Psalm 17
A
prayer of David.
In Verses 1-4, David prays
for justice in the controversy between him and his oppressors. In verses 5-6,
he requests of the Lord that he might have grace to act rightly while under the
trial. From verses 7-12, he seeks protection from his foes, whom he graphically
describes; and in verses 13-14, pleads that they may be disappointed; closing his
prayer in the confidence that all would be well in the end.
1) A
prayer of David. Hear the right, O
LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of
feigned lips.
David reminds God and us of the importance
of genuine prayer.
2) Let
my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that
are equal.
David is asking God to examine him and his
prayer and give him the words to say. This is a valuable principle. This is why
the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1)
3a) Thou
hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me,
and shalt find nothing; …
David is not referring to his own
righteousness. We may get that impression at first, but when we get to verse 5,
we will find that he has no confidence in himself.
3b) … I
am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
Here is a deliberate choice. Amos 5:14 says,
Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts,
shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
4) Concerning
the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the
destroyer.
God’s word protects. We have here an
invitation to pray scripture. What does that mean?
5) Hold
up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
Psalm 73:2 reads, But as for me, my feet
were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. Asaph the psalmist in this
psalm says that when he turned his eyes away from God and looked at the
prosperity of the wicked his feet nearly slipped. David in Psalm 17 is telling
us that when we turn our eyes to God he guides us on our path (cf Ps 119:105)
David has his own commentary on the fate of
the wicked in verse14.
6) I
have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me,
and hear my speech.
Here we have an example of absolute
confidence in prayer. How do we get absolute confidence in prayer? This is
detailed in the next verse:
7) Show
thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which
put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
We can have confidence due to the loving
kindness of God that He will be able to save us when we put our trust in Him.
8) Keep
me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
This verse reflects the intimacy that is
possible in prayer.
Genesis 1:27 says “So
God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and
female created he them”. God has a feminine side.
(Matthew 23:37
and Luke 13:34 both read, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the
prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered
thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings,
and ye would not!"
Speaking of
Jacob, we read in Deuteronomy 32:10-12
He kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest,
fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth
them on her wings: 12) So the LORD alone did lead him….
David takes up
the Deuteronomy theme in this psalm in verse 8 Keep me as the apple of the eye,
hide me under the shadow of thy wings. And Psalm 36:7 How excellent is thy
lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the
shadow of thy wings. Psalm 57:1 …In the shadow of thy wings will I make my
refuge, until these calamities be overpast. Psalm 61:4 I will trust in the
covert of thy wings. (A covert is a feather covering the base of a bird's
flight feather.) Psalm 63:7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the
shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. Psalm 91:1 & 4 He that dwelleth in the
secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. …
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust.
9) From the wicked that oppress me, from my
deadly enemies, who compass me about. 10) They are enclosed in their own fat:
with their mouth they speak proudly.
These verses point to the selfishness of
the wicked. However, whenever we point our index finger at some-one, there is
usually an accusing thumb pointing to God (or falsely giving the “thumbs up” to
our self-righteous attitude) and, noticeably, three fingers pointing back at
us! James 4:3 says, Ye ask, and receive
not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Romans 8:26 reminds
us, Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our
infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the
Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered.
11) They
have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the
earth; 12) Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young
lion lurking in secret places. 13) Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him
down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword: 14) From men which
are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this
life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of
children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
Here David is seeking protection from his
enemies, but as we shall soon see, this is not his primary petition.
15) As
for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I
awake, with thy likeness.
This tiny last verse contains several
concepts.
-
“As for me”: having put faith
in God, David has confidence that God will carry through with his promises.
-
“I will behold thy face”: This
is David’s real purpose in this psalm—not the destruction of the wicked, but
seeing the works and character of God.
-
“In righteousness”: We learnt by comparing verses 3 and 5 that
David had no confidence in his own righteousness, he “Fully Relied On God
(FROG)”.
-
“I shall be satisfied”:
Satisfaction comes from seeing God.
-
“When I awake”: There is a
belief in the resurrection
-
“With thy likeness”: Having, once again, the likeness of God is
the purpose of righteousness
CH Spurgeon wrote concerning this Psalm, “We
have in the present plaintive song, an appeal to heaven from the persecutions
of earth. A spiritual eye may see Jesus here.” How is Jesus revealed in this
Psalm?
— Lionel Hartley.
