Have you ever felt attacked?

July 12, 2016

King Ahaz (Isa 7:1-7:1)

“In the days of King Ahaz,

Son of King Jotham,

Son of King Uzziah,

King of Judah,

King Rezin of Aram Syria

And King Pekah,

Son of Remaliah of Israel

Went up to attack Jerusalem.

But they could not mount

An attack against it.”

King Ahaz (736-716 BCE) was the grandson of King Uzziah, mentioned above, and the son of King Jotham (740-736 BCE) who ruled Judah. At the same time, King Rezin was the Syrian king of Aram from 792-732 BCE. He joined with the northern Israelite King Pekah (743-732 BCE) to attack Jerusalem. However, they were unable to mount an attack against Jerusalem. The story of King Ahaz can be found in 2 Kings, chapter 16 and 2 Chronicles, chapter 28.

August 11, 2015

David asks Yahweh to hear his lament (Ps 7:1-7:2)

“A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to Yahweh concerning Cush, a Benjaminite.

Yahweh my God!

In you,

I take refuge.

Save me!

From all my pursuers,

Deliver me!

Like a lion,

They will tear me apart.

They will drag me away.

No one will rescue me.”

Once again this Psalm 7 is a lament or shiggaion of David. A shiggaion is an emotional mourning psalm. This psalm has a specific indicent found in 2 Samuel, chapter 18, when the Cushite brought him the bad news that David’s rebellious son Absalom had been killed in battle. However, the addition of a Benjaminite might refer to Saul at an earlier time, since Saul was from the territory of Benjamin. There is very little mention of the death of David’s son. This is more about the enemies of David who were attacking him, like Saul. David wanted to take refuge in Yahweh. He wanted to be saved from all his pursuers. He felt that they were like lions, who would tear him apart and drag him away. He asked to be rescued by Yahweh because no one else would.