“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.”
“Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men. Preserve me from violent men, who plan evil things in their hearts. They continually gather for war. They sharpen their tongues like a serpent. The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah! Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked. Preserve me from violent men, who have purposed to make my steps stumble. The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords. They have spread a net by the wayside. They have set traps for me. Selah!” Psalm 140:1-5
Saul and Doeg had poisoned minds against God’s servant David. In 1 Samuel 22:18-19, Saul said to Doeg, “’You turn and kill the priests!’ So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests, and killed on that day 85 men who wore a linen ephod. Also Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep—with the edge of the sword.” They made a whole village pay with their lives because one man there helped David.
At first, Saul seemed content to have David has a court musician, but as David’s fame grew from military victories, the poison of jealousy entered him. In 1 Samuel 18:10-11, Saul threw a spear at David twice. In 1 Samuel 19:9-10, he threw a spear at David a third time. In 1 Samuel 19:20-21, Saul sent guards to kill David. In 1 Samuel 23-26, Saul took thousands of chosen soldiers to hunt David down across the wilderness. As Saul spoke about David, his words poisoned the minds of his men against David.
The devil poisoned Saul’s mind against David with the same poison the devil has against God, namely jealousy. The devil wanted to be God according to Isaiah 14:12-17. So, he led a rebellion against God. He and the angels who joined with him were cast down from heaven to earth according to Revelation 12:7-9. Revelation 12:17 says that he is at war with those who keep the commandments (the Law) and have the testimony of Jesus (the Gospel).
In Matthew 3:7, John the Baptist called the proud Pharisees and Sadducees a “Brood of vipers!” In Matthew 12:34 and in Matthew 23:33, Jesus called the Pharisees a “Brood of vipers.” These spiritual leaders of Isreal poisoned the minds of their followers against God and against God’s Son Jesus Christ. In Matthew 23:33, Jesus asked them, “How can you escape the condemnation of hell?”
Matthew 27:18 says that Pilate knew that the Pharisees handed Jesus over to him due to envy.
The minds of Pilate and Herod were poisoned against Jesus. After they mistreated Jesus, both Pilate and Herod were stripped of their power, disgraced, and eventually died in obscurity.
In John 11:47-48, the Pharisees said to one another, “What are we doing? For this man performs many signs. If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” Thus, they paid Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus. They provoked a protest against Jesus. They demanded that Jesus be crucified.
None of their devious schemes to sabotage the Savior succeeded. Jesus resurrected from the dead on the third day just as He said He would. He appeared to over 500 witnesses during a period of 40 days.
What happened to the Pharisees? That which they feared came upon them. In 70 AD, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. They killed many Jews and forced many others to do slave labor.
We need to beware of the devil’s poison. In Acts 8:23, Peter said to Simon the sorcerer, “I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” In Acts 14:2, “The unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.”
If our minds have been prone to accept poison against God’s servants, our hearts are not right with God. We need to do as Peter said to Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8:22, “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.”
In Psalm 2, when the nations rage and plot against God and His Anointed, the Lord sits in heaven and laughs. God holds them in contempt. He distresses them with His deep displeasure. He commands kings and judges to be wise, instructed, fearful and subservient. He tells them to kiss the Son, that is worship Jesus Christ, lest He be angry and they perish.
“I said to the Lord: ‘You are my God. Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord. O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.” Psalm 140:6-7
Instead of focusing on his enemies, David kept his eyes on the Lord. The Lord listened to and responded to David’s prayers and that was enough for him. The Lord was his inner strength. He protected David’s mind from fear and anxiety during battles. [1]
2 Timothy 1:7 says, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
“Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked. Do not further his wicked scheme, lest they be exalted. Selah! As for the head of those who surround me, let the evil of their lips cover them. Let burning coals fall upon them. Let them be cast into the fire, into deep pits, that they rise not up again. Let not a slanderer be established in the earth. Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.” Psalm 140:8-11
Rather than fret and try to come up with his own plan to overcome his enemies, David described to God what he wanted to happen to them. He asked the Lord not to grant their desires. To stop their wicked schemes! To drop burning coals on them! To toss them in a fiery pit! To fall to never rise again! Destabilize slanderers! Overthrow violence!
When the evil plans of proud people succeed, they often become even more arrogant. So, David asked God to cause their plans to fail. [2]
The wicked may escape human justice for a time, but they cannot escape God. His judgment reaches places that human justice cannot reach. Therefore, believers should not take revenge into their own hands. We can leave vengeance to God, knowing that He sees every injustice and will deal with it perfectly. [3]
In 2 Samuel 15:31, when David was told, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom,” David responded, “O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!” The Lord answered David’s prayer by causing Absalom to reject the advice of Ahithophel in preference for the advice of Hushai. Unbeknownst to Absalom, Hushai was on David’s side.
“I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the poor.” Psalm 140:12
David does not merely hope that God will act, he proclaimed, “I KNOW that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted.” God sees when innocent people are mistreated. He sees the poor who suffer because they seek to remain faithful to Him. [4]
This should encourage believers when they are falsely accused, mistreated, or persecuted. We do not have to win every argument or defend ourselves against every accusation. God knows the truth, and He is able to defend us. [5]
“Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your Name. The upright shall dwell in Your presence.” Psalm 140:13
When God delivers His people and vindicates their cause, they will recognize that the victory came from Him. Their response will be to give God thanks. [6]
To dwell in God’s presence means to live under His care and enjoy fellowship with Him. It also points forward to the ultimate hope of God’s people, namely, to dwell with God forever. [7]
In Psalm 140, as in many of the Psalms, David is a type of Christ. He suffered due to the poisoned minds of people against him, but the Lord was with him and gave him the victory.
In 1 Peter 3:18, Peter wrote of Jesus, “Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” In Romans 6:9, Paul wrote of Jesus, “Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.” Hebrews 9:28 says of Jesus, “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” Praise the Lord!
[1-7] Material developed and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
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