Teach me your way, O LORD,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.
As we read the above passage we have to first understand the entire song of Psalm 27. David is the author. He starts out with a praise of confidence that is one of the most famous of all the Psalms:
Psalms 27:1 (ESV)
OF DAVID.
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?
David expresses great confidence in God in the opening lines of the song. But the very next verse gives us the tenor of the song:
Psalms 27:2 (ESV)
When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
His confidence is true despite his situation. He has someone (perhaps Saul) trying to eat his flesh, a metaphor for someone attempting to destroy him; devour him. As the song unfolds we finally get to the above verses where David request, from God, three very important truths we should remember when we are being pursued, or hunted by our enemies:
1. Guidance [Teach me your way, O LORD,] - When we are being hunted it is wise we find guidance from our sovereign God. God knows the ways of escape, the mind of the enemy and the weakness of our skills. Only God can make the way of escape.
2. Comfort [and lead me on a level path] - David asked for a level path. He not only wanted guidance he wanted the guidance to be smooth. The word picture here is valuable to us. David often hid out from Saul’s pursuits in the most rugged of terrains. He hid in rocks and caves. Asking God for a level path was not just asking for deliverance, it was asking for an easy deliverance.
3. Protection [Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;] - When the enemy is in pursuit we need divine protection to hold us back from their cunning ways. God not only guides us, He also protects us. When the Egyptians were in pursuit of Moses and the Israelites, God guided them to the Red Sea. But they thought they were trapped. God put a pillar of fire for the night and a cloud for the day to protect them from Pharaoh and his army.
When we feel trapped and struggling with the enemies of this life, God gives us guidance, comfort and protection.
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