Throughout history there have been many betrayals. Shakespeare, in his play Julius Ceaser (Act 3 Scene 1), used the Latin phrase “et tu Brute,” spoken by Julius Ceasar to Marcus Brutus, who took part in his assassination. Since then, this phrase has become synonymous with an unexpected betrayal by a friend. Probably even more famous, at least among Christians, was Judas Iscariot; a friend and disciple of Jesus Christ, who betrayed Jesus with a kiss that led to his arrest, trial, and eventual crucifixion. Probably not quite as well known, but certainly prominent in Biblical history, and with some parallels to Judas betraying Christ; was the betrayal of King David by his son Absalom and his close confidant and counselor Ahithophel. Although debated among scholars, this seems to be the likely setting for Psalm 55, which we are going to look at today.

Well maybe you’ve never experienced the kind of betrayal that Julius Ceaser, King David, or Jesus experienced; but most, if not all of us, have gone through deep hurts and disappointments in our life. Maybe you had an employee embezzle money or steal things from your business. Maybe a struggle you had been having was shared with a friend in confidence, and later you found out that it had been shared with others. Maybe you’ve had a spouse who was unfaithful to you or left you. Maybe you’ve had a child or other family member who has rejected you and wants nothing to do with you. How do you deal with that?

Or, maybe you made what you thought was a wise financial investment, only to lose it all. Maybe months and years of investment in your business, ends in the business collapsing. Maybe your years income from crops is destroyed by a plague of insects, wildfire, or a storm. Maybe your dreams of being on the mission field are ended because of illness or relational conflicts on your team. How do you deal with these disappointments?

Or, maybe a loved one or close friend is killed in a car accident or is given a terminal cancer diagnosis. Maybe your parent or parents develop dementia and no longer recognize you and do or say things that you don’t understand. Maybe you or a loved one is diagnosed with a chronic illness with a future of chronic pain or progression to disability. How do you process these tragedies? Where do you turn for hope?

Or, maybe you look at the world and see the evil of school or other mass shootings, or you are moved by poverty and injustice, or you see senseless war in eastern Europe or the Middle East, or you are brokenhearted by the persecution of Christians or other minorities around the world. Maybe these things make you angry, hurt, confused, or cast you in the depths of despair and cause you to wonder, “Where is God in all this?” Maybe you just want to break down and cry.

In his book Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament, Mark Vroegop writes, “To cry is human, but to lament is Christian.” (p26) Psalm 55 is David’s lament over betrayal by the people of Israel, his family, and his friends. As we look at this psalm, we will see David’s deep anguish as he processes his emotions and how it leads to his turning to God in hope and trust. As we look at the Biblical pattern of lament today, I hope you will be encouraged and see a pattern that will help you deal likewise with your own suffering in life’s trials or as you minister to others who are going through suffering.

55 Give ear to my prayer, O God,
    and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
² Attend to me, and answer me;
    I am restless in my complaint and I moan,
³ because of the noise of the enemy,
    because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they drop trouble upon me,
    and in anger they bear a grudge against me.

⁴ My heart is in anguish within me;
    the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
⁵ Fear and trembling come upon me,
    and horror overwhelms me.
⁶ And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest;
⁷ yes, I would wander far away;
    I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
⁸ I would hurry to find a shelter
    from the raging wind and tempest.”

⁹ Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;
    for I see violence and strife in the city.
¹⁰ Day and night they go around it
    on its walls,
and iniquity and trouble are within it;
¹¹     ruin is in its midst;
oppression and fraud
    do not depart from its marketplace.

¹² For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
    then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
    then I could hide from him.
¹³ But it is you, a man, my equal,
    my companion, my familiar friend.
¹⁴ We used to take sweet counsel together;
    within God's house we walked in the throng.
¹⁵ Let death steal over them;
    let them go down to Sheol alive;
    for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.

¹⁶ But I call to God,
    and the Lord will save me.
¹⁷ Evening and morning and at noon
    I utter my complaint and moan,
    and he hears my voice.
¹⁸ He redeems my soul in safety
    from the battle that I wage,
    for many are arrayed against me.
¹⁹ God will give ear and humble them,
    he who is enthroned from of old, Selah
because they do not change
    and do not fear God.

²⁰ My companion^[b] stretched out his hand against his friends;
    he violated his covenant.
²¹ His speech was smooth as butter,
    yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
    yet they were drawn swords.

²² Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.

²³ But you, O God, will cast them down
    into the pit of destruction;
men of blood and treachery
    shall not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you.

Before we get into the text, let me give some brief historical context that was likely the setting for David writing this Psalm. (2Sa 11-18) David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah the Hittite. He is confronted with his sin by Nathan the prophet and David repents, but he is also told that the sword would never depart from his house and that evil would rise up against him from his own house.

