David’s main petition in this passage was for God to deliver him in His righteousness (v. 1). He found himself in much danger. So, he asked God to incline His ear to him and rescue him speedily. He must have felt that the danger was imminent. He asked God to be “a rock of refuge” and “a strong fortress” to save him. He sensed the nets his enemies had set for him (v. 4). He found terror on every side; he heard the whispering of many as they conspired together against him to take his life (v. 13).
Read MoreThe intense grief David describes in this section is over his iniquity (v. 10). Observe the nouns that are used in the description: distress, grief, sorrow, and sighing. Also, observe how he is affected by this grief: he is in distress; his eye is wasted from grief; his soul and body are wasted by grief also; his life is spent with sorrow; his years are spent with sighing; his strength fails him; his bones are wasted away.
Read MoreThis portion of the Psalm is unique. In other parts, David complains about the wicked people who oppose him. Only here does he confess his own iniquity (v. 10). Only here does he describe his distress due to his own sin, not to the affliction of his enemies. So, he asks the Lord to be gracious to him.
Read MoreDavid’s main petition in this passage was for God to deliver him in His righteousness (v. 1). He found himself in much danger. So, he asked God to incline His ear to him and rescue him speedily. He must have felt that the danger was imminent. He asked God to be “a rock of refuge” and “a strong fortress” to save him. He sensed the nets his enemies had set for him (v. 4). He found terror on every side; he heard the whispering of many as they conspired together against him to take his life (v. 13).
Read MoreYesterday, we saw how David asked the Lord to rescue him, saying, “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?” (v. 9). A natural question that arises is whether this was theologically correct. If David died, would God end up with “a praise deficit”? Only if David stopped existing or fell asleep for an indefinite period. But do we not believe that our souls go to heaven or hell the moment we die? Isn’t this what Jesus implied when He promised the penitent thief on the cross, “Truly, I say to you, today you shall be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43)?
Read MoreWhy did David pray with such urgency? He found himself in danger of death: “To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: ‘What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?’” (Ps. 30:8-9). How did he come into this urgent situation?
Read MoreThe second pair of petitions appeals to God as the Shepherd of His people and asks Him to carry His people forever. In the previous pair, David asked the Lord to bless Israel, His heritage. We can see that one way God blesses His people is to take care of them as their Shepherd.
Read MoreThere is one more point to observe in the first pair of petitions: God’s people are presented as His heritage.
Read MoreThere are four petitions in this verse. Given that the last two are a pair, the first two must be a pair, too. That means that God saving His people and God blessing His people are connected.
Read MoreDavid expresses his fear of sharing the same fate as the wicked. Here, he focuses on the hypocrisy of the wicked, “who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts.” Hypocrites are doubly dangerous. They are like bait, which has a deadly hook under an alluring appearance. They accost you with smiles and kind deeds only to disarm you so they can strike when you least expect it. They do everything possible to build trust only to betray it at one fell swoop. Their goal is to add the agony of betrayal to the destruction of their enemies.
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