Psalmody a Journey through Psalms with Anne Mileur

Psalm Five -"A Prayer for Guidance"     

Some people do evil, and some are evil.  We need God to guide us in discerning the difference between doing evil and being evil.  But we must always remember that judging people is God's job, not ours.  

Sometimes, David says the wrong things, and other times, he makes bad choices. Does that make him evil? In the first of this five-stanza Psalm, David asks the Lord to listen, not just to the words that come out of his mouth, but also to the thoughts and intentions of his heart.

In the Word, we read, "all sin and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Does that make us evil? 

Paul despairs, "The good I want to do, I don't do, but the evil I don't want to do, I do." Romans 7:19. Does that make him evil?  Then he gives hope to all believers. "I know that nothing good dwells in me. Who will deliver me? Wretched man that I am. I thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7:24,25. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive." 1st John 1:9

We hear preached, "God loves you just the way you are." Some people count on that as the guarantee of their eternal salvation. While God loves us, He cannot tolerate evil. In the second and fourth stanzas of Psalm five, David warns, "You do not take pleasure in wickedness, nor does evil dwell with You." 

God's love for us is the starting point of our relationship with the Lord God Almighty.  When we respond to His love by surrendering to Him, He will not let us stay the way we were. Instead, we are "continuously being transformed by the renewing of our minds" Romans 12:2

David goes on to describe evil behavior (vs 5-6, 9). His list includes boasting (they glorify themselves rather than God), working iniquity (sinning is a regular habit), deceiving, flattering, and speaking falsehoods (they don't worry about how their cheating and lying affect others, as long as they get what they feel they deserve), and being bloodthirsty (they enjoy causing others to suffer). 

David asks that evil people be cast down for their rebellion against God. (vs 10) Did you get that? He doesn't ask that they be punished for the evil deeds they did against people; David asks that they be punished for being evil, rebelling against God. Selah. 

David never pretended he was without sin. Throughout the Old Testament, David had many conflicts with other people, but in his relationship with Bathsheba (2nd Samuel 11-12), we learn about David's inner struggles with self-pride, self-entitlement, and self-glorification.  In the third stanza, He admits that only because of the multitude of God's mercies can he stand before the Lord.   

David's obvious sins?  Lust, adultery, and murder. But worse, David sinned by disrespecting his relationship with the Lord, disobeying His laws, and giving a false witness about the Lord's sovereignty. In 2 Sam 12:14, God speaks to David through the prophet Nathan, saying, "You have given the enemies of the Lord reason to speak irreverently against the Lord." God wanted David to live in a way so that his enemies would "know that I am God". Instead, his sins gave the false impression that God was incompetent.  

David admits that he can't trust his mind and emotions. He asks God to make His instructions unquestionably clear. 

But, like David with Bathsheba, what if what God wants isn't what we want? My husband, Ray Mileur says, "It's hard to hear from God when you've already decided what He's going to say." We can evaluate our own actions by asking, 'Does this give glory to God?'

David and Paul are not alone in their struggle against sin. I struggle and my guess is you do too. I encourage you to echo David's prayer in vs 8 "Make Your way straight before my face." Mimic Paul's life when he says in Ephesians 4:1 "live a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God." 

In the fifth and final stanza, David proclaims rewards for the righteous. He says they will rejoice, have joy, and be joyful. (vs 11-12) In contrast to God's punishment of the evil ones who rebel against Him and are evil, the Lord will bless, show favor to, and protect those who trust and love the Lord. 

Just a thought:

Within the lines of this Psalm, God reveals these character traits:

David writes: "Hear my words, consider my meditation." God is the Living God. No idol has eyes to see or ears to hear. 

David writes: "My King and my God." The Lord is the Supreme God. And we are not.

David writes: "I come in the multitude of mercies."  He is Merciful. He doesn't give us the punishment that we deserve.

David writes: "You will bless the righteous with favor." He is Grace. He gives us favor when we don't deserve it.

David writes: "No evil shall dwell with You." He is ever Righteous.

David writes: "Cast them out for their sins."  He is Just.

David writes: "Let those who trust Him shout for joy," He is trustworthy. 

David writes: "Lead me, O Lord." He is our Guide. He sets our feet in the way we should go.

David writes: "You defend and surround the righteous." He is our Defense.

Quoting Ralph Brandon:

When we speak the truth without love, we condemn.

When we speak love without truth (flattery), we lie. 

When we speak the truth in love, we share God.

 Selah         

David uses the present tense 'defend' and 'surround' in vs 11-12, erasing the notion that there should be an absence of conflict and struggle in our lives.  He encourages us not to wait until after the battle is over but to be joyful DURING the conflict.   Rejoicing in the Lord, then, becomes one of the weapons of our warfare.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18