CAST THY BURDEN UPON THE LORD

As in many other psalms, David begins this one with a cry of despair, but ends it on a note of confidence. This is yet another proof of the effect that prayer has upon the weary heart. It is true that through prayer:

“In seasons of distress and grief, My soul has often found relief?’

God allows burdens to come upon us, but He does not expect us to bear them alone. David learned this, and encouraged others to cast them upon the Lord. What comfort saints of all ages have drawn from the psalms of David!

David’s burden on this occasion was a grievous one. “Pained”, “terrors”, “fearfulness”, “trembling”, “horror”, are the words employed to describe his state from which he longed to fly away with wings like a dove. The dove, which depicted his state of soul, is a bird of peace, tenderness, harmlessness, sorrow and innocence; see Gen. 8. 9; Matt. 10. 16; Isa. 38. 14; 59. 11; Hos. 7. 11.

The cause of his sorrow was the treachery of a former acquaintance and guide whom he called “mine equal”, v. 13. They had worshipped together, v. 14, but David had been deceived by his falseness, vv. 20, 21. Open hostility from enemies was easier to bear than this, v. 12. In Psa. 54, David knew the treachery of his own countrymen; here, of one who had been a close companion. We are not told who this person was, but it seems very likely that Ahithophel was the man, 2 Sam. 15. 12-14; 16. 16-23. The rebellion of his own son Absalom; the perfidy of Ahithophel; the defection of friends and the resulting lawlessness in the city, vv. 10-11, brought David down to the depths of despondency.

The Lord Jesus is the supreme Example of one who was betrayed. He was “troubled in spirit” by the presence of the traitor. Yet He gave Judas the sop—an act of friendship, John 13. 21, 26. Later in the garden, Jesus still called him “friend”, Matt. 26. 50. The Lord’s character was dove-like to perfection, unlike that of David’s, whose mood changed to one of indignation in verse 15 of the psalm.

Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you … For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”, Matt. 11. 29, 30.