David’s eldest son, Ammom rapes his half-sister Tamar, whose brother was Absalom. Absalom takes revenge, murders Ammon, and flees from his father, King David. After three years he returns to Jerusalem, but for an additional two years he does not come into the presence of the king. During this time, he developed a plan to conspire against the king and “stole the hearts of the men of Israel.” (2Sa 15:6). 2Sa 16:23 “Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom.” Ahithophel had been the king’s counselor (1Ch 27:33), however, Absalom won Ahithophel to his side, “And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.” (2Sa15:12) Ahithophel counseled Absalom to violate David’s concubines in public, fulfilling Nathan’s prophecy (2Sa 12:11-12); and counseled him to pursue David while he was weary and discouraged and to strike him down. (2Sa 17:1-3). This appears to be the likely context of this Psalm.

As you read this psalm, you can’t help but notice the deep anguish David is experiencing in this situation. When he says in v4 “My heart is in deep anguish within me,” he is not just referring to the rhythmically contracting muscle in his chest that circulates the blood in his body; he is referring to his whole inner being. His mind and intellect, his emotions and feelings are affected. Anguish or “sore pained” (KJV) refers to writhing in pain, like labor pains. David is experiencing real suffering and struggling emotionally. He is literally running for his life as his son Absolom has turned against him, overtaken his throne, and intends to kill him. He is no longer experiencing the comforts of the palace life but must go back to being on the run and in hiding, something he had experienced for years while under the persecution of King Saul. He probably thought those days were over, but now again, he finds himself on the run. Not only is he experiencing physical and material discomfort, more devastating to him is that the ones who betrayed him and are trying to take his life, were not enemies; but his own people, family, and close friends (v12-13). He is oppressed and persecuted (v3) which led to deep suffering. We see in David, a picture of Christ, who was also betrayed by his people and friends (Mat 26: 47-50, Mrk 14:43-46, Luk 22:47-48, Jhn 18:1-5); and experienced deep suffering

Notice some of David’s emotions: v1 He feels alone as though God is hiding from him, v2 & 17 he is restless and moans. V4 His heart is in anguish, the terrors of death have fallen upon him. V5 He is fearful and trembles and is overwhelmed with horror. Although David certainly was under physical duress and his life was in danger, he seems to be expressing here the greater emotional distress that he is experiencing because the city had turned against him and he had been betrayed by those close to him. In vv 12-14 he describes how his close or familiar friend turned against him. The Hebrew word yada (yaw-dah) used here means “to know.” This is the same word used when Adam knew Eve. It implies a deep, intimate relationship. This friend is one with whom he used to worship and receive counsel. In vv20-21David describes further how his companion had violated the covenant with him and his friends. How he was flattered with smooth and soft words, like butter and oil, and yet because of this person(s) betrayal those words now cut like swords. In v 12 David said he could bear or stand against this treatment if it was an enemy or adversary who was against or coming at him, but how does he deal with the surprise of a close friend who turns against him. Notice again the parallel to Christ who went through such emotional turmoil and agony before his betrayal that “his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luk 22:44)

Modern psychology would tell us in these circumstances to journal our feelings, which can be helpful in understanding them and the thoughts behind them. But ultimately journaling our thoughts and emotions alone falls short, because it provides no hope of solution other than perhaps behavioral modification. Although David “journals, so to speak” in this psalm; he goes further and shows us the Biblical and God glorifying way to process and deal with emotions, struggles, and deep suffering we experience in life. How does he do this?

He turns to prayer and to the one who can help, who can provide hope, and can heal in the midst of suffering. That one is the Lord God. In vv 2 &17, David uses the Hebrew word siyach (see-akh) translated complaint and utter my complaint or pray (v17 KJV). It has at its root to ponder or meditate; to speak, talk or pray. David provides us an example of how to take our concerns to God in a respectful way, not railing against God shaking his fist, but humbly expressing his feelings, the way he perceives things.

In this psalm he uses four different Hebrew words in crying to God that bring out the character of God. In vv 1,14, 16, 19, and 23 he uses elohiym (el-o-heem) used in the sense of the supreme or one true God and in v19 el (ale), a shortened version of elohiym referring to the almighty, powerful, and strong God. In v9 he uses adonay (ad-o-noy) meaning the Lord or my Lord. In v 16 and 22 he uses yehovah (yeh-ho-vaw) meaning the self-existent or eternal God and related to that in v19 he describes God as the one who is enthroned from of old. So, David turns to the eternal, self-existent, all-powerful God whom he has made the lord of his life. He knows this is the One to whom he can go for help and hope.

