^{9 “}I will sing a new song to you, O God!
    I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp.
¹⁰ For you grant victory to kings!
    You rescued your servant David from the fatal sword.
¹¹ Save me!
    Rescue me from the power of my enemies.
Their mouths are full of lies;
    they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.”

Psalm 144:9-11, NLT

When something is ‘new’ it just seems better. When you drive a new car off the lot, the feeling you have can’t be compared to anything else. Several months ago, I bought a pair of red shoes. (I liked them so much I wanted to wear them to bed.) A new jacket, or snazzy shoes and life is just more enhanced somehow.

There are a lot of ‘new’ things in the Bible. New wine, new name, new covenant, new clothes, new king, new creation, new heavens, new earth, new life and there are many others. Suddenly having something that is fresh and new, can be a bit of a challenge. We are unfamiliar with this ‘new thing.’ (And we were just getting comfortable with the old!)

Commentary

V. 9,  ^”I will sing a new song to you, O God!
    I will sing your praises with a ten-stringed harp.”

David’s heart was a singing one. He sings when things are ‘good.’ He sings when things are ‘bad.’ I’m sure as a proficient musician he understood music– what it could do, its innate power to lift. I would also imagine that David was a walking musical library. He knew all the songs worth knowing; the chords and melodies used.

David wants to sing “a new song to you,  O God!” Nothing but a new song would do. I suppose old songs are fine and good, they often evoke something from our past experiences. I love to sing “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” I draw from it, and my spirit and eyes are lifted up.

But there are times– special moments, when we venture into the new moment. That spot is dewy fresh and different, it has just come into being. It is also strange. (I think this is the place where a “new song” is at its best.)

V. 10, “ For you grant victory to kings!
    You rescued your servant David from the fatal sword.”

There is nothing like a ‘near-death’ experience to swell our shrunken hearts with  gratitude. And David was given “victory” for a present. He unwraps it, and decides the moment is perfect to write that “new song” he’s been thinking about. He knows that God is fully responsible for this victory, and saving him from certain death.

V. 11, “ Save me!
    Rescue me from the power of my enemies.
Their mouths are full of lies;
    they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.”

David doesn’t just ‘get up and brush himself off.’ Rather, (almost in a parasitical way) he latches unto God and won’t let Him go. We can go and drain this verse of its deep feelings, but we would be poorer for it– perhaps missing its true meaning.

David discerns correctly the ‘spiritual landscape’ of this moment. He hangs on to the Lord. David understands the power that wants to destroy him. His biggest enemies don’t carry a sword but instead they use their tongues– their words, and speech to press an attack on David.

Sing the old songs, but consider singing a new song as well.

888

ybic, Bryan

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