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` When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my
path' (Psa. 142:3).
Possibly, at the time, David entertained doubts as to the Lord's
watchful care, but looking back afterwards he gladly
acknowledges that in his darkest moments (for the word
`overwhelmed' literally means `was darkened'), the Lord knew
his path.
`Refuge failed me', said David as he remembered his isolation
and loneliness.
` I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would
know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul' (Psa. 142:4).
`No man ... refuge failed ... no man cared'. - The word
`refuge' David uses here to indicate his plight, is the Hebrew
manos, `somewhere to flee to', `escape' (Job 11:20); `way to
flee' (Jer. 25:35); `flight' (Amos 2:14). There is a peculiar
element of bitterness in the choice of this word manos, for the
verb of which it is a derivative is used in many passages which
speak of `fleeing' to one of the Cities of Refuge (Num.
35:11,25; Deut. 4:42, etc.). But David was cut off from all
earthly provision for he had not even a City of Refuge to which
he could flee, and added to this, `no man cared'! In such
circumstances there is nothing left but God, and, blessed be His
name, David wrote this Psalm to tell us that He `knew', He
`cared', He provided a `refuge'.
` I cried unto Thee, O LORD; I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in
the land of the living' (Psa. 142:5).
Here David used another word for `refuge' - the one already
found in Psalms 91:2 and 46:1. Not only did the Lord provide a