Psalm 3 (part 2): The Battle belongs to the Lord (Psalm 3:6-8)
In part 1, we saw that David wrote this Psalm in his prayer time after he woke up (v5) on the morning of the battle against his son Absalom's large army (2Samuel 18). The previous evening he had prayed through to an assurance of victory. This prayer is recorded in Psalm 4. As a result he could sleep sweetly knowing that God would keep him safe (4:8, 3:5). Whatever battles we face in life, the main battle is in prayer, to get into God's presence, and let him fill our hearts with His peace, faith, strength, light and wisdom, which casts out all fear and darkness. As a result, he was able to declare in the morning, as he looked at Absalom's great army: "I will NOT be AFRAID of ten thousands of people who have SET themselves against ME all around" (v6). Notice what is unusual about this battle, which fits 2Samuel 18, is that all these enemy forces were not interested in fighting David's army, for they were only interested in killing one man, David, so that Absalom could establish himself on the throne. David was not exaggerating the size of Absalom's army, for 20,000 of them died in the battle (2Samuel 18:7), so that the army was about 100,000 strong. With so many focused on destroying David, he had grounds for fear, but strengthened in God, he refused to fear.
Then David utters the battle cry as they go forth into battle: "Arise, O Lord; Save me, O my God!" (v7). This is an appeal to God to arise and go ahead of them to lead them in battle, protecting them and giving them the victory. This recalls the words of Moses in Numbers 10:35: "So it was, whenever the Ark set out, that Moses said: “Rise up, O Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.” The next phrase in v7 is probably best seen as a prayer, as in the NIV: "Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked." See also Psalm 58:6: "Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!" This speaks of the total domination, defeat and humiliation of the enemy, so that this rebellion would be broken once and for all, rather than simmering on indefinitely. This is what was done to wild beasts, so that they would no longer be a danger. Their jaw and teeth represents their ability to devour and destroy, so to break them is to destroy the power of the enemy, who in their rebellion against the Lord's anointed, David, were acting like wild beasts. David was not praying for their death (he even did not want their leader Absalom to die), but for a decisive victory that would end this rebellion and reestablish David on his throne. David knew that only God could do this, for it was against all odds. If it was a declaration (as in the NKJV) rather than a prayer, then David was saying: "Lord, You've done it before, and I believe You will do it again!
David then gives God all the glory for the victory: "Salvation (deliverance) belongs to the Lord" (v8a, Jonah 2:9), for the battle belongs to the Lord, and he concludes by declaring: "Your blessing is upon Your people (Israel)" (v8b). This shows that David was not just concerned for himself, but for Israel. This battle was not just over David's future, but the future of Israel. He knew that God's blessing (presence) is connected to His will, and that God had anointed David as king and made an everlasting covenant with him, that God would preserve his House and that his sons would reign after him, until finally his ultimate son, the Messiah, would reign forever on the Throne of David (2Samuel 7, 1Chronicles 17). David knew that for God's will and blessing to prevail for Israel, this rebellion must be defeated, and David reinstated as God's rightful king of Israel, and so victory in this battle was necessary for God's people to live in His blessing. (If Israel came under the wicked and godless Absalom, the nation would come under a curse). Thus, when David closed the Psalm by saying: "Your blessing is upon Your people", he was making a confident prophetic declaration that God's mercy, grace and blessing was upon Israel and would continue, which meant that God's will would prevail, through God giving David the victory, and establishing him as His chosen anointed king over Israel. This came to pass, because after the victory and Absalom's death, the survivors of the battle and the rest of the nation saw that God was with David, and so repented of their rebellion, and acknowledged David as their rightful king. Thus Israel came back under Divine order and blessing under David, their king.
Then David utters the battle cry as they go forth into battle: "Arise, O Lord; Save me, O my God!" (v7). This is an appeal to God to arise and go ahead of them to lead them in battle, protecting them and giving them the victory. This recalls the words of Moses in Numbers 10:35: "So it was, whenever the Ark set out, that Moses said: “Rise up, O Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.” The next phrase in v7 is probably best seen as a prayer, as in the NIV: "Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked." See also Psalm 58:6: "Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!" This speaks of the total domination, defeat and humiliation of the enemy, so that this rebellion would be broken once and for all, rather than simmering on indefinitely. This is what was done to wild beasts, so that they would no longer be a danger. Their jaw and teeth represents their ability to devour and destroy, so to break them is to destroy the power of the enemy, who in their rebellion against the Lord's anointed, David, were acting like wild beasts. David was not praying for their death (he even did not want their leader Absalom to die), but for a decisive victory that would end this rebellion and reestablish David on his throne. David knew that only God could do this, for it was against all odds. If it was a declaration (as in the NKJV) rather than a prayer, then David was saying: "Lord, You've done it before, and I believe You will do it again!
David then gives God all the glory for the victory: "Salvation (deliverance) belongs to the Lord" (v8a, Jonah 2:9), for the battle belongs to the Lord, and he concludes by declaring: "Your blessing is upon Your people (Israel)" (v8b). This shows that David was not just concerned for himself, but for Israel. This battle was not just over David's future, but the future of Israel. He knew that God's blessing (presence) is connected to His will, and that God had anointed David as king and made an everlasting covenant with him, that God would preserve his House and that his sons would reign after him, until finally his ultimate son, the Messiah, would reign forever on the Throne of David (2Samuel 7, 1Chronicles 17). David knew that for God's will and blessing to prevail for Israel, this rebellion must be defeated, and David reinstated as God's rightful king of Israel, and so victory in this battle was necessary for God's people to live in His blessing. (If Israel came under the wicked and godless Absalom, the nation would come under a curse). Thus, when David closed the Psalm by saying: "Your blessing is upon Your people", he was making a confident prophetic declaration that God's mercy, grace and blessing was upon Israel and would continue, which meant that God's will would prevail, through God giving David the victory, and establishing him as His chosen anointed king over Israel. This came to pass, because after the victory and Absalom's death, the survivors of the battle and the rest of the nation saw that God was with David, and so repented of their rebellion, and acknowledged David as their rightful king. Thus Israel came back under Divine order and blessing under David, their king.