Praying in Times of Trouble

(Psalm 86)

Mike Johnson

Psalm 86:7 says, “In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.”   This verse is an excellent summation of this Psalm.  The writer is experiencing hardships, although he is not very specific about their nature.  However, verse 14 points out that a group of proud and violent people, who had no regard for God, were seeking his life.  Yet, amid his trouble, the Psalmist approaches God in prayer with complete confidence that the Lord will be merciful and deliver him.

The title of this Psalm is “A Prayer of David.”  Four other Psalms (17, 90, 102, 142) are also called a prayer of someone.  Psalm 90, for example, is referred to as a prayer of Moses.

Psalm 86 is addressed entirely to God and has elements generally associated with prayer.  They are Petition (1-7, 11, 14-17), Adoration (8-10), and Thanksgiving (12-13).  Although it is a prayer, a strong element of praise runs through it.

David does not give the time frame of when he wrote this Psalm.   Generally, psalms of distress authored by David are assigned by scholars to either the period of his life when he faced difficulties with Saul or to his later problems with Absalom.

Appeals & Reasons

(Verses 1-7)

Verses 1-7 says, (1) “Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy.  (2) Preserve my life, for I am holy; You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You!  (3) Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry to You all day long.  (4) Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.  (5) For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. (6) Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.  (7) In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.”

As we will see, these verses contain a formula.  First, the Psalmist makes a request of God and then gives God a reason why He should fulfill it.  (Note in the text his repeated use of the word “for” indicating a reason.)  Sometimes, he offers God more than one reason to grant his request.  Consider now David’s requests and the reasons he gives for the fulfillment of each.  (Chart at End)

(1)  Hear Me.  Verse 1 Says, “Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy.”  The Psalmist starts by acknowledging the One from whom he requests help.  The writer wants God to “bow down” his ear; he asks God for an audience, which shows the Lord’s exalted state.  Picture a person today bending over to be able to hear someone in a lower position.  God doing so has been called a “pleasing condescension” as He is willing to look down and listen to lowly human beings.

The Psalms are full of passages where the petitioner asks God to hear their prayers (Ps. 4:1; 39:12; 80:1-2; 143:1), and they often express confidence that God will listen to them (Ps. 4:3; 38:15).  Sometimes they speak of the Lord not hearing them (Ps. 22:2).   Of course, David does not merely want God to listen to his prayers, but he wants God to respond to his requests.  In Psalm 27:7, he said, “Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!  Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.” David asks God to hear him because there is no other who can.

Consider an event during the life of Elijah where this concept was vividly illustrated, sometimes called “The Contest on Mt. Carmel” (1 Kgs. 18).  Elijah proposed that both he and the prophets of Baal prepare sacrifices but not light the wood underneath.  He then said the “God who answers by fire,” igniting the sacrifice, is the true God.  All day long, the prophets of Baal asked for their god to hear them.  They leaped about and cut themselves, trying to get Baal to respond.  But, “there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention” (29).  Next came Elijah’s turn.  He even poured water on the sacrifice and wood, making it harder to ignite.  Finally, he asked God, “Hear me, O Lord, hear me” (37).  Then the fire came down from heaven and consumed the offering and everything around it, which caused the people to proclaim, “The Lord, He is God” (39).  Unlike Baal, God exists.  We pray to an all-powerful God, and He will hear and respond to our prayers!  In the Psalm, David’s request would not be in vain.

After requesting God to hear him, the writer gives God a reason to listen to him.  He said, “For I am poor and needy” (1b).  This shows why he needed God’s help.  Knowing David’s background, some ask how he could have been poor and needy.  We don’t know the point in his life when he wrote this.  He may have been literally poor at this time.  However, he would have fit this statement because he was humble.  (We also see his humility in verses 2, 4, and 16.)   In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:3).  David knew of God’s compassion and love.  Therefore, he says, “Please, listen to my prayers; I need you badly.”