As David prays to God, I see at least three common human responses to suffering. One response he considers is to escape:

Psa 55:6  And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; 7  yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah 8  I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest.”

David longs to find a safe place to get away and rest from his troubles. I often think about the new heaven and the new earth and long to have “[Jesus] wipe away every tear from [my] eyes, and [to be in a place where] death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev21:4) Escape is a common human response to suffering. Some might run away from a difficult relationship at work or home. Many people look to other things to take away their pain such as food, sex, drugs, or even ending their lives.

However, in Mat 7:24-27, Jesus instructs us to stand against life’s storms not by fleeing life’s troubles, but by building our house on Him and His word. Then when the rain falls and flooding comes; and the wind blows and beats us, we have a firm foundation that will stand because He is our rock. We will see that David leads us to this better response, one where we cannot be moved (v22), rather than trying to escape our pain and suffering.

Another response David has to his suffering is to call for justice against those who are doing evil against him:

In v 9, 15, and 23 we see David calling to God to destroy and divide the tongues of his enemies, for them to go down to Sheol, that their days would be shortened, and that they would be cast down into the pit.

This is another common human response. We want justice brought to those who do evil. David’s request can be hard for many people, especially those with the gift of mercy. I do want to point out that David is not so much seeking a personal vengeance or justice. Although he obviously has been betrayed by close personal friend(s) (v13,14,20), he does not cry out for specific judgement upon them, nor does he even name who this person or persons are. This is an example we can follow, David is writing publicly. It is good for us to do the same and to not publicly besmirch the name of those who have wronged us.

David is speaking in this psalm prophetically as the anointed King of Israel, and he is seeking for God to right the injustice against his chosen people. Notice the reasons he calls out for justice. Those who are against him are committing violence and stirring up strife, promoting sin, oppressing and defrauding others in the city and marketplaces (v9-11). They are treacherous and violent men, motivated by evil in their hardened heart (v15,23). They do not change, and they do not fear God (v19).

It is appropriate for us to pray and ask God to bring justice in our situation if we have been mistreated, but we must be careful to direct this generally against evil and injustice not as a personal vendetta against our own enemies or those personally against us. Instead, Jesus commands us:

Mat 5:38  “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39  But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41  And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42  Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

43  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47  And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

And remember Paul, a former enemy of God, reconciled to God by the death of Jesus; tells us:

Rom 12:17  Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18  If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19  Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20  To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Following David’s example, a good thing we can do is to pray specifically for God to “divide the tongue” of our enemies. At the tower of Babel, God literally divided the tongues to keep man from further sinning against Him. (Gen 11:7) David prayed in 2Sa 15:31 “O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” So, we can pray that God would stop or confuse the evil that those who are against us are hearing from Satan, the world philosophies, or their own sinful hearts.

We can also pray generally that God would bring justice to those who do evil and we can take comfort in the fact that on judgement day, those not covered by the blood of Jesus will receive just recompense for the evil they’ve committed.

Finally, the response David has to his suffering, and the response we should be learning from him and truly be seeking, is to turn to the Lord for help and mercy:

Based upon the names and character of God in v1&2, we see David crying with urgency to God asking Him to attend to him, to reveal himself, and to give ear to his prayers and pleas for mercy. This is common in the psalms (eg Psa 5, 17, 64, 80) and in 1Pe 3:12 we are told, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.” David honestly expresses his emotions and his deep struggles. Some of us struggle with our emotions and are reluctant to share them with others or maybe even to God. We should not complain about God, but David shows us that we can take our complaints, our emotions, our questions, our struggles to God. Why not express them to Him. He knows them anyway. He is the only one who can truly understand our situation.

Not only does he share his struggles and present his requests to God, but David also shows us the correct path in processing and dealing with our emotions by turning to the truth about God. By doing so, he reorients himself and finds hope and confidence in God. In V 16 “But I call to God, and the Lord will save me.” The cry for God to save us is common in the psalms (eg 34:6, 80:3, 138:7). David expresses a confidence that we see in Rom 10:13 “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

In V17 David continues to call out to Him in the evening, morning, and at noon. In other words, he is in continual conversation with the Lord, and he reminds himself that the Lord hears him. Paul gives us similar counsel to pray at all times (Eph 6:18) and without ceasing (1Th 5:17)

V18 Even though many are against him, he finds strength and safety in the One who redeems his soul. Paul reminds us to put on the full armor of God so we can stand against the schemes of the devil and those against us (Eph 6:11) and the apostle John tells us we will overcome, because he, Jesus, who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. (1Jn 4:4)

In V 19, David remembers that the Lord is the one enthroned from of old and is the one who raises up and brings down kingdoms. (c/w Psa 2, Ps144:10)

In v 22 David instructs us further to “cast [our] burden on the Lord, and he will sustain [us}; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” Peter tells us to cast our anxieties on him, Jesus, because he cares for us. (1Pe 5:7) Jesus bids us to come to him when we are weary and he will give us rest (Mat 11:28-30). He will not allow anyone to snatch us from his hand because he is the one who has redeemed us and secured our salvation. (Jhn 10:27-30).

