The Song of the Secure Sanctuary

Psalm 27 is a psalm of confidence that also has a tone of lament. In the complexities of life, we can feel both faith and sorrow at the same time, and this psalm is a model for how to pray when we feel this kind of ambivalence. David begins with a meditation on fear in verse 1: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Both questions are parallel, beginning with a metaphor about God (he is light, salvation, a stronghold) and ending with a question that means, “So why am I afraid?” Light is an image that goes back to page 1 of the Bible, where God spoke into being everything in the universe, beginning with light. To say that God is our light is to hold him up as everything that is good and positive and illuminating. He is the ultimate source of radiance from which everything from stars to candles receive their light. God is David’s salvation or deliverance, a key word in the Exodus story. He is David’s stronghold, a major theme in the historical books. Thus, from the beginning of history to David’s time, God’s character and saving power has been consistently faithful. And so David reasons with himself, “Who could possibly match the fearsome, awesome might of the Lord? The answer is no one, even though my soul regularly forgets it.” We forget God’s protection often because of the ferocity of our enemies, as David describes in verses 2 and 3: “When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.” One of the unique features of this psalm is the use of multiple synonyms for enemies (evildoers, adversaries, foes, and so on). It gives the impression — similar to Psalm 3 — that David is surrounded by teeming hordes of ravenous enemies who devour the faithful. And yet, despite all of these dangers, David’s confidence holds fast. Even in fearful circumstances, the Lord’s presence keeps us from fear.

Psalms 26, 27, and 28 are all connected by their emphasis on the sanctuary of the LORD, the tabernacle and temple that was central to the rhythms of life and worship for the people of Israel. In the podcast titles, I’ve called them “the songs of the sanctuary.” The temple didn’t exist in David’s time, but just like David uses a variety of words for his enemies, so he also uses a full vocabulary for the place where God’s presence dwelled. It evokes the whole history of God drawing near to his people in a physical place. Verse 4: “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.” David’s desire to dwell in the house of the LORD is not an ambition to be priest but, like Psalms 15 and 24, a longing to enjoy the constant presence of God. David wants one thing, one singular purpose: to have access to the Creator of the universe. That relationship gives him protection in the day of trouble, but it allows him to do two things: to gaze and to inquire. David wants to see and behold the beauty of God, and he wants to seek and ask for God’s guidance. Adoration and wisdom. These are the results of someone who spends time with God. It leads David to a place of celebration and victory: “And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.” Here is the progression of seeking after God: we encounter trials and tribulations, but in faith we worship God and ask for his deliverance, and then when he answers our prayers, we sing songs of thanksgiving. The sanctuary of God is a place where we find refuge, but it is also a sacred place where we encounter the living God. It is where we find both true safety and true delight.

We might expect at this point in the psalm to wrap things up. David has experienced God’s presence in the sanctuary, and his head is lifted up above his enemies. But suddenly, David lets out a series of rapid-fire petitions. Verse 7: “Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!” Verse 9: “Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!” Verse 11: “Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.” It’s a striking set of pictures. We might imagine David singing as he exits the tabernacle full of confidence, only to find that his enemies haven’t gone anywhere. He’s surrounded by violence, lies, and powerful foes. But in the midst of this crisis, David still fights against fear by running to the sanctuary of God and using the same key word from earlier, “seek.” Verse 8: “You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, LORD, do I seek.’” The LORD’s command is plural, so it’s a general invitation to all of God’s people to know him, to see him, to be near to him. It’s also a promise, like in Deuteronomy 4:29, “But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” When we reach our hands out to God in desperation and crisis, humbling ourselves in our neediness, crying out for him to hear us and not abandon us, God always responds with mercy and kindness. He has been faithful in the past, and so he will be in the future. So David commits himself again to seeking the face of the LORD because there is no other sanctuary. There’s a poignant, significant line in verse 10: “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in.” Many scholars think that David is being hyperbolic, so the sense is, “Even if my parents forsake their love and bond to me, God will never do so. His love is steadfast.” Especially in a familial, communal culture, the thought of being abandoned by your family was frightening and shameful, but we don’t need to have any uncertainty about God’s family. One commentator said it this way: “[God] will not ask for our love and then withhold his own.” When we come to the end of ourselves and we have nothing left, we only need one thing: the face, the regard, the love of the LORD.