Good morning CLF! Ross Harmon here. While Pastor Dave and his family take a welcomed time off this week I asked if I could do some morning musing of my own and Dave graciously agreed. This past weekend was a privilege and a blessing to be able to teach Psalm 27. In my preparation for the message, the Holy Spirit kept poking me as I surveyed verse 10 as if to say, “You need to explain this verse.” I agreed but knew that spending time on this in the message would…well..take some time. So, I hope these musings help bring some light to the verse, and deepen the powerful assertions David makes in the LORD amid his present trouble.
Did David’s Parents Forsake Him?
Psalm 27:10 says, “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in.” You may have asked yourself, “When did Jesse and David’s mother forsake him?” There isn’t a strong case to be made that any area in the Bible illustrates David’s parents overtly forsaking him, but some speculations can be made. Here are a few I would speculate on:
- While fleeing from Saul, David arranged for his parents to escape to Moab for protection (1 Samuel 22:3-4). Perhaps, without their ever intending it, this made David feel forsaken by his parents.
- This line could be written in the later years of David’s reign after Jesse and his mother have died. This is pure speculation because, in the Old Testament, the word forsaken isn’t used as a term for death.
- Perhaps this isn’t really about anything David’s parents did to him in reality at all, but another way of proclaiming that even if his closest human relationships were severed, God would remain his solace.
The last point, I believe, is the most plausible explanation. We all seek acceptance from our parents. We all wish to be heard, shepherded well, and kept safe by them. While some of us can gladly say our parents have done this for us, others have never received this kind of love and protection from a parent. The good news is God can fulfill the role of comforter and protector for everyone. Reverend Matthew Henry, known best for his 6-volume commentary on the Bible, summarizes verse 10 well:
When my father and my mother forsake me, the nearest and dearest friends I have in the world, from whom I may expect most relief and with most reason, when they die, or are at a distance from me, or are disabled to help me in time of need, or are unkind to me or unmindful of me, and will not help me, when I am as helpless as ever poor orphan was that was left fatherless and motherless, then I know the Lord will take me up, as a poor wandering sheep is taken up, and saved from perishing. – Matthew Henry
This quote resonates with me. I lost my father at age 21 unexpectedly. It was the day I came home from my first summer youth ministry internship. In February of that year, my father had broken his ankle getting tripped up by our dog. It was now August, and his ankle still had not healed. Due to an 11-year battle with two different forms of cancer, chemo, and radiation treatments, he developed congestive heart failure (or a weak heart and blood circulation). We all were hoping his circumstance would rebound with treatment, but it ended up being a catalyst for his final days on earth.
I don’t think anyone is truly ready to become fatherless, but at 21 years of age, I was just starting to understand how much I needed my father to help me navigate the ways of adulthood. I remember vividly the night he passed, falling to my knees in our front yard looking up at the night sky and praying, “God…I’m not ready to not have a father. I don’t understand why this must happen now.” At that moment, in extreme confusion, pain, and despair the LORD met me with a peace I do not have adequate words to express. I knew that life wouldn’t be as I hoped for, but I could trust that my life would be seen and secured by the comforting hand of God.
Life did not get easier after that memorable night. I wrestled with the frustration of what my place in our family was after my father’s death. I was that “poor wandering sheep” that Henry described. Thanks to God He took me up, all be it bleating loudly, and brought me into His secure sheepfold. Maybe you also wrestle with the tension of confidence in the LORD’s strength and the fear or desire for control in your own life. As one guy walking next to you, I’m here to remind you the LORD is a far superior shepherd than we could ever hope to be. Seek His face. Inquire in His temple. Ask the LORD to teach you His way and lead you on a level path. He will do it.
To watch or listen to the sermon described in this post, please click here.
Have a great week!
Blessings,
Ross Harmon
