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Psalm 3:3,7-8     But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.
Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. Salvation{Victory} belongs to the LORD. Your blessings{favor} rest upon Your people. Selah

The Lord often uses Psalm 3:3 to encourage me. It's comforting to know that He is not only my protector, a shield about me, but also the lifter of my head. I often pray Psalm 3:3 when I'm in need of encouragement and ask the Lord to lift my head to Him, my glory. More than once the Lord has used the song 'A Shield About Me' at a perfect time; He can lift your head in an instant! The last time I was praying and pondering Psalm 3, it was the last two verses 7-8 that caught my attention. The phrase 'Arise, O LORD; save me' sounds alot like the prayer Moses would say whenever the ark set out.

Numbers 10:33-36     So they departed from the mountain of the LORD on a journey of three days; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them for the three days� journey, to search out a resting place for them. And the cloud of the LORD was above them by day when they went out from the camp. So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said:     �Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.�
And when it rested, he said: � Return, O LORD, to the many thousands of Israel.�

There are some key things to notice in this passage -- this journey in search of a resting place.

• Obedience - Moses and this group of people set out on this journey in obedience to the LORD's command.
  They set out, this first time, at the LORD's command through Moses. --Num 10:13
  
  
• Complete Trust in the LORD & His presence - Moses and this people had seen the cloud lift from the tabernacle. The cloud symbolized God's presence with them, His protection and provision. They knew they were headed for the promised land but they did not know where they would find rest each day, or provisions for their families. The cloud and the Ark of the Covenant went before the people preparing the way. As they started out, they had complete trust in the Lord, His protection, His provision, and His presence to lead and guide them.
  
  
• Prayer and Praise - Whenever the Ark of the Covenant moves forward or comes to rest, Moses shouts aloud words of prayer and praise.
  

This passage presents a good model of how we should follow the Lord. We should follow where His presence leads in obedience and complete trust, with prayer and praise. The following word study reveals an even deeper understanding of this. From NETBIBLE http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Num&chapter=10&verse=35

Numbers 10:35     'Rise[06965] up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You[06440]'.

• quwm [06965] -- one meaning of this word is 'to be raised up'
  This together with the '3 days journey' of the Ark of the Covenant, the Presence of the Lord, to seek a resting place; makes this prayer prophetic. The prayer seems to look forward to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Christ�s resurrection, his enemies, even the last enemy, death, was defeated. Jesus through His resurrection has now become our rest (Heb 4).
  
  This word rise up -- arise, along with a foreshadowing of Christ's resurrection is also found in Psalm 68 affirming that the prayer of Moses is prophetic.

  Psalm 68:1-3, 18-20     May God arise[06965], may His enemies be scattered; may His foes flee before Him. As smoke is blown away by the wind, may You blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God. But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joy.

  You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives; You have received gifts among men, Even among the rebellious also, that the LORD God may dwell there. Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. Selah. God is to us a God of deliverances; And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.

  Arise found in Psalm 132 links Zion with the Lord's eternal resting place.

  Psalm 132:7-9, 13-14     Let us go into His dwelling place; Let us worship at His footstool. Arise[06965], O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Your saints shout for joy.
  
  The LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

  When Jesus returns and makes all things new, our supreme rest and final resting place will be fully realized.

  Revelation 21:4     He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. {New Jerusalem}

  Revelation 22:1-2     Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
  
  

• paniym [06440] -- is the word for the Lord's manifest presence -- the same word used here:
  Exodus 33:15-16     Then he{Moses} said to Him, "If Your presence[06440] does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. "For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?"
  
  Moses is unwilling to go anywhere without the Lord's presence! Even if accompanied by an angel of the Lord(Ex 33:2), Moses wouldn't go. For it's the Lord's manifest presence that distinguishes His people and shows His favor.

The cry 'Rise up, Arise, O Lord' now has more meaning to me. It's a cry to keep the resurrection of Jesus Christ, His victory ever before us. It's a cry for the Lord's manifest presence, His favor to come and rest upon His people. It's a cry for the Lord's protection, provision, blessing and victory to be displayed in the lives of His people in a visible way. It's a cry to follow the risen Lord in obedience and complete trust with prayer and praise. This was the cry of Moses. The following plea of Moses reveals the kind of heart that the Lord turns His face towards and shows His favor to.