(2)  Preserve My Life/Save Your Servant.  Verse 2 says, “Preserve my life, for I am holy; You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You!”  David is desperate at this point (Note also 14, 17) and makes his second request, asking God for help and protection from his enemies.  (Some translations render the Hebrew word “soul” instead of “life.”)  The Scriptures teach that God is always there for his servants.  Note Psalm 97:10, which says, “You who love the Lord, hate evil!  He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.”

Next, he cites reasons for God to grant the request to save his life.  The reasons are: (1) I am holy; (2) You are my God;  (3) as your servant, I trust You.  Some question David referring to himself as “holy” because of the sins we read of him committing in the Scriptures.  Yet, they do not seem to have a problem with him saying that God was his God and he was the Lord’s servant who trusted Him.  The Hebrew word, rendered as “holy” or “saint,” is often found in the Old Testament and refers to God’s people in that dispensation.  David knew he was a sinner and sought to please God in all he did.  According to the text, he was a “servant,” and he trusted God.  Most translations render the phrase “for I am godly.”

Like verse 2, the Bible often cites the qualifications of the petitioners as a factor in God hearing and answering their prayers.

Consider some Old Testament passages.

  • “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (Ps. 66:18)
  • “He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them” (Ps. 145:19).
  • “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14).

 

Likewise, consider some New Testament passages.

  • “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him” (Jn. 9:31).
  • “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Pet.   3:12).
  • “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”  (James 5:16)
  • “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 Jn. 3:22)

Consider the next appeal.

(3)  Be Merciful to Me.  In verse 3, he implores, “Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry to You all day long.”  He now asks for mercy, which God would show by preserving his life.  Earlier, the writer said he was holy, which might seem contradictory to some.  But holy people, those devoted to God, still need the Lord’s mercy.

The Psalmist was in dire need of God’s pity and compassion.  The Hebrew word translated as “mercy” (NKJV) is sometimes rendered as “gracious” or “have pity.”  In Psalms, God’s mercy is frequently asked for (26:11; 27:7; 41:10).  Consider specifically David’s poignant cry in Psalm 51:1 “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.”

The reason cited for God hearing this request is “For I cry to you all day long” (3b).  This statement tells us he prayed consistently, regularly, and daily — no doubt at least several times a day.  Further, he did not stop and pursue other courses of action.

The Scriptures tell us that we also should pray regularly.  1 Thessalonians 5:17 encourages us to “pray without ceasing.”  Romans 12:12 teaches Christians are to be “continuing steadfastly in prayer.” Colossians 4:2 says, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” Finally, (Lk. 18:1-8) Jesus presented the “Parable of the Persistent Widow” to teach us “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” (Note also Mt. 7:7; 1 Tim.  2:8; Jas.  5:16.)

Thus, David asks for mercy; he needs God’s help.  He speaks of his persistence in prayer as a reason for God to help him.

(4)  Bring Joy to My Soul.  In verses 4-5, he requests for God to “bring joy” (NIV) to his soul and then recites various reasons for it.  He pleads, “Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.  For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.”   Consider a closer look at the reasons he gives for granting this request.

a.  I lift up my soul (4b). This statement implies his earnestness, faith, and trust — he lifts his very being to God.  He calls himself God’s “servant,” and only to Him could he call out.  Further, recall earlier in the prayer (2b), he refers to himself as “Your servant who trusts in You!”   Elsewhere, “lifting up” the soul is associated with prayer.  In Psalm 143:8, he said, “ . . . for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.”  Also, note the correlation of the concepts in Psalm 25:1-2a “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.  O my God, I trust in You . . .”  With complete sincerity, he lifts his heart and soul to God, whom he trusted!

b.  You are good (5a). God is good!  Elsewhere, Psalm 145:9 states, “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.” Some may not understand why a good God allows so much evil in the world.  However, people are free moral agents and not robots.  God never promised that everything would be easy in our lives.  If we think this, we are confusing life on earth with heaven.  Of course, the ultimate way we see God’s goodness is when he sent His Son to die for our sins (Rom. 5:8).

