Psalm 17:1 ¶ «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. 2 Let my sentence come forth from thy
presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal. 3 Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast
visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find
nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. 4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of
thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. 5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that
my footsteps slip not. 6 I have called upon
thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear
my speech. 7 Shew 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.
David’s reference to feigned lips signifies deceitful
speech. See the context of the prayer he makes as the speech he swears to God
is genuine. David is asking for a fair and equal judgment from God. He asserts
that God can test his intentions and will find nothing that links David with
wicked men. He is determined to be honest and true in his speech.
God’s word has kept him from the paths of the destroyer. This
reference is to, according to Strong’s dictionary and the cross-references for
how the Hebrew is translated elsewhere, a violent man, a robber, and a
murderer. In David’s context this is a reference to the wicked men he opposes.
Note the similarity between verse 5 and other verses in the Psalms;
Psalm 18:36 Thou hast
enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
Psalm 119:116 ¶ Uphold me
according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be
safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually…133 ¶ Order my steps in thy word: and let not any
iniquity have dominion over me
Psalm 121:3 He will not
suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber…7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil:
he shall preserve thy soul.
See David’s confidence in verse 6 and compare these verses;
Psalm 55:16 ¶ As for me, I
will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
Psalm 66:19 But verily God
hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my
prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Psalm 116:2 Because he hath
inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
David’s confidence in God is apparent throughout this passage and
throughout Psalms. Clearly, in spite of his pride and his sin nature David had
complete trust in God’s providence. Also, any study of saved and salvation
throughout the Bible shows that it, almost all of the time, refers to a
temporal deliverance rather than talking about eternity.
Prophetically speaking, I was struck by the way this prayer would
be valuable in the Tribulation to come, the time of Jacob’s trouble, when the
Beast of Revelation, popularly, but not Biblically, called the Antichrist.
When the whole world is lined up against those who follow Christ
and obey His commands there will be no place to hide, no job to be had, no
currency to be exchanged for the necessities of life as we all know because the Christian will not
take the Beast’s mark, if indeed that is to happen before the translation of
the Church, popularly but not Biblically call The Rapture.
Would you hold to your faith if you had to be registered as a
Christian by Law but were threatened with beheading if you did not take the
mark? What about your children or grandchildren? Would you take the mark to
save them? Remember this prayer.
For us now, this is a great meditation that speaks to our hearts
as we struggle in a growingly insane world. And it continues…
Psalms 17:8 ¶ Keep me as
the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, 9 From the wicked that oppress me, from
my deadly enemies, who compass me about. 10 They are inclosed in their own fat: with
their mouth they speak proudly. 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. 15 As for me, I will behold thy face in
righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
As David continues his prayer he uses a phrase, the apple of
the eye. This phrase refers to one of whom someone is extremely fond and
proud. This phrase is used in different contexts in slightly different forms.
Deuteronomy 32:10 He found
him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he
instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
Proverbs 7:2 Keep my
commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Zechariah 2:8 For thus
saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which
spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
The shadow of thy wings is another interesting
phrase. Notice its usage three more times in the Psalms.
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 «To the chief
Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.» Be
merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee:
yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities
be overpast.
Psalm 63:7 Because thou
hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
Psalm 91:4 He shall cover
thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall
be thy shield and buckler.
This metaphor has the meaning of protection. It is not a literal
statement that God has wings like a feathered bird. Let’s look at other examples.
Matthew 23:37 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!
Exodus 19:4 Ye have seen
what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought
you unto myself.
Revelation 12:14 And to the
woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the
wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and
half a time, from the face of the serpent.
David continues to ask for protection from wicked people who
oppress him and from deadly enemies who surround him. This is the prayer of
someone who is much put upon but trusting in God, his protector.
What is the meaning of they are inclosed in their own fat? Throughout
most of history starvation was an ever-present danger for humanity everywhere.
People were the victims of frequent famines and dearth. So, to be fat was to
show that you were prosperous and did not lack in food. It was a sign of
success and importance. It is linked in verse 10 with pride. The rich viewed
their fat as a protection against starvation and a sign of prosperity.
Psalm 73:7 Their eyes stand
out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
Prosperity can dull the senses when it comes to God and make that
one’s source of deliverance rather than our Creator.
Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart
of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart,
and convert, and be healed.
It didn’t work for Job did it.
See how in verses 11 and 12 David likens the wicked to a lion
tracking its prey and crouching to the earth to spring on the hapless victim.
Verses 13 and 14 are troubling in that David says literally here
that the wicked are God’s sword and His hand. Many commentators object to this
interpretation but look at this verse;
Isaiah 10:5 ¶ O Assyrian,
the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. 6 I will send him against an hypocritical
nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take
the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the
streets.
David acknowledges here, perhaps, that evil, wicked men are
permitted to do their crimes because God uses them to chastise and correct His
people. This is a disturbing consideration.
Some commentators say that verse 15 shows a knowledge of a future
resurrection when David will see God’s face. They refer back to Psalm 16:9-11.
Please review the previous verses I noted from other authors of books of the
Bible and their expectation.
Prophetically, this passage shows the future sorrow the Jews will
have to endure and then the followers of Christ in the Great Tribulation to
come. The end result of faithfulness to God from the Jew before Christ and the
Christian, both Jew and Gentile, after Christ is to see God’s face in eternity.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the
pure in heart: for they shall see God.
The pure in heart shall see God. The Psalms define in what
being pure in heart entails.
Psalm 24: 3 ¶ Who shall
ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands,
and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn
deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the
blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him,
that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
See how in this passage in Psalms where the pure in heart seek
God’s face and then in Matthew, chapter 5, Christ says that they will see God.
Notice the statement in Hebrews 11.
Hebrews 11:6 But without
faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe
that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
For us today, personally, we not only have wicked people to deal
with who hate us for being Christians, hopefully not for just being antisocial
and obnoxious, but we also have malevolent spiritual beings that oppose us. I
often think of these pleas against the wicked in Psalms as prayers that can be
made against spiritual beings as well.
This is also a promise of our resurrection and eternal life with
the One who created us.
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