Psalm 3: our vanity will get us if we don’t get it first
This psalm is said to have been written by David, when he was fleeing from his son Absalom (see 2 Samuel 13-19). What I find interesting is that nowhere in this psalm does David blame Absalom for rising against him. There is only a general mention of “enemies”. Isn’t that the way God treats us? He doesn’t blame us when we turn against Him. He continues to love us even though we despise and mock Him through our words and actions. He wants us to return to Him, much like David wanted Absalom to come back. He would have forgiven him. He even gave a command to his troops not to harm Absalom. Had the order been obeyed, Absalom would have remained alive.
Do you see the parallels between the story of David and Absalom, and our own history with God? Let me strengthen the case a bit. What was it that ended Absalom in the end? Wasn’t it his vanity? He was a vain man, wasn’t he? Just read 2 Samuel to find out more about him. In the end, his vanity dispatched him. Instead of heeding David’s plea and coming back to his father, he sought to run away. Then, it was his thick, long hair - a source of pride for him - that got caught in the branches of a tree and had him hanging in plain sight for David’s soldiers. Sure enough, Joab killed him. The point I’m trying to make is that our vanity does us in as well. It’s our inability or unwillingness to recognize our faults, our mistakes, and to come to our heavenly Father to ask forgiveness of Him that will be our end. It’s our pride that will make us fall. The old saying, “Pride goeth before a fall” is certainly true.
There is a reason the story of Absalom was preserved so well in the Bible. It’s there to be a lesson to us. For the same reason, this psalm is there as well. It’s there to show us how God waits for our return and doesn’t blame us. He waits to forgive us and welcome us back in His arms. Let us let go of our pride and vanity, and rush back to Him. He will forgive us, no matter what.
