But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. (Ps. 5.3)
King David composed this Psalm in the midst of him fleeing the revolt of his son Absalom. With his family and kingdom crumbling from every side, David and his loyal band felt the sting of the evil division hatched by Absalom (2 Sam. 15). However in the midst of this personal assault and bitter drink of abandonment David finds solace in the unchanging character of God who never wavers in his faithfulness to his people.
As I envision David marching out of Jerusalem and onward toward the Kidron brook (2 Sam. 15.23) and onward up the Mount of Olives (v.30) I cannot but be reminded of the greater David and his lonely trek on the same soil.
However, there was something quite different with our Lord Jesus. As he marched resolutely to the cross to bear the undiluted, unmitigated, fully mixed cup of divine wrath, he did so in view of abandonment.
Our Lord Jesus was affixed to the cross as a shameful criminal. He was abandoned by his creation, abandoned by his disciples, and now for the first time ever, abandoned by his Father. As Christ hung in the writhing pain of physical torment his soul was being shredded by divine torment. The Father had forsaken the Son.
We may truly say with David that though all others may abandon or deride me, truly, “you O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” Indeed the very reason why anyone may say with any shred of truth that God lifts our weary heads is because the greater David has bowed his head. As the Savior in his holy humanity dealt fully with divine wrath he purchased the right for the comfort and blessing of wayward sons like you and me. Without Christ’s work there is no basis for such glorious comfort as described by David.
As Jesus “bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (Jn. 19.30) he did so as one who was abandoned so that all of his beloved would truly never be abandoned and could sing this glorious Psalm with David in spirit and in truth. Christ Jesus is truly our glory and the lifter of our heads.