Finally, David ends his psalm simply stating, “I will trust in you.” (v23)

So, we learn from David that even in the midst of suffering and overwhelming circumstances:

1) we can call to God bringing our emotions and complaints and he hears us

2) that we can ask for God to act in a way that is consistent with his character and promises knowing that God has redeemed and saved us, and

3) that because God is sovereign over our circumstances, He will sustain us and never permit us to be moved. We can trust Him wholeheartedly!

What I would like to do now is to look at this Psalm of lament and show you a pattern that is common to biblical lament. So that you and I can learn to lament as David and other Psalmists; and as Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and other prophets did. The practice of lament helps us to express our emotions, process our grief and sorrow, and draws us near to the One in whom we hope. The ideas I am going to share have largely come from Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament. I highly recommend this book to you.

In this book Vroegop describes lament as an “honest cry of a hurting heart wrestling with the paradox of pain and the promise of God’s goodness.” He goes on to say, “Without hope in God’s deliverance and the conviction that he is all-powerful, there would be no reason to lament when pain invades our lives. … “Lament stands in the gap between pain and promise.” (p26) His definition of lament is: “a prayer in pain that leads to trust.” (p28)

In Scripture, especially the psalms of lament, we see that pain and suffering can lead to worship and trust. Learning to lament can help us make that transition. As Vroegop says, “Trust looks like talking to God, sharing our complaints, seeking God’s help, and then recommitting ourselves to believe in who God is and what he has done—even as the trial continues.” (p74)

In lament psalms words like but, however, and yet “mark the intentional shift from the cause of the lament to trusting in who God is, what he has done, and the promises of Scripture. Lamenting trust is not merely a belief or conviction; it is trusting despite what circumstances might lead one to believe.” (p76) We saw this in our OT reading where Jeremiah said, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:” (Lam 3:21) Notice in v16 and 23 of Psalm 55 David uses the word “but” where he turns to the truths and promises he knows about God leading to his final proclamation, “I will trust in you.” So look for these words as you study psalms of lament to draw your attention to the character of God, His promises, and our hope.

Vroegop and others have noted that Psalms of lament have a pattern or structure with a progression of turning to God, bringing a complaint to Him, asking or making a request to Him, and expressing trust in or directing praise to Him. (p29) TCAT – Turn, Complain, Ask, Trust. Looking for this pattern in the psalms of lament can help us better understand their purpose and can help us develop a pattern for personal or corporate lament as we experience suffering.

In Appendix 3 (p203), Vroegop has a Learning-to-Lament Worksheet, an exercise to help personalize lament based upon Psalms of lament. Here is an example from Psalm 55:

I would encourage you to consider the TCAT framework – Turn, Complain, Ask, Trust as you study other Lament psalms and draft your own laments after them. Some examples of psalms of lament include Psa 3, 10, 13, 22, 77, 86. You can also do this exercise and learn from prophets like Jeremiah in Lamentations and Habakkuk. As you do this, I hope that it will become more natural to include lament in your prayer life. Lament can be corporate, and I would also encourage the men in the church to incorporate prayers of lament for our nation, the world, and our church in our times of prayer of confession and supplication during our worship service.

As I close, I want to come back to betrayal and look at another prominent betrayal in Scripture, that of Peter denying Jesus. Here was a man who had lived and breathed with and learned from Jesus. He had witnessed his glory on the mount of transfiguration and proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ. However, in Jesus’ darkest hour, when He was suffering immensely, Peter denied him 3 times. In the story of Peter we see the hope of the gospel and something that we should remember when we suffer and lament over betrayal, especially from someone close to us.

In Ahithophel and Judas we see worldly sorrow for their betrayals that led to death (2Co 7:10, both hanged themselves 2Sa 17:23, Mat 27:5), but in Peter we see godly sorrow that that produced repentance leading to salvation. Jesus had prayed for him, and Peter was restored and helped birth the Christian church along with the other apostles. So, as we lament and remember the redemption, salvation, and hope Jesus brings to us; let us pray for those who have turned against us and God—that God would change their hearts and redeem and save them. And in all our circumstances, “Keep trusting the One who keeps you trusting.” (words from John Piper to Vroegop and his wife when lost their daughter just a few days from her due date P85)