Psalm 41:9-11 "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. (10) But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them. (11) By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me."
It is understood that verse 9 is a prophecy concerning our Lord Jesus Christ.
Before we get to that part, I feel David was also expressing his thoughts
concerning a situation in his own life. David considered King Saul to be a
friend to him and expressed himself to be friendly towards the king. Yet, the
king lifted himself against David. Saul was determined to kill David though he
had partook of David's talent. When Saul felt out of sorts, he would call David
to come play the harp. The sound of the music would calm Saul. That is until
jealousy overtook Saul's ability to use logic in his decision making. I
can only imagine how David felt betrayed by Saul, but God had a plan. Saul did
not triumph over David.
The greater meaning to verse 9 is the prophecy concerning our Lord and Saviour,
Jesus Christ. His own familiar friend, Judas, lifted up his heel against
Jesus. He betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver. We all know that is the truth,
but I want to address the verses that follow. Yes, Judas betrayed Jesus.
Yes, Jesus endured such a contradiction of sinners against Himself by going
through the mockery of a trial, the scourge, the rejection of the people, and
ultimately nailed to the wooden cross. His lifeless body was taken from
the cross, wrapped in linen cloth, and laid in a borrowed tomb. That was the
work of sinful men. Verse 10 begins with one of my favorite words in the Bible,
"But". Man lifted his heel against our Lord, "But thou, O
LORD..." This was written as a foretelling. Without changing the
meaning, we can see the tense of the passage from our perspective. We can
read it in this manner: "Mine own familiar friend... lifted up his heel
against me... BUT THOU, O LORD was merciful unto me and raised me up." They laid His lifeless body in the tomb, but our risen living Lord walked
out of that tomb three days later.
In raising the Lord, He did "requite them." I have to be honest
and say that I had to look up the meaning of the word,
"requite". Not trying to talk down to anyone, but to bring us
to my point for today, the word requite means to make safe, to restore, to make
restitution. The Word of God says Jesus endured all of the degradation
and ultimately such a cruel death on the cross to make you and me to be safe
and to restore us to fellowship with our Heavenly Father. He made restitution
in that He paid the debt that was against us. Man lifted up his heel against
Jesus, but God had a plan! "For he hath made him to be sin for us,
who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
(2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus paid it all!!
"For he (Christ) must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
(26) The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." (1
Corinthians 15:25-26) Through Jesus Christ, our enemy will not, cannot
triumph over us!