Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Reflections on Psalm 140

 
    Psalms 140 (Contemporary English Version)

  1. (A psalm by David for the music leader.) Rescue me from cruel and violent enemies, LORD!
  2. They think up evil plans and always cause trouble.
  3. Their words bite deep like the poisonous fangs of a snake.
  4. Protect me, LORD, from cruel and brutal enemies, who want to destroy me.
  5. Those proud people have hidden traps and nets to catch me as I walk.
  6. You, LORD, are my God! Please listen to my prayer.
  7. You have the power to save me, and you keep me safe in every battle.
  8. Don't let the wicked succeed in doing what they want, or else they might never stop planning evil.
  9. They have me surrounded, but make them the victims of their own vicious lies.
  10. Dump flaming coals on them and throw them into pits where they can't climb out.
  11. Chase those cruel liars away! Let trouble hunt them down.
  12. Our LORD, I know that you defend the homeless and see that the poor are given justice.
  13. Your people will praise you and will live with you because they do right.


This reads much like earlier psalms in the book with David seeking rescue from the wiles of evil people. The first six verses describe what he was up against. They plotted evil against him continually, their tongues were like the bite of a poisonous snake, they hid traps for him and set snares and nets to entrap him. There are various thoughts as to the occasion that inspired the psalm, such as the rebellion of Absalom.  But it could even be the kind of threats a person of power was up against consistently. As was David's practice when experiencing trouble, he went to the Lord for help. He knew the Lord as his "strong Savior" who shielded his head in battle.

He prayed that the Lord would thwart the plans of these wicked people and keep them from achieving their goal. Part of the reason for this request is that these wicked people would otherwise become proud. This, of course, would encourage the wicked in their evil pursuits. So David asks that the plans of these people be turned back on themselves. "Let the trouble their lips cause overwhelm them." This reference to the lips along with the earlier mention of the tongue and the mention in verse 11 of slanderers leads me to believe this whole threat was one of words. Even the hidden traps and snares could be speaking of traps by words and accusations. David appeals to God's justice in verse 12, knowing that God upholds justice for the needy.

There is a hint in this psalm that David's prayer is asking God to consider which side He will take - that of the wicked or that of the righteous. Verse 8 asks that God not "grant the desires of the wicked," suggesting that the mere toleration of wickedness might seem to indicate His approval of this behavior or complicity with the wickedness. Verse 13 then says, "Surely the righteous will praise Your name," adding further to this thought. David is confident that the righteous will praise the Lord because the Lord will uphold justice against these evil deeds. But the opposing thought is that if God were to allow this injustice to take place it would be the wicked, not the righteous, who would praise Him. Now the wicked never praise God, even when they have success because they do not credit their success to any other source than themselves. But nevertheless, these hints lie behind David's words.

I do not think it out of line to press God to consider which side He is on, that of the wicked or of the righteous, but in doing so, we need also to consider which side we are on. We should not be asking God to uphold us against those who wish to harm us without also considering our actions and motives. If He were to take our side, so to speak, would He be taking the side of the righteous? Would He be upholding justice?

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