c.  You are ready to forgive (5b). Associated with God’s goodness is His willingness to forgive.  The Bible teaches that God wants everyone to be saved (2 Pet. 3:9).  Also, in the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Lk. 15), Jesus taught this principle.  He said that a man has 100 sheep and loses one; the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the lost sheep,  and his friends and neighbors rejoice with him when he finds it.  Then Jesus says, “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (7).  Consider another reason cited.

d.  You are abundant in mercy for all who call upon you (5c). God’s mercy doesn’t simply exist, but it is abundant.  (The ESV translates as “abounding in steadfast love.”)  However, a condition is attached: “for all who call upon you.”    Thus, His abundant mercy is for those who call upon Him.  (Note also Rom. 10:9-13.)

The Bible connects God’s goodness, mercy, and readiness to forgive in other places besides verse 5.  Consider, for example, Exodus 34:6-7.  “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin . . .”

Thus, David is asking God to help him — to bring joy to his soul.  Why should he do so?  David says it is because I lift up my soul to You; You are good, ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy.

(5)  Give Ear/Attend to My Voice.  Verses 6-7 say,  “Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.  In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.”   In these verses, he uses synonymous parallelism, saying the same thing twice but using different words.  He says to “give ear” and “attend to his voice.”  Further, he wanted God to answer his “prayer” and “supplications.”  Earlier, in verse 1, he had asked God to “Bow down your ear, O Lord, hear me.”  The repetition perhaps shows his desperation.  He may have felt it would help him prevail with God.  (Note also Lk. 18:1-8.)  The word “supplication” is translated as “cry for mercy” (NIV) and “plea for grace” (ESV).

David speaks of the “day of his trouble” (7a).  So often, life passes with few problems.  However, hardships will inevitably come, and we know that God will be there when they do.

The reason David gives for God answering his prayer seems to be his confidence in the Lord.  He says, “for you will answer me” (7b).  God is not  a “fair-weather” friend who, when hardships face us, is “out the door.”  He will be there when times are good and bad.  David had strong confidence in Him being there at all times.  He knew God would answer him.

Although some appeals are repetitive, in all, David makes seven requests in verses 1-7.

  1. Bow down Your ear and hear me (1a).
  2. Preserve my life (2a).
  3. Save your servant (2b).
  4. Be merciful to me (3a).
  5. Rejoice the soul of Your servant (4a).
  6. Give ear to my prayers (6a).
  7. Attend to the voice of my supplications (6b).

Further, he gives a total of nine reasons to fulfill his requests.

  1. I am poor and needy (1b)
  2. I am holy (2b).
  3. You are my God (2c).
  4. I trust in You (2d).
  5. I cry to You all day long (3b).
  6. I lift up my soul (4b).
  7. You are good and ready to forgive (5a).
  8. You are abundant in mercy (5b).
  9. You will answer me (7b).

The Greatness of God

(Verses 8-10)

In verses 8-10, David extols God further, proclaiming His greatness.  “(8) Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; nor are there any works like Your works.  (9) All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.  (10) For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.”

He says, “Among the gods there is none like You.”  Some wrestle with this phrase because he says, “Among the gods . . .”  (Note also Ex. 15:11, Ps. 89:6).  They look at this wording as implying the writer’s acknowledgment of and the legitimacy of multiple gods.  However, we know this is not the case because the Psalmist at the end of this section says, “You are God alone.” So here, David speaks in an accommodative way of gods (i.e., “as they might be called”).

A similar passage is in Galatians 1:6-10, where Paul marveled that the Galatians had so quickly turned away to another gospel.  Then he quickly says there is not another.  Thus, what they had turned to might be called a gospel,  but there is only one.  Further, in 1 Corinthians 1:21, Paul says we are saved “through the foolishness of the message preached.”  Is the gospel message foolish?  It is not!  Earlier (1:18), he explains that the message is regarded as “foolishness” by those “who are perishing.”  Certain ones would call gospel preaching foolish.

