Psalms 5

Psalms 5

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE

A Morning Prayer for Deliverance from Conspirators.

ANALYSIS

Stanza I., Psalms 5:1-3, Petitions Pleaded to which an Answer is Awaited. Stanza II., Psalms 5:4-6, Jehovah's Character Forbids the Success of the Rebels. Stanza III., Psalms 5:7-9, The Petitioner's Privileged Position made a Plea for Guidance through Present Perils. Stanza IV., Psalms 5:10-12, The Punishment of the Wicked will Restore the Confidence of the Righteous.

(Lm.) PsalmBy David.

1

To mine utterances give ear O Jehovah,

understand thou my plaint:

2

Attend to the voice of my cry for help my King and my God, for unto thee do I pray,

3

Jehovah in the morning shalt thou hear my voice,

in the morning will I set in order for thee and keep watch.

4

For not a GOD finding pleasure in lawlessness art thou,

there shall not sojourn with thee a doer of wrong:

5

Boasters shall not stand their ground before thine eyes,

thou hatest all workers of iniquity:[43]

[43] NaughtinessDr.

6

Thou wilt destroy the speakers of falsehood,

the man of bloodshed and deceit Jehovah abhorreth.

7

But I in the abounding of thy kindness may enter thy house,

I may bow down towards thy holy temple in reverence of thee.

8

Jehovah! lead me with thy righteousness because of my watching foes,

make even before me thy way.

9

For there is in his mouth nothing steadfastwithin them is a yawning gulf,

an opened grave is their throattheir tongue they smooth.

10

Hold them guilty O God, let them fall by their own counsels, in the abounding of their transgressions thrust them outfor they have defied thee:

11

That all may rejoice who take refuge in theeto the ages may ring out their joy,

And do thou overshadow them that they may exultwho are lovers of thy name.

12

For thou thyself dost bless the righteous one,

O Jehovah! as with an all-covering shield with favour dost thou encompass him.

(Lm.) To the Chief Musician. (CMm.) With stringed instruments.
Over the male choir.

PARAPHRASE

Psalms 5

O Lord, hear me praying; listen to my plea, O God my King, for I will never pray to anyone but You.
2?????
3 Each morning I will look to You in heaven and lay my requests before You, praying earnestly.
4 I know You get no pleasure from wickedness and cannot tolerate the slightest sin.
5 Therefore proud sinners will not survive Your searching gaze; for how You hate their evil deeds.
6 You will destroy them for their lies; how You abhor all murder and deception.
7 But as for me, I will come into Your Temple protected by Your mercy and Your love; I will worship You with deepest awe.
8 Lord, lead me as You promised me You would; otherwise my enemies will conquer me. Tell me clearly what to do, which way to turn.
9 For they cannot speak one truthful word. Their hearts are filled to the brim with wickedness. Their suggestions are full of the stench of sin and death. Their tongues are filled with flatteries to gain their wicked ends.
10 O God, hold them responsible. Catch them in their own traps; let them fall beneath the weight of their own transgressions, for they rebel against You.
11 But make everyone rejoice who puts his trust in You. Keep them shouting for joy because You are defending them. Fill all who love You with Your happiness.
12 For You bless the godly man, O Lord; You protect him with Your shield of love.

EXPOSITION

This psalm is attributed to David; and its contents well sustain the inscriptionespecially if we date its origin at the time when the rebellion of Absalom was being fomented by men who were yet maintaining the appearance of loyalty to the king, though really plotting against him.
The danger prompting the prayer was evidently most serious. It seems to have been caused by one chief offender, aided by associates: hence the alternation of the language between the leader and his followershis mouth, their tongue, and the like. The character of these workers of mischief is described in unsparing terms. They are lawless men, patrons of wrong, guilty of defying Jehovah: boastful, yet deceitful; their language is fair, for they smooth their tongue, but their principles are foul: their transgressions abound, and at least one of their number is a man of bloodshed and deceit. They are plotters; with nefarious designs not yet avowed. Probably the perfidy of Ahithophel is already evident to the king, although he does not yet point to him so plainly as in later psalms.

It is perfectly clear that the psalmist perceives himself to be aimed at by the conspirators: hence his prayer for Divine guidance because of his watchful foes.

It is further clear that the psalmist perceives the very government of Jehovah in Israel to be at stake, so that deliverance vouchsafed to the petitioner by bringing him out of this crisis will cause great joy to the godly men of the nation.
It is no objection to the Davidic authorship of this psalm that the writer appears to be animated by the Levitical spirit of consecrationso much so that we are tempted to ask whether he was not himself a Priest with the ordering of the sacrifices on the altar under his own charge. But this spirit and this lively interest in the Divinely appointed ritual, as we know, had found a remarkable embodiment in David himself, as the history indicates, and as these psalms are themselves beginning to reveal. Hence it is perfectly natural that the king should seem to count on his psalm being used in the next morning's worship, and that he should liken his prayer itself to an ordered sacrifice, promising himself that he will watch for a divine response.
The yet deeper element of instruction to be discovered in this psalm, is, the evidence it affords of spiritual restoration on the part of the king. If we are right in dating this psalm at the time when the fire of rebellion was already glowing in secret, then we know where we are, with reference to the antecedent event of David's deplorable fall. He is no longer under the spell of that spiritual paralysis which followed his transgression: he has humbled himself in the dust, has sought and found forgiveness, is once more in fellowship with his forgiving God. Hence, now again, Jehovah's cause is his own; and the spiritual well-being of those who love Him is near to his heart. Restored to fellowship with his holy God, he realises his covenant relation to Him who is carrying forward his vast plans for Redemption; and therefore anticipates abiding gladness to all who love Jehovah's name.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1.

If we like David considered prayer as the first work of the dayhow very different would be some of our days.

2.

Discuss the practice and value of daily devotions. If possible commit the students to this holy practice.

3.

Does God indeed hate the evil deeds of sinners? How is this hatred expressed?

4.

Did David believe he was going to receive some special treatment from Jehovah? What was ithow or why was it given?

5.

Discuss the principle of self-destruction implicit within all steadfast sinning. Give examplesnot the least of which is Absalom.