Psalms 64

Hear my voice, God, in my complaint. Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Wesley: Complaint—prayer mixed with complaint of my enemies. The godly may bring dread before God without pretending composure they do not feel.

Cry aloud under threat. Grace invites honest complaint that still asks preservation. Do not mute dread; bring it to the God who hears.

Calvin: David appeals to God under the injuries of the wicked—complaint is lawful when referred to God's judgment-seat, not when it frets against providence. Preserve life from dread: fear itself can wound.

God hears the complaint of the oppressed. Refuge begins with petition. The dread named is earnest; the Preserver is greater.

Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the noisy crowd of evildoers. Wesley: Secret—crafty and subtle. Plots thrive in secrecy; the prayer asks covering under God.

Ask to be hidden when schemes surround you. Plotters and throngs both threaten; God alone is adequate shelter.

Calvin: hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked—evil often works by conspiracy. The throng amplifies danger; multiplicity does not intimidate God.

Secret plots are not secret to God. Pray for concealment under His care when human cover fails.

Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and aim their arrows, deadly words like arrows. Wesley: Whet—sharpen. Words as weapons: slander prepared and aimed.

Guard your own tongue even while naming theirs. Bitter speech kills reputation; bring the wounded name to God.

Calvin: tongues whetted like swords and words like arrows—calumny is murderous intent in speech. The righteous suffer wounds without steel.

God counts verbal assault. The metaphor equips faith to treat slander as hostility under divine hearing.

The enemies shoot from ambush. They shoot at him suddenly and without fear. Wesley: Suddenly—when they are not aware. Ambush plus shamelessness: no fear of God in the shooters.

Blamelessness does not exempt from ambush. Sudden attack calls for sudden prayer; fear of God missing in them should increase fear of God in us.

Calvin: they shoot suddenly without fear—conscience seared, no dread of divine judgment. The blameless are targeted precisely for integrity.

Innocence under fire is not failure. God sees the ambush; fearlessness of the wicked is temporary folly.

They encourage themselves in evil plans. They talk about laying snares secretly, thinking, "Who will see them?" Wesley: Hold fast—are confirmed in their wicked designs. Who can see—they think God sees not.

Both traditions see practical atheism here: "Who will see?" Answer by living as before the God who does. Evil purpose clung to can still be abandoned under grace that convicts.

Calvin: they encourage one another in evil and deny God's oversight—"Who shall see?" The depth of rebellion includes theoretical atheism in practice.

God sees what they deny. Hold fast to prayer while they hold fast to purpose; their question will be answered in judgment.

They search out injustice... For the inward mind and heart are cunning. Wesley: Search—invent new ways of doing mischief. Deep—crafty and hard to be found out. Human cunning digs deep wells of wrong.

Do not match craft with craft. Deep hearts need the Searcher of hearts; leave exposed injustice to God's light.

Calvin: they spare no diligence in searching out iniquity; the heart is a deep gulf of deceit. Human ingenuity in evil proves the need of divine justice.

Depth of heart is no hiding place from God. Diligent injustice meets a more diligent Judge.

But God will shoot at them. They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow. Wesley: Arrow—his judgments. Sudden wound answers sudden shot (v. 4)—poetic justice from heaven.

The arrow that strikes the wicked is God’s, not ours. Wait for divine reversal rather than private revenge. Sudden judgment vindicates patient faith.

Calvin: God shoots His arrow—He meets them with like suddenness. Their security is broken in a moment by the Judge they ignored.

Providence can turn in an instant. The God who seemed silent shoots with perfect aim.

They are brought to ruin, with an arrow. Their own tongues shall ruin them. All who see them will shake their heads. Wesley: Tongues—the instruments of their mischief. Their weapon becomes their fall.

Slander turns back on the slanderers under God’s hand. Wagging heads are public shame; fear such an end more than temporary success of lies.

Calvin: their own tongue falls upon them—God makes the instrument of sin the instrument of ruin. Spectators shake the head in astonishment.

Poetic justice is theological: God governs consequences. Ruin of the tongue-armed warns every gossiping heart.

Then All mankind shall be afraid. They shall declare the work of God, and shall wisely ponder what he has done. Wesley: Fear—stand in awe of God. Public judgment becomes public theology—tell and ponder.

When God acts, witness and reflect. Fear that leads to praise is healthy; spread the report of what He has done.

Calvin: all men shall fear and declare God's work—judgments are meant to instruct the world. Pondering is the fruit of holy fear.

Providence is pedagogical. Tell what God wrought; let fear become wisdom.

Let the righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall take refuge in him. All the upright in heart exult! Wesley: Glad—in God, and in his favour and protection. Joy and refuge close the psalm.

Shared end—rejoice and take refuge. Upright hearts exult not in enemies' pain alone but in the LORD who shelters. Choose refuge again today.

Calvin: the righteous shall rejoice and trust in the Lord—the upright in heart shall glory. The end of persecution for the godly is joy in God Himself.

Refuge and rejoicing belong together. Exult because the LORD is trustworthy when tongues were cruel.