Consider also an event that took place during the days of Hezekiah, King of Judah, when a vast army from Assyria surrounded them (Is.  36-37).  Their spokesman ridiculed Judah’s army and God.  At a certain point, Hezekiah prayed to God about the situation.  (It says he “spread it before the Lord.”)  In Isaiah 37:18-20, he prayed, “Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands — wood and stone.  Therefore they destroyed them.  Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord, You alone.”  Jeremiah 16:20 asks, “Will a man make gods for himself, which are not gods?”

Clearly, David is not acknowledging the veracity of multiple gods.  Idols are crafted from wood or stone; they have no power and are only material objects.  David clearly believed in only one God.

David knew that God listens and He is merciful and forgives.  Furthermore, he understood that God would be there for His people in times of trouble, which is the opposite of how pagan gods are often portrayed.

He also says to God, “Nor are there any works like Your works” (8b).  Claims made about the works of pagan gods cannot even compare to the works of the Lord.  But, of course, the pagan gods do not even exist.  Consider God’s great work of creation as Psalm 19:1 exclaims, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.”

The Psalmist continues to praise God in verse 9.  “All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.”   In Bible times, there would be regional and local deities whom the people served.  However, God is the creator of all, so it would stand to reason that He is the God of ALL and that ALL should worship Him and glorify His name.  Various passages speak of ALL coming to worship God (Ps. 72:11, 17; 82:8; Rom. 14:11; Is. 45:23).

When would this be?  There were many times when idolaters acknowledged God (Dan. 2:46-47; Josh. 2:11).  Also, speaking of the Messianic era and the establishment of the church, Isaiah 2:2 says, “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.”  Also, the gospel is for “all nations” and “every creature” (Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16).  Therefore, the worship of God would be pervasive among all nations.

Further, the Scriptures tell us that ultimately, at the Judgment, all will bow their knee to God.  Consider Philippians 2:8-11, speaking of Jesus.

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  (Note also Rev. 3:9; 15:4.)

In verse 10, he continues, “For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.” While praying to God, recorded in Deuteronomy 3:24, Moses spoke similarly.  He prayed, “O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds?”  At another time, while trying to encourage the people to obey God’s Law, he said (Deut.11:7), “ . . . but your eyes have seen every great act of the Lord which He did.” In that section of Deuteronomy, he speaks of some things they had explicitly seen.  They saw:

  1. the signs and various acts in Egypt (3);
  2. the parting of the Red Sea, and then how it was closed up again on the Egyptian army (4);
  3. the wondrous deeds God did for the Jews in the wilderness (5);
  4. the swallowing up by the earth of the people during Korah’s rebellion (6).

Today, we can cite many examples of God’s great works.  Consider a few that would immediately come to mind.

  1. Creation (Ps. 19:1)
  2. Coming of Christ & salvation (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8)
  3. Miracles of Christ (Jn. 20:30-31)
  4. Christ’s resurrection (Lk. 24:1-8)
  5. Establishment of the Church (Mt. 16:16-18)
  6. Prayer (1 Pet 3:12; Jn. 15:7)
  7. God’s Providential Care (Rom. 8:28; 1 Pet. 3:10-12: Rom. 7:19)

We are awed when we learn about God’s works from the past and witness them today.  God is not one God among many, but as the text says, “You alone are God” (10).

Teach Me Your Way

(Verses 11-13)

Verses 11-13 say, (11) “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.  (12) I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore.  (13) For great is Your mercy toward me, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.”

He starts by asking God to teach him his way (12).  The Psalmist wanted to learn, which is essential in gaining knowledge on anything, and this is especially true with the Scriptures.  Consider Ezra’s heart described in the Old Testament (Ezra 7:10).   “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”  Other passages in the Bible teach this concept.  For example, 1 Peter 2:2 says, “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”  (Some translations render the Greek word “crave” or “long for.”)  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Mt. 5:6).

Consider the following illustration.  A young man was trying to learn the language of another country and was having trouble.  It was a slow process.  Finally, however, he met a woman from that country and learned the language in practically no time.  What was missing earlier?  It was the motivation!

