 Be not silent, O God of my praise!
2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. 3 They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. 4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. 5 So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6 Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. 7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin! 8 May his days be few; may another take his office! 9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow! 10 May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit! 11 May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil! 12 Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children! 13 May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation! 14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out! 15 Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 16 For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death. 17 He loved to curse; let curses come upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far from him! 18 He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones! 19 May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day! 20 May this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, of those who speak evil against my life! 21 But you, O God my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me! 22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me. 23 I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust. 24 My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat. 25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads. 26 Help me, O Lord my God! Save me according to your steadfast love! 27 Let them know that this is your hand; you, O Lord, have done it! 28 Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad! 29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. 31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death. Meditation God’s sovereign care is a stronghold and safe place during seasons of attacked. God’s grace invites you to find security in His steadfast love. David was assaulted, slandered to the point of becoming a shadow and shell (23). Encircled with hate and attacked without cause (2-3) David turns to the Lord for strength. Yes, David articulates prayers of curses for his antagonists (see also Jeremiah 18:19-23) but the humanity of David does not detract from the hope we are offered in the Lord. David was degraded. God was exalted (1). David was put down but committed himself to prayer (4). Does he pray for those attacking him? Does he pray for strength? We do not know. We do know, however, that David trusted the Lord to “deal on (his) behalf for (God’s) name sake, because (God’s) steadfast love is good” (21). David is dependent on God to deliver and looks to God alone to save him from his circumstances (26). David’s confidence in God is so great he prays in past tense- “Oh Lord, you have done it!” (27) David lives in confidence, knowing the venom of enemies is nothing compared to the victory of the Lord (28-29). The mouths of David’s enemies curse. David commits his mouth to “give thanks to the Lord, to praise him in the midst of the throng” (30-31). When we are slandered and attacked, we trust the steadfast and sovereign care of the Lord. God is our stronghold and safe place. We find security in God’s steadfast love! Richly Dwelling -What is your reaction when you are attacked, assaulted, or slandered? Where do you turn? -David turns to the Lord and in process points to the teaching of Jesus that commands us to turn the other cheek. Why does this sort of step take a greater strength than retaliation? -We can trust the security of God’s steadfast love because of the work of Jesus. Jesus guarantees the love of God is our stronghold and safe place, security when we are slandered. How can you turn to Him? Key Verse 21 But you, O God my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me! Comments are closed.
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