Psalm 142:5 I cry to you, O LORD; I say, You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.
Psalm 142 is the last of 13 maskils in Psalms, the sixth of David (see 32, 52-55). We do not know what a maskil is. Unusually here some context is given - When he was in the cave, either Adullam's cave or the one Saul entered and David played a trick on him. It is also a prayer, a heading only found five times in Psalms. In this prayer David cries aloud to the LORD, lifts up his voice to the LORD for mercy, pours out his complaint before God; before him tells his trouble. His spirit is growing faint but the LORD knows his way. The problem he says is that In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. Further, there is no-one who is concerned for him. I have no refuge he says no-one cares for my life (4). And so he looks to the LORD asking him to listen to his cry in his desperate need. Rescue me from those who pursue me he prays for they are too strong for me ... Set me free from my prison. Once that happens he can praise God and the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me. There is no difficulty in seeing this as a great insight into Messiah's struggle and how he succeeded. It is also an encouragement to the believer in trouble to know what to do. Like David in verse 5 we need to cry to the LORD. Like David, we need to say to God You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. God is our shelter and protection. He watches over us and keeps us. So, as he saved David and raised Christ, so he will deliver us. He is our inheritance, our portion. If we have him, we have all. Even in the cave, God continued to be with David as he was with Christ, even in the cave where he was buried. He will remain with believers too and we with him forever.
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