It is also vital that we love God’s Word.  Consider the attitude of the Psalmist in Psalm 119:97 as he says, “Oh, how I love Your law!  It is my meditation all the day.”  The first part of the verse relates to the second part — those who love the law of God are more likely to meditate on it “all the day.”  Sadly, some may not care for Bible study because the Scriptures rebuke them for sins they are not ready to stop practicing.

Further, the text (11a) says, “teach me YOUR way.”  We must be willing to submit to God’s will, not follow our own.  From the earlier verses, it is clear that David knew who God was and wanted to humbly submit to His will, not someone else’s.

After expressing a desire to learn the Lord’s way, he says (11b), “I will walk in your truth.”  The writer wanted to understand God’s way, not just for intellectual curiosity or to be able to have a conversation about it, but he wanted to “walk,” or live, by God’s Law.  In the earlier verses, we learn what God has done, but we must do our part, which is to learn and obey His will.

But what is truth?  Pilate asked this question at the crucifixion of Jesus (Jn. 18:38).  Philosophers have also asked it throughout the history of mankind.   The Scriptures teach that God’s Word is truth.  In John 17:17, Jesus prayed to God for His apostles just before His arrest, “Sanctify them by Your truth.  Your word is truth.” (Note also Eph. 3:3-4; 1 Thess. 2:13; Gal. 1:12; 2 Tim.  3:16-17.)

We also see that truth is vital in Proverbs 23:23, which says, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.”   The writer compares truth to a commodity.  First, we should do anything it takes to “buy” it; then, we should not give it up for any price.  Only truth (“Your way”-11a) can make us free  (Jn. 8:32).

Then he says (11c), “Unite my heart to fear Your name.”  Many people have divided loyalties, as their hearts may not be entirely into an endeavor.  This type of heart is also found in trying to serve God.  Since God alone is God (10c), the Psalmist did not want a divided heart where he might partially serve God but also serve other idols or gods.  If he did this, he could never walk in God’s truth (11b).

The Bible emphasizes the importance of having a united heart (one heart) without divided loyalties.  For example, Deuteronomy 10:12 asks, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”  This speaks of a total commitment,  which requires us to “walk in all his ways,”  and to “fear,” “love,” and “serve” Him.  And, our devotion to God cannot be half-hearted.  Jesus also taught that we must have a united heart.  In Matthew 6:24, He explained, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon.”  (Note also Deut. 6:5; Josh. 24:14-15.)

Consider some things which can cause us to have a divided heart.

  1. Love for the World — The Bible tells us we are not to love the world. 1 John 2:15-16 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world.” Yet, some try and have one foot in the world while serving God.
  2. Wealth — Some are trying to serve God and wealth simultaneously. In the “Parable of the Sower,” those represented by the thorny soil received the word and produced fruit, but they were drawn away by the “deceitfulness of riches” (Mt. 13:22).  As we have noted, one cannot serve God and riches  (Mt.  6:24).
  3. Hardships in Life — Some may face an abnormal number of hardships. Examples are dealing with the death of loved ones, their health issues as well as the ailments of loved ones.  Persecutions may come to people because they stand firm in their convictions.  Again, in the “Parable of the Sower,” the stony soil represents those who hear the Word but are discouraged when persecutions arise (Mt. 13:20-21).

Today, people need to be fully involved in serving God.  Consider the following comments by Adam Clarke.

A divided heart is a great curse; scattered affections are a miserable plague.  When the heart is not at unity with itself, the work of religion cannot go on.  Indecision of mind and division of affections mar any work.  The heart must be one, that the work may be one.  If this be wanting, all is wrong.  This is a prayer which becomes the mouth of every Christian.  (from Adam Clarke’s Commentary, Electronic Database. Biblesoft.)

David prayed for an “undivided heart” (NIV).  Does this describe your heart toward God?

Next, he says he will praise and glorify God.  Verse 12 says, “I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore.”   With David’s united heart, this is what he wanted to do — to “praise God.”  Earlier (6-10), he had expressed that God was worthy of praise.

Consider some observations by Spurgeon.

