PSALM SEVEN
HOW TO DEAL WITH SLANDER!
  
  There is no historic record of the incident referred to by the
psalmist David in Psalm seven.  It is a crushing blow to anyone, to
hear of other people's slander of their good name.  The Title of the
Psalm gives us a small clue as to what David had in mind.  He there
refers to Cush, a Benjamite.  That man was a partisan of the house of
Saul.  He was a sworn enemy of David's and had no good whatsoever to
say about him.  We will do well if we go through life without an enemy,
but it is good to recognise who are our real friends and who are our
enemies.  The greatest blow for David came later, when a grievous wound
came from one who was a so called friend. 
  The slander was threefold; it had been said that David had
appropriated spoils which belonged to his king.  The modern equivalent
could be, "He wouldn't do that if there wasn't something in it for
him."  Even though you do things with the best of intentions you can
still be credited with the worst  motives.  It had also been said that
David had returned evil for good.  This was particularly untrue as far
as the house of Saul was concerned.  David had gone out of his way to
do them good.  The third accusation was that he had robbed his foe
without a cause.  He had taken spoils like a common robber. 
  The answer given shows the man's trust in God Almighty.  First he
appeals for justice, on the grounds that he is innocent of these
charges.  He publishes the charges and leaves the rest with God.  There
are times when the only hope of our establishing our innocence is to
leave the matter in the hands of God.  There is no real hope that we
will have our innocence established in the courts of men.  The main
element of the Psalmist's plea is integrity.  He had maintained
integrity with all men.  You cannot please all the people all the time,
but you can rest upon your integrity if you are in the hands of God. 
Before Him we have to be absolutely honest, for He knows all things. 
If our defence is our integrity, it would be a colossal mistake to try
and lie to God.  There is one who stands before God for us and we trust
implicitly in His integrity. 
  Now the Psalmist had lived long enough to know that there is such a
thing as retribution in this life.  He declares confidently about the
slanderer, "He hath made a pit and he will fall into it.  His mischief
shall return on his own head.  His violent dealings shall return on his
own pate."  This has happened on so many countless occasions, that we
can be sure that if we leave the slander in the hands of God, the
slanderer will not go unpunished. 
  We can always afford to leave the matter with God.  What can we do
that will help, anyway?  If you scrub earthen floors you will always
end up with mud.  No way can we justify ourselves when slanderous lies
are hurled against us.  But we have a God to whom slander is an
abomination, because He is the Truth.  Leave the matter with God.



Copyright (c) 1995, Hedley Palmer. All rights reserved.



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