Now, we may not face the sort of military opposition that King David dealt with on a regular basis, the kinds of enemies that threatened to drag him off and kill him (verse 1). And we don’t know anything about Cush, except the fact that he was a member of the tribe of Benjamin, the tribe to which King Saul belonged. Perhaps Cush thus resented David for replacing his kinsman on the throne of Israel.

But you don’t have to be an ancient king to have people who hold grudges against you or accuse you of doing wrong even when you are innocent. We all know what it’s like to hear lies told about us, and it’s easy to feel helpless in the face of such hostility.

But instead of worrying about what his enemies might do, David seeks the Lord’s face in prayer. And although none of us can claim to be sinless, David proclaims his innocence regarding the particular slanders that were directed at him (verse 8). Just so, while we continue to rely on the blood of Christ to cleanse us of our sins, one of the best ways to counter the lies of our enemies is to stand on the truth. Living a life of integrity simply makes it harder for any slander directed against us to stick.

But David doesn’t depend on his own efforts to vindicate himself and clear his name. Instead, he relies on God’s perfect justice. And we can also rest in the fact that God is a righteous judge (verse 11), One Who will fight against the wicked (verse 14), One Who makes sure that their evil plans will, in one way or another, backfire on them (verses 15-16).

For that’s the best news of all: no matter what lies our enemies may tell about us, God is our shield and our savior (verse 10). So we can always take refuge in Him (verse 1), even as we rely on Him to vindicate us (verse 8).

Psalm 7 (NASB)

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
O Lord my God, in Thee I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me,
2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, Dragging me away, while there is none to deliver.
3 O LORD my God, if I have done this, If there is injustice in my hands,
4 If I have rewarded evil to my friend, Or have plundered him who without cause was my adversary,
5 Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; And let him trample my life down to the ground, And lay my glory in the dust. Selah.
6 Arise, O LORD, in Thine anger; Lift up Thyself against the rage of my adversaries, And arouse Thyself for me; Thou hast appointed judgment.
7 And let the assembly of the peoples encompass Thee; And over them return Thou on high.
8 The LORD judges the peoples; Vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.
9 O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds.
10 My shield is with God, Who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge, And a God who has indignation every day.
12 If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready.
13 He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons; He makes His arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, he travails with wickedness, And he conceives mischief, and brings forth falsehood.
15 He has dug a pit and hollowed it out, And has fallen into the hole which he made.
16 His mischief will return upon his own head, And his violence will descend upon his own pate.
17 I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.