This is the second time in the psalm that David calls the Lord “my God,” the first time he was in an agony of prayer (Ps 86:2), and now he is in an ecstasy of praise.  If anything can make a man pray and praise, it is the knowledge. . . that the Lord is his God.  (The Treasury of David, Biblesoft, Inc.)

Significantly, the writer’s praise would be with all his heart (12a).  This concept carries back to verse 11, where he speaks of having a united heart.  So today, as we worship, we must do so wholeheartedly; anything less than that is unacceptable.  But unfortunately, in worship today, some engage in half-hearted worship.  As they sing a hymn, for example, they do so listlessly, not even thinking about the words they are saying.  Their minds may be on everything except what is happening in the service.   They may also watch the clock impatiently, waiting for the worship period to conclude.  A few may even look at something besides Bible passages on their cell phone.

Note a similar passage (Ps. 9:1-2) where David over-flows with enthusiasm as he speaks of what he will do as he worships God.  “I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.  I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.”   Can we say that this passage, and the one in our text, describes our worship of God today?

With an undivided heart, he says, “I will glorify Your name forevermore” (12b).  Thus, he would glorify Jehovah, not a false deity, and he would do so, not just for a time but “forever,” as the original is often translated in this verse.  The idea is that he would glorify God throughout all eternity.

In verse 13, as he continues to praise God, he says that He had delivered him from “Sheol.”  It says, “For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.” Most translations render the original as “Sheol,” but some translate it as “grave.”  It refers to the realm of the dead.  Some interpret this verse figuratively and say it means that God delivered him out of only a terrible situation.   In light of verse 14, however, the simplest explanation is that God delivered him from a bad situation in which he was about to be killed.  In the first part of the verse, he mentions God’s mercy;  in the second part, we see how God shows His mercy.

A Plea for God’s Deliverance

(Verses 14-17)

The final section is verses 14-17, where he says,  (14) “O God, the proud have risen against me, And a mob of violent men have sought my life, And have not set You before them.  (15) But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.  (16) Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me!  Give Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your maidservant.  (17) Show me a sign for good, That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, Because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.”

As stated earlier, we do not know at what point this is in David’s life.  Perhaps his encounters with either Saul or Absalom fit.  Nevertheless, it is interesting that he describes these people as having “not set You before them.”  One translation says, “men without regard for you” (NIV).  These violent men, seeking to kill David had no regard for God; they were doing what suited themselves.

In contrast to these people, he describes God in the next verse as being full of compassion, gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in mercy and truth.  Of course, people are often evil and show no mercy, but this does not change these stated facts about God.  Verse 14 is very similar to verse 5.  Both seem to come from Exodus 34:6-7 where  God speaks of Himself.

His final appeal is in verses 16-17.  In verse 16, he wants God to turn to him and have mercy, and he would like strength for himself.  He refers to himself as “Your servant” and the “son of Your maidservant.”  Earlier, he establishes himself as God’s servant.  Referring to himself as the “son of Your maidservant” raises an interesting question.  We know very little about David’s mother, although there are some Jewish traditions about her.  The implication here, however, is that she was a righteous woman.  Further,  we learn elsewhere that while on the run from Saul, he asked for protection for her from the king of Moab.

He closes in verse 17 by asking  God for a sign, which those who hated him would be able to see and would have shame.  This request indicates that he is not asking for everything right then, but a sign would be helpful and produce the results he asks for.  Was it wrong for him to ask for a sign?  We learn that asking for such was not always disapproved.  (Consider the case of Gideon in Judges 6.)  He is not asking God to prove His love for him.  Instead, he states that any help and comfort he got would exalt God and make his enemies ashamed (17b).

Summation

What do we learn from this psalm?  First, we should approach God humbly, like a servant before his master.  We should acknowledge God’s mercy, compassion, and graciousness and praise and glorify Him.  We can confidently and freely call upon God, noting what He has done for us in the past, and we can even state reasons why God should grant our request.  We also learn the importance of desiring to know His will, being willing to walk in his commandment, and having a united (undivided) heart before Him.

“In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,

for You will answer me” (Ps. 86:7).