This is one of the seven Penitential Psalms (others are 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143). That means that this and the others are basically psalms of repentance and contrition. This psalmist starts off pleading with God to be gracious to him. He is begging the Lord to refrain from physical and verbal punishment (v. 1).
The psalmist goes on to plead for his life based on the Lord’s love (v. 4) because those in the Sheol (the grave) cannot give praise to God. The doctrine of the resurrection was not fully developed until the New Testament, and there are other verses (Ps. 30:9) that suggest most people who lived in Old Testament times did not understand the concept of resurrection. We see a God-focused perspective similar to Psalm 5, in that the writer of the psalm is ultimately concerned with God’s glory being made known. He sees himself, in covenant relationship with God, as a means to that end.
He goes on in verses 6-7 to express the fullness of his grief. His eyes hurt and his entire body is weak from the effort of grieving. This is a vital lesson for us to not only skim over, but to really meditate on and allow to sink into the very core of our hearts. The psalmist, though he was enduring the discipline of the Lord, turned to God and fully expressed his heart. He didn’t hold back. We must break free from the unscriptural idea that we can only come to God with happy or positive emotions. We are instructed to trust God and pour out our hearts to Him, because He is our refuge (Ps. 62:8). After he has given full vent to his grief, he goes on to hit a bright note of optimism and trust in God. He states confidently that the Lord has not only heard his plea, but has answered his prayer (v. 9). He knows that his enemies will be ashamed, it is rather a prophecy. The psalmist knows that the time will come when God will judge all men (2 Cor. 5:10).
There is no denying that seasons of discipline are difficult and tiring. It can take all of our energy simply to drag ourselves from one day to the next. But in such times we must take extra care to cast ourselves upon God every day, even every hour if needed. We must not allow ourselves to become preoccupied or obsessed with simply getting through the discipline, but we must focus our whole selves on the purposes of God.
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- Am I enduring a season of the Lord’s discipline right now? If so, am I turning to God or allowing bitterness to turn me away from God?
- If I am not in a season of the Lord’s discipline, am I living in such a way as to avoid that season? Am I living for the glory of God or for the comfort of self? |
Father God, thank You for loving me enough to discipline me.
I pray Father, that You would preserve me right now at this point in my life.
Give me the grace and strength to turn to You and share my true heart with You.
Please open my eyes to see any habitual sin in my life.
Show me any impure motives or inappropriate attitudes of my heart.
In Jesus’ name, Amen. |