IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES:
Psalms 25–37
By Dale Ralph Davis
Christian Focus. 212 pages. £9.99
ISBN: 978 1 527 104 792
Historically, the Psalms have played a major role in Christian worship and in the lives of Christians. God has often used the Psalms to teach people to pray or to encourage believers’ hearts in time of distress and trial.
In the 21st century, however, Christians are on the whole likely to be less familiar with the Psalms than ever before – Dale Ralph Davis’ magnificent little book on Psalms 25-37 is helpful medicine to that ailment in urgent need of treatment.
Few books are able to balance real biblical and theological depth with clarity, practicality, and even wit, but Davis’ exposition of these Psalms has achieved exactly that. This little volume should be accessible, but also useful, to almost every Christian. Davis provides his own translation of each of these Psalms and highlights features of the original language to enrich our understanding of the text. Other writers fall into arcane technicality or unnecessary intellectual showmanship with that practice, but Davis’ very clear exegetical points never seem overwhelming or distracting. They always add to our understanding of the Psalm. No one will come away from this book feeling that the author dealt superficially with any of the material.
On the other hand, the illustrations and applications are grounded in everyday experiences that should connect with the average reader. Davis repeatedly shows profound insight into how each Psalm should benefit God’s people spiritually and encourage our hearts as we read this portion of Scripture. This book should prove to be of genuine spiritual profit for anyone who reads it.
Davis writes with obvious knowledge of the original contexts in which these Psalms were written, and he applies that knowledge with pastoral warmth, wisdom, and winsomeness. One of this book’s other strengths is that Davis also draws attention to how these Psalms point us to our Saviour, Jesus Christ. It can be easy to neglect either the personal application or the application of seeing Christ when we consider a Psalm, but this book brings both together richly.
Ordinary Christians would benefit from reading this book as a devotional aid or guide to the Psalms. Still, pastors would also profit from using this book in preparation for sermons or Bible studies because of its striking balance of exegetical richness and practical insight. This volume should prove useful to the church for some time.
