The Emotions of Psalms, Part 13 – Psalm 56: Feeling Afraid
Psalm 56 September 20, 2026
Introduction
- Genesis 3:7-10 “7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.””
- Fear is one of the primary expressions of our pride and selfishness and is one of the most commonly attacked emotions….it is also the place that many of our emotions start and if processed in an unhealth way, can quickly lead to sin
- 3 points today – Psalmist’s Pathos, Psalmist’s Processing, Psalmist’s Pointing
Psalmist’s Primary Pathos: Bitterness
- Psalm 56
- 1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
all day long an attacker oppresses me;
2 my enemies trample on me all day long,
for many attack me proudly.
3 When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me? - 5 All day long they injure my cause;[b]
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They stir up strife, they lurk;
they watch my steps,
as they have waited for my life.
7 For their crime will they escape?
In wrath cast down the peoples, O God! - 8 You have kept count of my tossings;[c]
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?
9 Then my enemies will turn back
in the day when I call.
This I know, that[d] God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me? - 12 I must perform my vows to you, O God;
I will render thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered my soul from death,
yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.
- Context of Psalm = 1 Samuel 21:10-15
- “10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” 12 And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.”
- Two manifestations of fear
- Emotion
- Fear is the normal and appropriate emotional response to a danger.
- The emotion of fear is NOT sin. It is a helpful biological/emotional reaction that God gave us to protect is from harmful things.
- Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (see also Joshua 1:6-9)
- Courage is not the absence of fear, it is standing firm in the face of fear, continuing to act wisely as you look to the one greater than whatever it is that causes such fear.
- Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (see also Joshua 1:6-9)
- Volition
- When the emotion of fear takes root and gives us a mentality of fear toward a thing that causes us to make decisions in view of that fear, that is the situation and scenario when fear turns into a sinful response that does not trust in the Lord
- Emotion
- So how do we overcome fear?
Psalmist’s Processing
- V1-2 = fearful situation
- Man and enemies trample upon me (v1, 2)
- Oppression (likely imprisonment)
- Not progression from man to attacker to enemies – situation getting worse
- Prideful attacking in weak moment
- i.e. no way out as they want to boastfully conquer the one who slew so many of them (Philistines)
- V 3-4 = prayer of trust
- Self-talk is critical
- Trust is antidote of fear
- Scheme of the enemy will constantly point to God’s “failures” in protecting you to erode your trust
- Does not relieve us of responsibility to act with wisdom and avoid harmful situations where we can…but our trust is not in our own strength and cunning
- Scheme of the enemy will constantly point to God’s “failures” in protecting you to erode your trust
- Thus we most come back to the “word” of God in trust and “praise”
- i.e. we praise God for His faithfulness and trust Him
- Psalm 33:4-5 “4 For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.”
- Numbers 23:19 “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”
- Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
- Isaiah 55:11 “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
- Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
- i.e. we praise God for His faithfulness and trust Him
- What can flesh do to me?
- Can kill my body, but cannot kill my soul
- Matthew 10:26-28 “26 So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
- Can kill my body, but cannot kill my soul
- V5-7 = more fearful situations, but appeal to justice
- (v7) imprecatory appeal to wrathful justice
- V8-9 = reminder of God’s intimate knowledge of my situation and faithfulness
- (v8) “kept count”, “tears in your bottle”, “in your book”
- (v9) God will be just, no need for an appeal…God will do it because “God is for me”
- Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
- V10-11 = God will deliver me
- self-talk of confidence that emerges from God’s faithfulness and justice
- “what can man do to me?” – nothing to my soul – it belons to the Lord
- V12-13 = response of obedience, thanksgiving, and worship of the only one who saves
- “you have delivered my soul” – no matter what happens to my body, my soul is secure in the Lord
- Therefore, we serve the Lord obediently and we walk before God in the “light of life” = walk with Jesus
Psalmist’s Pointing
- John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””
- It is only through Christ that we have salvation for His is the Light of life
- Follows me = trusts in me, same thing the Psalmist is repeating is the antidote to fear
- Fear darkness no more, as we will always be in the light, and need not fear anything of this world. Because Jesus has already won the victory for us.
- 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
- Follows me = trusts in me, same thing the Psalmist is repeating is the antidote to fear
- Romans 8:32-34 “32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”
- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Daniel 3:17-18 “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
- The result belongs to the Lord…we obediently trust knowing that what happens to our bodies is of no weight to what has already happened to our soul when we are in Christ.
- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Daniel 3:17-18 “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
- It is only through Christ that we have salvation for His is the Light of life
- Psalm 34 was also written immediately after this event in 1 Samual 21:10-15
- Psalm 34:4-9, 22
- 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
- 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
- 22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
- 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
- Psalm 34:4-9, 22
Conclusion
- Genesis 3:21 “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.”
- Walk with courage in the face of fear and trust in the Lord who has already delivered your soul through faith in Jesus.
- Amen. Amen. – Prayer through Psalm.