waiting together in the dark

I will thank you forever,

because you have done it.

I will wait for your name, for it is good,

in the presence of the godly.

Psalm 52:9

When we understand the context for David to write these words of confidence, we will find them quite comforting. The background for Psalm 52 is 1 Samuel 22. The occasion for which it was written: It is a song of mourning for a dark day in Israel’s history… really the darkest day of King Saul’s ill-fated rule. David mourns that Saul, in a rage against David who had been helped by Ahimelech the priest, went on a rampage and murdered eighty-five priests and Levites in the priestly town of Nob. The entire city of the priests of Israel was destroyed by the King of Israel. Saul defied God in his hatred of David. In his anger and fear against David, Saul turned on God and directed his power against God’s own worship.

One priest, Abiathar, escaped to find refuge with David, and David took it upon himself to save the last surviving priest in Israel in order to maintain faithfulness to the covenant. Indeed it was a very dark time in Israel’s history. The light almost went out. It hardly seems to be time of hope, but here is David, in a memorial psalm, singing about hope!

Despite this grim reality, David trusts God and envisions himself thriving in God’s house (Psalm 52:8). David trusted the steadfast love of God despite the bleak nature of what was being faced. David thanked God for the chance to help restore the priesthood and together with his band of discontented mighty men covenanted to wait for God to bring good from it all.

In the darkest of times, God’s people can wait together with praise and with hope. The truth that motivated David: one surviving priest kept God’s worship alive. He would trust God to help him protect and then later see restored what was lost. God had preserved His worship and David trusted that waiting for what would happen next was a good thing. 

And so today, we should not fear if God’s name is not revered. Christians do not need to cower in a holy huddle afraid of what the culture does next! Let it rage against God. God is among us still and is not being diminished in power one bit by human raging! We should not cower before cultural threats. God keeps His work very well defended! We may be hated, hunted or hurt, but the fact is, none of it touches God! He will help us thrive, not just survive, as we wait together. As long as we worship, God’s power is known in us. As we wait, we grow stronger. Sinful society creates its own dark days. But bright hope lives with those who will wait!