The Ultimate Refuge

“A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.” -Psalm 7:title

“O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me, lest like a lion they tear my soul apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.” -Psalm 7:1–2

There is no end to David’s troubles. As Job noted, however, “…man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7), so we might as well decide now to not get too comfortable.

St. Augustine identifies Cush, the Benjaminite, as Chusi, or Hushai (2 Samuel 15:34–37).

Ahithophel, a well-revered wise man in the land, and the special counsel to the King, has sided with Absalom, making David’s enemies all the more treacherous—like lions, ready to tear his soul out and shred it into pieces. To combat the traitors, Cush was sent back to Jerusalem acting as one loyal to Absalom but was really a spy for David, tasked with defeating the counsel of Ahithophel and sending word to David about Absalom’s plans.

David is filled with anguish because these enemies of his possess the kind of cruelty that reaches inside and tears a man’s soul to pieces. What else can David do but seek refuge in the only place where men like that cannot harm him—in the Lord, God.