27th November 2025

David had been secretly anointed king over Israel; Goliath was dead, David was a popular hero. Saul was still on the throne, consumed with anger and jealousy. This was the background that led to David being a fugitive pursued by Saul,  who was intent on killing him. 

David’s flight covered a lot of ground and rough terrain, beginning with his wife letting him down through a window to escape Saul’s men, sent to kill him (1Samuel 19:11-12). It led David to seek help from Samuel in Ramah (v.18); the priest Ahimelech in Nob (21:1); Achish – the king in Gath (21:10); and the city of Adullam where he and his followers hid in caves. The flight continued through Mizpah in Moab, the Forest of Hereth in Judah, the Wilderness of Ziph and Maon, and to En Gedi. 1 Samuel 23:14 states that, ‘Saul sought him every day…’ a relentless pursuit. 

Several psalms written by David are a poetic and musical diary that grew out of this pursuit. They reveal David’s emotions, his anguish and his source of hope. Psalm 59 takes us back to the beginning of these events, with the subtitle, ‘…when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.’ The Psalm begins with a desperate plea: ‘Deliver me from my enemies, O my God’ (v.1). As he prepares to escape from his house, with the help of his wife Michal, he looks to his God, ‘My God of mercy’, for protection. That deliverance was longer coming than David may have imagined. Estimates vary between seven and thirteen years. During that time he had a chance to kill Saul and probably take the kingdom, but he put it all in God’s hands, in God’s timing, ‘I will wait for You…For God is my defence. My God of mercy shall come to meet me…’ (vv.9-10)

He describes God as a shield – as a defence – a defence that is faithful, unlike the shield that failed to protect Goliath. The language of the psalm relies on such images of war, of conflict, of triumph and defeat. He sees his enemies as being scattered, consumed by God’s wrath, as happened so frequently in the many battles that were fought at that time – and continue to be fought today. His enemies are unfavourably characterised  as ‘dogs’ (vv.6,14), which seems to be at odds with the Apostle Peter’s conclusion, ‘…not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’ (2 Peter 3:9 NIV). But if we see these enemies as personifying evil, then we would hope that evil would be consumed, or in David’s words: ‘That they (it) may not be; And let them know that God rules in Jacob…’ (Psalm 59:13 NKJV). He pleads with God, ‘You therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to punish all the nations…’ (v.5). It is the second time he has urged God to ‘awake’ which underlines the desperate position he is in.  

We might sometimes feel that God is asleep, that he needs to ‘awake’ and respond to our prayers. The disciples felt that when Jesus was asleep in the storm (Matthew 8:23-27), but he responded by removing the threat. David shared those same thoughts, but we can look forward to the times, to each and every time, when our ‘God of mercy’ comes to meet us. It may take longer than we would wish and it may come in a way we don’t expect.

^{1  Psalm 59:16-17}

Local congregation:
GCI Market Harborough
9 The Point
Rockingham Road
Market Harborough 
LE16 7QU

Meeting time:
Sunday 4.00 pm

Local congregational contact:
Sinead Henderson 
Email: sinead.henderson@gracecom.church

Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church