The God who delivers

Hear me, Lord, my plea is just;
    listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—
    it does not rise from deceitful lips.
Let my vindication come from you;
    may your eyes see what is right.
Though you probe my heart,
    though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil;
    my mouth has not transgressed.
Though people tried to bribe me,
    I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
    through what your lips have commanded.
My steps have held to your paths;
    my feet have not stumbled.
I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
    turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
Show me the wonders of your great love,
    you who save by your right hand
    those who take refuge in you from their foes.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
    hide me in the shadow of your wings
from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
    from my mortal enemies who surround me.
They close up their callous hearts,
    and their mouths speak with arrogance.
They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
    with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
They are like a lion hungry for prey,
    like a fierce lion crouching in cover.
Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down;
    with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
    from those of this world whose reward is in this life.
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
    may their children gorge themselves on it,
    and may there be leftovers for their little ones.
As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
    when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

Psalm 17

Introduction

David in this Psalm cries out to God over the unjust treatment he has received from those who pursue him. He knows his own deeds, and he knows that God is aware of all that he has done. To this David appeals, placing his full faith in the God who is sovereign over all.

There are no specifics to this Psalm that we are aware of. No imminent threat that we can detect. But David is so quick to turn to the Lord in all things that regardless of the time or place, he stretches out his voice in a cry of supplication. It is good to turn to God at all times like David does.

An examination of the self

The opening of David’s prayer is one of self reflection. Before bringing any issues before God, he looks to himself to ensure he is a man following after the standards provided by the Lord. He asks the Lord to probe his heart and both examine and test him. Presenting scenarios, David appeals to his resistance to bribery, violence, and scheming.

Though David was innocent of these specific crimes, the fact remains that he was a sinner in need of God’s mercy and grace. And it was by God’s grace that he was even innocent of the things which he named. Being a king, he undoubtedly was subject to a temptation to bribery. As a warrior, he would have understood the power gained through violence. And as a wise man, he understood the value of planning for deceit and counter-deceit.

But he was kept pure from these things as the Lord’s anointed. Being chosen by God in this way meant David was given a special privilege of desiring the things of God. In the days before Christ’s advent, this gift was restricted to those chosen to carry out His message. But now in this day He has extended His gift by the blood of Jesus Christ, meaning we can all pray this prayer with confident assurance.

Deliverance

The bulk of this Psalm focuses on the issue of deliverance from one’s enemies. Each of us will face opposition from the enemy at some point in our lives. It is inevitable, since the enemy’s focus and goal is only to destroy. But we have a God who listens to His children. He hears our supplication and responds in power.

We can be confident that He will answer (verse 6), bringing those to shame who will deny Him until the end. The wicked in this life revel in deceit and malice. They rejoice in the fact that they may never be exposed before their deaths. But death is not the end. And we can take comfort in the fact that God does not allow anyone to get away with unrighteous gain.

So pray for justice. And know that our God is an awesome God who delivers justice to all. Every single one of us will face the judgment seat, and on that day we will have one of two options: either we claim Christ or we claim ourselves.

May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.