Tag: You Can’t Stop the Dogs - Psalm 57-59

Psalms 59:6-7

Each evening they come back,

howling like dogs

and prowling about the city.

There they are, bellowing with their mouths

with swords in their lips—

for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”

Psalms 59:14-15

Each evening they come back,

howling like dogs

and prowling about the city.

They wander about for food

and growl if they do not get their fill.

Tag:  Trials and Tribulation Never Cease 

Before we can fully understand the above lines from David’s song, we need to view them through the lens of Paul’s words on his first missionary journey as he met with the churches he was planting: 

Acts 14:22

strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

Also, notice what Christ said to His disciples prior to His own tribulation at the cross:

John 16:33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

As we read these words of admonishing and instruction we can better understand what David was talking about in his day. In Psalm 59 David is crying out to God for deliverance.   He was being hunted, like a dog, by Saul and his men.  His ONLY recourse was to turn to His God and asked for deliverance.  Yet, notice in the above lines from this great song for rescue:  “Each Evening they come back ...”.    We tend to enter Christianity, in our limited understanding, thinking that God is going to rescue us from all ills of this life and the next.  And, He is ... eventually.  God is going to save us from the wrath to come.  God is in the process of using the trials of this life to strengthen our faith and give us hope (Romans 5:1-5).   Trials don’t go away when we come to Christ.   Trials increase.  We are now at odds with the world and the world’s system.  Before we were at odds with God and His wrath. Now that we have been reconciled to God we are in direct opposition (if we live out our belief) with the world around us.   Tribulation will come ... each evening, like dogs.  In our day this word picture feels odd.  We domesticated dogs. In David’s day you didn’t go outside at night because of the wild animals.   David compares his tormentors like wild dogs.  He repeats the line twice because “each evening” they returned like dogs.  Even in our prayer to God we don’t avoid the dogs.  They are there each evening ... but so is God.  Saul NEVER gets David.  God answered David’s prayer - it didn’t stop the dogs, but he was never bitten, either.