Tears Turned to Triumph – Psalm 56

“To the Chief Musician. Set to ‘The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.’ A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath.” Psalm 56:1

The title, “The Silent Dove in Distant Lands” expresses how David felt while being persecuted by his government. He was as a muted dove driven from his homeland. [1] He began his prayer to God with tears but concluded it with words of triumph.

According to 1 Samuel 21:10, David fled from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. We learn from Psalm 56:1 that while in Gath, he was captured by the Philistines. In 1 Samuel 21:11, the Philistines said to Achish, “Is this not David the king of the land?” Thus, in 1 Samuel 21:12-22:1, David, out of fear, changed his behavior and pretended to be crazy. His act worked. King Achish let David go. David fled like a dove from Gath to a cave in Adullam. He nested there.

“Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up. Fighting all day he oppresses me. My enemies would hound me all day, for there are many who fight against me, O Most High. Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His Word), in God I have put my trust, I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? All day they twist my words. All their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather together, they hide, they mark my steps, when they lie in wait for my life. Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, O God!” Psalm 56:1-7

When under attack, David asked God for mercy. The truth is that all of us people have sinned. We deserve God’s wrath due to our mistreatment of Him and our neighbors, but we pray that God will be merciful to us for His Name’s sake. That He will look at us cross-eyed! That is through the perspective of what His Son Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.

Isaiah 53:5-6 says of Jesus, “He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned, every one, to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” According to Galatians 3:13-14, Christ took the curses that were due to us because of our sin and gave us God’s blessing.

So, when the enemy comes at us like a flood, the banner that we raise against him is the Name of Jesus. In Romans 8:31-33, Paul wrote, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.”

When under attack, remember what God did for you in sending His Son for you. God declares us to be JUST when we believe in His Son Jesus Christ. In Christ, it is just-if-I’d never sinned.

We should not interpret the way certain people treat us as though they are being led by God. David had people who twisted his words. They harbored evil thoughts against him. They hid like predators do and waited for the perfect moment to attack him. Then, they surrounded him like a pack of hounds to nip at him, wear him down and take him down... but failed, thanks to God!

In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, Paul wrote of Christian trials as unjust treatments that are temporary and will not be forever. He wrote, “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed. We are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” Then, in 2 Corinthians 4:16-17, he concluded, “We do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

The Lord kept David encouraged. By God’s grace and by the power of the Holy Spirit, David was able to say, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His Word), in God I have put my trust, I will not fear.”

In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Paul wrote, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

Though David and Paul experienced trials, they rejected Satan’s lies about them. God loved them. The Lord was their shepherd, they would not lack anything they needed. They would have green pastures and still waters. They would walk on paths of righteousness. They would not fear. The Lord would comfort them. When their enemies prepared traps for them, the Lord would prepare a banquet for them. The Lord’s anointing and blessings were upon them. His goodness and mercy were following them and their destiny was to be with God forever.

“You, number my wanderings. Put my tears into Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?” Psalm 56:8

God knew that David had to move often due to His calling on David’s life. David was still likely less than thirty years old. He left his father’s house to serve in his king’s court. Then, he lived in an army camp. In recent days, he had been hunted like a partridge upon the mountains.

Paul had a similar experience to David. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:11, “Even to this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, are naked, are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place.”

Jesus had a similar experience to David, in Luke 9:58-59, he said, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Nevertheless, He says to us, “Follow Me.”

David was not a nomad by nature. Thus, he wept. He pleaded with God, “Put my tears into Your bottle.” “The custom of bottling the tears of mourners as a memorial, which has existed in some Eastern nations, may explain the figure.” [2]

In 2 Timothy 1:4, Paul wrote and told Timothy that he was mindful of Timothy’s tears, and that he greatly desired to see him. Paul assured Timothy that seeing him would give him great joy.

In Luke 19:41-44, Jesus wept over Jerusalem. They were heading toward a disaster and rejected His warnings.

David also asked God to keep a book of remembrance about his trials. God did! David’s trials and triumphs are recorded in the Bible. Thanks be to God for preserving his testimonies.

Yes, when we stand up for God in this world, the world likes to tell us to sit down and be quiet.

In Mark 10:46-52, when people rebuked blind Bartimaeus and told him to be silent, he cried out all the more intensely, saying, “Son of David, have mercy on me.” Jesus did have mercy on him. He made his blind eyes to see again.

In Acts 5:28-29, after a high priest of Israel told the apostles not to teach in the Name of Jesus anymore. They replied, “We ought to obey God rather than men.”

The Bible is a book of inspiring testimonies of trials and triumphs of God and His people.

“When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back. This I know because God is for me. In God (I will praise His Word), in the Lord (I will praise His Word). In God I have put my trust! I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Psalm 56:9-11

God turned David’s tears into triumph. When the enemy sent trials to destroy David’s faith, God turned the trials into triumphs that strengthened David’s faith. Without trials, he might have questioned, “Where is God?” But after the triumphs, David knew GOD was FOR HIM.

“Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God. I will render praises to You,” Psalm 56:12

David did not consider his vows to God a burden. He considered them a blessing. He was committed to God and God was committed to him. Throughout his writings, David praises and glorifies God. His overall experience with God is very good.

In a similar way, the Apostle Paul considered being known as a servant of Christ as an honor. Jesus Christ is a good master. He takes good care of His servants. In Philippians 3:7-8, Paul wrote, “What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

“For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” Psalm 56:12-13

The salvation of our soul is a super satisfying gift from God. According to 1 Peter 1:8, in heaven there will be joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Praise God! He keeps our feet from falling so that we continuously walk in the light of the living!


[1] My wording based on information from Jamieson-Fausset Brown Commentary
[2] Jamieson-Fausset Brown Commentary