Meditating on Psalm 5

In this blog I am sharing thoughts with you on Psalm 5.  I pray you will find a blessing and/or some insight that will encourage you.

Psalm 5:1-2 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

As I learned in my study of Isaiah, Hebrew poetry is expressed through repetition or restatement.  These two verses, and many others in this Psalm, represent that poetic style as used by David.

David is calling out to the Lord to listen to him.  The Hebrew for consider included the statement “to separate mentally.”  David is aware that God is the God of all people, and he is crying out for God to listen specifically to him.  Every time I stop to think about this truth I am in awe.  I know that God hears me when I talk to Him—even though He is listening to millions of others that may be talking to Him at the same time.   

As David cries out, he recognizes YHWH, the self-existent and eternal God, as his King and his God.  He is expressing an attitude of total humility and submissiveness even as he approaches the Lord with his requests.

The use of the word voice indicates that David is praying out loud.  That is not something that comes naturally to me.  It seems that more often than not, my prayers are expressed from within.  I think it has something to do with feeling safer because the devil and his legions can’t hear me and use it against me. 

Psalm 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Evidently, it was David’s custom to seek the Lord’s face in the morning at the break of dawn.  He wanted guidance for the day from the Lord.  The word direct includes the idea of getting things prepared and in order, as one getting ready for battle; and this is language that you would expect from a warrior like David.  That he was looking up indicates that he is ready to wait for the Lord’s answer.

Again, my true prayer times have come much more naturally in the late evening and early morning hours.  In the last few years, I have been privileged to be awakened in the early morning hours for fellowship with the Lord.  I can truly say that some of my most precious times with the Lord have been in the hours before dawn.

Psalm 5:4-5 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

David seems to be declaring why he is so disciplined to seek the Lord early in the morning and wait for His instruction; he wants to be sure that He is following God’s will.  He knows that God has no pleasure in wickedness.  Those who practice evil have no chance to dwell with God and enjoy His fellowship.  Wickedness and iniquity or evil actions are actions that go against the will of God.

Verse 5 is basically repeating the truth of verse 4.  The foolish (boastful, prideful) will not be allowed the privilege of enjoying the presence of God.  God hates those who continually practice (from the Hebrew for workers) evil deeds.

Psalm 5:6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

Those who speak lies and deceit (leasing) will be destroyed by God.  The Lord loathes and detests (from the Hebrew for abhor) those who are murderers and those who lie and deceive others.  David is aware from personal experience, that if he does not keep himself close to the Lord, he is apt to fall into such sins; and the same is true for us.  He wants to guard his relationship with YHWH.

Psalm 5:7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

As David comes back in his thoughts to the request he wants to make before God, he makes personal application of the truths he has just stated.  Because of his understanding of YHWH, he is careful to approach Him in holy fear and reverence, dependent on God’s mercy.  He doesn’t take his worship before God lightly; it’s not just a routine to him; he is sincere.

I believe this is a sad description of much of the professing church today.  What many call worship is just a ritual that is performed to satisfy a sense of obligation and/or the expectation of others.

Psalm 5:8 Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

David is requesting the Lord to lead, to guide him to act according to His righteousness toward his enemies.  He is asking God to make him prosperous and pleasant (from the word straight).  I think he is asking for victory based on a heart attitude that is seeking God’s will.  In that regard, his enemies are God’s enemies.

Psalm 5:9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

David realizes that his enemies are not to be trusted.  They do not speak according to truth; their words and manner of speech are chosen to accomplish their own selfish purposes.  They have no moral standards.  Their mouth is used to flatter; their words are smooth and persuasive.

The following excerpt from my journal on Romans applies here.

Romans 3:13-14 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

Paul now basically states that men are no good from head to toe.  As an astute student of scripture, he relies on it heavily as he makes his case.

Psalm 5:9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

The word throat in the Greek refers to the larynx, the voicebox.  An open sepulchre (grave) makes you think of a place from which rot and decay are evident.  I like Webster’s definition for deceit:  “An attempt or disposition to deceive or lead into error; any declaration, artifice, or practice, which misleads another, or causes him to believe what is false; a contrivance to entrap; deception; a wily device; fraud.”

Psalm 140:3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.

Psalm 10:7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

Poison/venom speaks of that which injures or is deadly, like malicious or spiteful words.  Cursing involves evil speaking with the intent to cause great injury.  Bitterness involves speaking sharply with resentment and/or sarcasm; Webster even adds that it is with the intent to draw someone into apostasy (rejecting their faith).

The Spirit has gone to great pains to emphasize the evil that can come from the words we speak and the way we speak them.  He also emphasizes these same truths through the writings of James:

James 3:6 & 8 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.  [end excerpt]

Psalm 5:10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.

David recognizes that it is God who has proper authority over life and death.  He is praying that they be destroyed as a result of their own evil purposes; they should be allowed to reap what they have sown through their many sins and their rebellion against God.

That is a hard lesson to learn.  We are so naturally geared to want to “get even” and take care of things ourselves.  It takes a conscious, disciplined effort to realize that vengeance belongs to God, and that we are to trust Him to accomplish His judgment in His timing.

Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Deuteronomy 32:41 If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.

Psalm 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

Those who put their trust in the Lord have every reason to rejoice and be happy because God is hedging them in, defending them.  It’s interesting that David connects trusting in God with loving His name.  I think we have gotten really lax as His children in loving and honoring the name of God.  For instance, the phrase “O my God,” is used as an exclamation of surprise—even by many Christians.  It is something that really bothers me. 

Psalm 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

David is confident of God’s blessing upon those who choose to live righteously and be morally clean.  God takes pleasure and delight in surrounding those who serve Him and trust Him and love His name with a shield of protection.

What a motivation!  God gives so much in return for so little from us. 

Father, help me to always seek your guidance and direction as I strive to live a life that is righteous before you.  May I be sensitive to the correction of the Holy Spirit.  Please help me grow in faith and to genuinely rest in Your protection as Your child.  Amen.