Our Bodyguard
I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain. Psalm 3:4
Betrayed by his son Absalom and several trusted advisors, King David fled Jerusalem. Many said, “This time God will not deliver him. He’s finished” (Psalm 3:2 paraphrased).
What did David do? He cried out to God: “But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high” (v. 3). The name for God David used is 
Jehovah-Magen, the Lord my shield.
In biblical times, there were two kinds of shields. A large one, which covered the whole body, was carried by a shield bearer (see 1 Samuel 17:7). A smaller one, a magen, was used in hand-to-hand combat. The soldier held the magen in one hand and wielded his sword with the other hand.[1]
David believed that God would be his magen, his personal defender against the tens of thousands drawn up against him on every side (Psalm 3:6). The beleaguered king realized war was coming—between his troops and his son’s troops. He might have to fight offensively with his sword, but David trusted God to defend him. So he left the outcome in God’s hands (see 2 Samuel 15:25-26; 16:11-12).
Our spiritual sword is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). We use God’s promises and his truth to combat the harmful words and actions of those who ridicule or betray us. But we allow God to shield our soul from the damaging effects of false accusations and hurtful judgments. God promises that “no weapon forged against [us] will prevail” if we place our faith in him (Isaiah 54:17).
David’s confidence in Jehovah-Magen gave him such peace that he was able to lie down and sleep (Psalm 3:5). He knew that deliverance comes from God and that only God’s intervention and blessing could reunite the nation (v. 8).
When we cry aloud, the Lord hears, and he will answer from his holy mountain, his heavenly throne (Psalm 3:4). David returned to Jerusalem as king. God will vindicate us as well.
Have you been ambushed by someone’s betrayal? What mindset and actions will help you allow Jehovah-Magen to be your shield?
DIG DEEPER
Compare Psalm 34:17-22 and Isaiah 54:17 with Romans 12:17-21 and Hebrews 12:12. When we face a betrayal similar to King David’s, what is our role? What is God’s role?
Read more about the historical background of Psalm 3 in 2 Samuel 15-19. How does David demonstrate his trust in God throughout his ordeal?
What sort of things keep you awake at night? How can the truths of Psalm 3 help you sleep in peace as David did?
Denise K. Loock
[1] Merrill F. Unger, The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, edited by R. K. Harrison (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988), 106.
This devotion is part of a series on the names of God.