrowful, Yet Always RejoicingJ. Stalker, D. D.Psalm 57:1-11
Spiritual ExperimentalismHomilistPsalm 57:1-11














I. MARK GOD'S CHARACTER. When God proclaimed his Name to Moses, he put "mercy" in the forefront: "The Lord God merciful;" but "truth" had also its place, for it is added," abundant in truth" (Exodus 34:6). The same order is observed in the Psalms. Thus it is said (Psalm 86:15), "Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth (cf. Psalm 89:2).

II. SHINE FORTH IN GOD'S JUDGMENTS. What God does shows what he is. His works express his character. Mercy and truth" are, so to speak, the rails on which his judgments travel (Psalm 25:10; Psalm 103:17).

III. CHARACTERIZE GOD'S DEALINGS WITH HIS PEOPLE. They need "mercy; and unto the Lord "belongeth mercy" (Psalm 62:12). They need "truth," and God is "the God of truth" (Psalm 31:5). In the salvation which God has wrought, both are blended in beautiful harmony (Psalm 85:10). As has been quaintly said, "Mercy and truth are but the transverse arms of the cross of Christ. Righteousness and peace are but its upper and lower limbs. The one springs out of the earth, the other has looked down from heaven, and they have kissed each other, in token of God's love and of his reconciliation with the sons of men."

IV. FOUNDATION OF HOPE TO THE CHILDREN OF MEN. Mercy and truth are the two outspread wings of God. Under them there is sure shelter and peace (Psalm 36:7; Psalm 61:1-4). Here there is hope for the sinner (Psalm 33:18, 22; Psalm 78:7; 167:11). Here there is comfort for the troubled in heart (Psalm 57:3-10). Here there is inspiration for all who are minded to serve God (Psalm 69:13; Psalm 98:3; Psalm 115:1). Here there is earnest and foreshadowing of the everlasting rest (Psalm 61:7; Psalm 63:7; Psalm 138:8). - W.F.

My soul is among lions.
Some of you cannot say this, and you ought to be very thankful that you cannot. You live under very favourable circumstances. But there are many that are far less happily placed, and we are bound to remember them, and to sympathize with them. Now, when may a Christian man truly say, "My soul is among lions"? lie may say this when he is surrounded by those, whether in his home or place of business, who reproach and rebuke, jest and jeer at him, for Jesus Christ's sake. Many are so placed. Now, I would speak to such as are amongst these lions — dogs would be almost a better name for them.

I. BY WAY OF COMFORT.

1. You will have fellowship with your Lord and His Church. He and they had to bear what you have, and far worse.

2. You should thereby be driven nearer to God. Be sure that you live near to God.

3. Endeavour to be very calm and happy. Take as little notice of the scoff as ever you can. Very seldom defend yourselves. The hammer strikes hard upon the anvil, but the anvil wears out many hammers.

4. Remember that the lions are chained. See the history of Daniel.

5. If your soul is among lions, there is another lion there — the lion of the tribe of Judah. The Covenanters have said that they never had such Sabbaths in Scotland as when they were hunted amongst the crags and glens by Claverhouse's dragoons. Great power, then, attended the Word.

6. You will come out of the lions' den unharmed. 7, And soon you shall be among the angels.

II. BY WAY OF ADVICE.

1. If you dwell among lions do not irritate them. Some Christians do, and so have made matters bad for themselves. You cannot ram religion down people's throats, or scold people into it.

2. Do not roar yourself. Do not meet railing with railing, hard words with hard words. Do not get soured in spirits. Overcome evil with good.

3. But do not be cowardly. A lion is afraid of a man if he looks him steadily in the face. Courage is what is wanted.

4. Do not go out alone among them — take your Lord with you.

5. If you feel very weak about it you may pray the Lord in His providence to move you to quieter quarters. But, better still —

6. Ask for grace to stop with the lions and tame them. Sometimes the Christian should say, "God has made me strong, I will stop here and fight it out. My Master would have me go where I am most wanted, and so I will stay here." Do not be afraid of sinners, but seek to save them.

( C. H. Spurgeon.)

