Five Requests of God

(Ps. 71:1-4)

Mike Johnson

(1) In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be put to shame. (2) Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me, and save me. (3) Be my strong refuge, To which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress. (4) Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

Psalm 71 was written by a man who, in his old age, was facing hardships, which included various enemies trying to destroy him. (There is strong evidence to conclude that David is the author.) He expresses his confidence and trust in the Lord in the prayer of this Psalm. Because he trusts in God (1a), he can make the following five requests of Him in verses 1-4. Consider them.

1. “Let me never be put to shame” (1b) — The concept of being “put to shame” is often found in Psalms. Sometimes, the writer asks that his enemies, or the wicked, be put to shame. Here, the psalmist asks God not to put him to shame. In this verse, David does not seem to speak in the sense of being ashamed of confessing God (Rom. 1:16), but in the sense of not only being ashamed but confounded or perplexed in something or someone (Job. 6:20; Is. 30:5; Jer. 2:26; 14:3-4). The idea is this: if God answered his prayers, he would not be ashamed (confounded) when his enemies were triumphant, glorying in their idols and bringing reproach against God. He would be in this state of shame due to God not acting on his behalf, i.e., if He did not deliver him (2). However, as we will see, the writer had complete confidence in God and knew he would not be ashamed.

2. “Deliver me in your righteousness” (2a) — God’s righteousness is often mentioned in this Psalm (e.g., 2, 15, 16, 19, 24). What is meant by the righteousness of God? Consider the following explanation, which appears to fit the use in this verse. “The righteousness of God is the essential perfection of his nature, and is frequently used to designate his holiness, justice, and faithfulness.” (McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia). Knowing that God keeps his promises and because God is righteous, the psalmist is asking the Lord to deliver him. Delivering him would be in keeping with God’s righteousness.

What kind of deliverance is he speaking of? Most likely, he is talking about a physical deliverance from his enemies, i.e., snatch me from my enemies. (Note also verse 10.) Compare Psalm 17:13, which says, “Arise, O Lord, confront him, cast him down; deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword.” Also, the “escape” of 2b is parallel to “deliver” (2a).

3. “Incline Your ear to me and save me” (2c) — After telling God he trusts Him, the writer asks the Lord to listen to his prayers. The writers of Psalms often speak of the “ear” of God (usually saying “give ear”) and use this wording when they speak of making requests of God through prayer. (c.f., Ps. 17:1, 6) The psalmist says, “Please, Lord, I trust you; please listen to my prayers and deliver me from my enemies.” In “The Treasury of David,” Charles Spurgeon expressed it:

“Stoop to my feebleness, and hear my faint whispers; be gracious to my infirmities, and smile upon me: I ask salvation; listen thou to my petitions, and save me. Like one wounded and left for dead by mine enemies, I need that thou bend over me and bind up my wounds.”

4. “Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually . . . for You are my rock and my fortress” (3) — He wants God to be his dependable, constantly accessible, strong refuge . . . his rock and his fortress. God is the “rock of salvation” and a “rock of refuge.” The word “rock” is used figuratively in various places in the Scriptures to describe God. The writers refer to Him as the “rock of my salvation,” “a rock or refuge,” or simply a “rock.” As might be expected, the term is primarily used in the book of Psalms, a book of poetry that uses figurative language. In another Psalm, for instance, David wrote, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Ps. 18:2). Also, Psalm 46:1-3 encourages God’s people as it says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.”

The use of this metaphor, however, goes beyond Psalms. Moses, for example, referred to God as a “rock” several times in Deuteronomy 32 in what is known as “The Song of Moses.” In verses 3-4, he exclaims, “For I proclaim the name of the Lord: ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He . . . .” Also, Hannah spoke of God, saying, “No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God” (1 Sam. 2:2). Elsewhere, in 2 Samuel 22:2-3, again, David composed a song on the day when he was delivered from all his enemies and from Saul, in which he said God was his “rock” and “fortress.” Also, with some of his final words, he referred to God as “the Rock of Israel” (2 Sam. 21:3).

What does this figure of speech (metaphor) mean? The idea is that God is like a rock –– He is like a fortress. A rock is durable and stable; strong forts were built of stones, providing protection. Thus, God was his protector, his strength, and his refuge. Today, people can have the same relationship with God. Is God your rock and your fortress?

5. “Deliver me, O my God” out of the hand of the wicked” (4a) — Again, he asks for deliverance (c.f., v. 2); now we learn from whom he wanted to be delivered. It was from the “wicked,” also referred in this verse as “cruel” and the “unrighteous” (4b). Thus, the danger was from another person, his enemy. Why does this happen? Jesus explains in John 15:18-19. “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

Conclusion

Requests that we make of God in our prayers will vary. But, it is essential to understand that we serve a loving God who cares for us and will respond to our requests (Mt. 7:7-10). The Lord can be our “rock” and “fortress.” However, it all begins with trust. As the writer says in verse 1, “In You, O Lord, I put my trust.”