What does Psalm 27:5 mean?
The center of worship in Israel, during the time of David, was still a movable tabernacle: God's house was still a tent. Even so, this location was sometimes called a "temple" (1 Samuel 1:9). David's son Solomon built the first permanent sanctuary which was a true "temple" of God, but David rightly considered the tabernacle the equivalent of God's protection. He would feel safe in the tabernacle. His enemies would not be able to reach him there.In David's time a host who welcomed a visitor into his tent accepted the responsibility to keep the visitor safe. His tent served as a stronghold (Psalm 27:1) for the visitor. David thought of the Lord as his protector under the cover of the Lord's tent, the tabernacle. Believers today are safe in Christ, who "tabernacled" among men (John 1:14). He said, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:28). Our chief enemy, the Devil, would love to pry us from our Savior's hand and destroy us, but he faces an impossible task!
Psalm 27:1–6 demonstrates David's confidence in the Lord. He trusts God will protect him from his enemies and restore him to Jerusalem, where he will offer sacrifices. Psalm 22:8–26 is a parallel passage. It's possible David wrote this psalm when he was in the Negev, as a fugitive from King Saul, or during the violent rebellion of his son, Absalom. In the second half of this psalm, David pleads with God for the very deliverance he seems assured of in the first half—demonstrating that "knowing" not to be afraid does not make a person immune to the emotion of fear.
David lays out the reasons he should be confident in God's protection. David then transitions, almost abruptly, into heartfelt pleas for God to rescue him from his enemies. The impression is that David is experiencing natural human anxiety and responding by reminding himself of God's goodness. The psalm ends with the same assurance expressed when it began.