People
David, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Aflame, Arrows, Beasts, Breathe, Devour, Fire, Flames, Forth, Greedily, Lie, Lions, Midst, Ravenous, Sharp, Sons, Soul, Spear, Spears, Stretched, Sword, Swords, Teeth, Tongue, Tongues
Outline
1. David in prayer fleeing unto God, complains of his dangerous case
7. He encourages himself to praise God

Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 57:4

     4666   lion
     5132   biting
     5189   teeth
     5193   tongue
     5210   arrows
     5547   speech, power of
     5564   suffering, of Christ

Psalm 57:1-6

     5086   David, rise of

Library
June 5. "My Heart is Fixed, O God" (Ps. Lvii. 7).
"My heart is fixed, O God" (Ps. lvii. 7). We do not always feel joyful, but we are always to count it joy. This word reckon is one of the keywords of Scripture. It is the same word used about our being dead. We are painfully conscious of something which would gladly return to life. But we are to treat ourselves as dead, and neither fear nor obey the old nature. So we are to reckon the thing that comes a blessing; we are determined to rejoice, to say, "My heart is fixed, Lord; I will sing and give
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

The Fixed Heart
'My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise.'--PSALM lvii. 7. It is easy to say such things when life goes smoothly with us. But this Psalmist, whether David or another, says this, and means it, when all things are dark and frowning around him. The superscription attributes the words to David himself, fleeing from Saul, and hiding in the cave. Whether that be so or no, the circumstances under which the Psalmist sings are obviously those of very great difficulty and oppression.
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

January the Thirty-First under his Wings
"In the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge." --PSALM lvii. Could anything be more tenderly gracious than this figure of hiding under the shadow of God's wings? It speaks of bosom-warmth, and bosom-shelter, and bosom-rest. "Let me to Thy bosom fly!" And what strong wings they are! Under those wings I am secure even from the lions. My animal passions shall not hurt me when I am "hiding in God." The fiercest onslaughts of the devil are powerless to break those mighty wings. The tenderest little
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Strong Faith in a Faithful God
DAVID was in the cave of Adullam. He had fled from Saul, his remorseless foe; and had found shelter in the clefts of the rock. In the beginning of this psalm he rings the alarm-bell, and very loud is the sound of it. "Be merciful unto me," and then the clapper hits the other side of the bell. "Be merciful unto me." He utters his misery again and again. "My soul trusteth in thee; yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast." Thus he solaces himself by
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 61: 1915

The Truth of God
The next attribute is God's truth. A God of truth and without iniquity; just and right is he.' Deut 32:4. For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.' Psa 57:10. Plenteous in truth.' Psa 86:15. I. God is the truth. He is true in a physical sense; true in his being: he has a real subsistence, and gives a being to others. He is true in a moral sense; he is true sine errore, without errors; et sine fallacia, without deceit. God is prima veritas, the pattern and prototype
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Mercy of God
The next attribute is God's goodness or mercy. Mercy is the result and effect of God's goodness. Psa 33:5. So then this is the next attribute, God's goodness or mercy. The most learned of the heathens thought they gave their god Jupiter two golden characters when they styled him good and great. Both these meet in God, goodness and greatness, majesty and mercy. God is essentially good in himself and relatively good to us. They are both put together in Psa 119:98. Thou art good, and doest good.' This
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Grace and Holiness.
"Now God Himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints."--1 THESS. iii. 11-13. There are few more precious subjects for meditation and imitation than the prayers and intercessions of the great Apostle.
W. H. Griffith Thomas—The Prayers of St. Paul

Appendix 2 Extracts from the Babylon Talmud
Massecheth Berachoth, or Tractate on Benedictions [76] Mishnah--From what time is the "Shema" said in the evening? From the hour that the priests entered to eat of their therumah [77] until the end of the first night watch. [78] These are the words of Rabbi Eliezer. But the sages say: Till midnight. Rabban Gamaliel says: Until the column of the morning (the dawn) rises. It happened, that his sons came back from a banquet. They said to him: "We have not said the Shema.'" He said to them, "If the column
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Gospel Message, Good Tidings
[As it is written] How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! T he account which the Apostle Paul gives of his first reception among the Galatians (Galatians 4:15) , exemplifies the truth of this passage. He found them in a state of ignorance and misery; alienated from God, and enslaved to the blind and comfortless superstitions of idolatry. His preaching, accompanied with the power of the Holy Spirit, had a great and marvellous effect.
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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