Ps. 59: Turn Evil Back

Psalm 59:8 "But you, O LORD, laugh at them; you scoff at all those nations."

David's enemies are spying on him, casing his house and whatnot. And David makes the claim in verse 4 that he has not done anything wrong. He has done nothing to warrant this surveillance. But being in trouble with man is different than being in trouble with God. The offenses are often mutually exclusive.

But these men laugh and scoff at David, and David requests that God turn their mocking back on them. After all, God is the ultimate power, and with a wave of his hand can scatter men on the breeze like a dust storm. And David doesn't wish his adversaries dead. Too easy of a punishment. Plus, their memory will be forgotten, and their misdeeds will cease to be an effective example to future generations of what not to do. David's lamp wasn't going to go out, remember? He wanted to ensure his offspring would have plenty of examples, good and bad. What to do and what not to do. 

Though David was a powerful military commander and cunning strategist, he likely wouldn't have stood against the Israelite army led by Saul. So as much as David would have liked to go on the offensive, and release the hounds, David depended on God to mete out the justice. Plus, I wonder if David was afraid of what kind of man he'd become on the battlefield if he was driven only be revenge. Scary thought.