Exodus 33:13     "Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people."

The Lord turns His face towards the heart that sincerely wants to know and follow His ways. For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His(2 Chron 16:9). It's the fully commited heart that will prepare a place for the Lord's manifest presence to rest, to display the Lord's favor and victory, the living word of Christ.

Colossians 3:12-17     Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

'Let the living word of Christ dwell', the above passage gives some key ways to do this!

• Put off the old, put on the new
  Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; with love.
• Forgive as the Lord forgives.
• Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart.
• Be thankful.

• Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
• Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

This coming together of hearts where the word of Christ dwells richly, turns God's face towards His people, displaying His favor, His manifest presence. The following shows that it's the Lord's favor that confirms and establishes the work of His people's hands! The Lord's favor, His manifest presence, is beautiful.

Psalm 90:17 NKJV
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.

Psalm 90:17 NIV
May the favour of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us�yes, establish the work of our hands.

Psalm 90:17 NASB
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands.

Psalm 90:17 MSG
And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,
confirming the work that we do. Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!

Psalm 90:17 BBE
Let the pleasure of the Lord our God be on us: O Lord, give strength to the work of our hands.

The Lord is our shield. His glory, His beauty, His manifest Presence is our refuge, our joy, our rest and our peace. The following verse and word study adds even more depth to the understanding of just what this shield about us is.

Isaiah 4:5-6     then the LORD will create above every dwelling place[04349] of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a defense[02646]. And there will be a shelter[05521] for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.

• dwelling place - makown [04349]
  From http://net.bible.org/strong.php?id=04349
  

  Definition:
  1) fixed or established place, foundation
  1a) fixed place
  1b) foundation
  from 3559; properly, a fixture, i.e. a basis; generally a place, especially as an abode:-foundation, habitation, (dwelling-, settled) place.
  

• defense -- chuppah [02646]
  From http://net.bible.org/strong.php?id=02646
  
  Definition:
  1) chamber, room, canopy, closet
  1a) canopy
  1b) chamber
  1c) divine protection (fig.)
  from 2645; a canopy:-chamber, closet, defence.
  
  
• shelter -- cukkah [05521]
  From http://net.bible.org/strong.php?id=05521
  
  Definition:
  1) thicket, covert, booth
  1a) thicket
  1b) booth (rude or temporary shelter)
  fem of 5520; a hut or lair:-booth, cottage, covert,
  pavilion, tabernacle, tent.
  

Take another look at psalm 3. The Lord, His manifest presence is the shield about me. His presence, His favor, His glory; a covering and glorious defense. As individual hearts prepare a place for the living word of Christ to dwell and then meet corporately, enthroning the Lord on their praises amid shouts of joy; a Holy Habitation is created.

Psalm 47:5     God has ascended His throne amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets{rams horn}.

Ephesians 19-22     Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

This Holy Temple built and joined together by His hand, is where His beauty rests and His glory is displayed. What a wonderful shield! Victory belongs to the Lord! Sing and shout for joy! Shout the victory!

Psalm 89:15-18, 24     How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound{the shout}! O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance{His smile}. In Your name they rejoice all the day, and by Your righteousness they are exalted. For You are the glory of their strength, and by Your favor our horn is exalted. For our shield belongs to the LORD, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Psalm 125:1-2     Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides for ever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and for evermore.

Psalm 5:11-12     Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

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Oh Lord let the word of Christ dwell richly in our hearts, that the living word of Christ may be manifest among His people and accomplish His purposes. Let the beauty and delight of the LORD our God rest upon us, confirming and establishing the work of our hands for us.

Psalm 138:5,8     May they{we} sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great.
The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me{us}; your love, O LORD, endures forever� do not abandon the works of your hands.

May we trust and abide in the shelter of His wings, His shield forever (Ps 61:4).
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Rise Up, O LORD!