Psalm 39:1

Psalm 39:1

Muzzling the tongue!

Psalm 38 revealed the deep inner turmoil of a man at odds with himself and with the world. His friends had withdrawn and his enemies were gleefully anticipating his demise. As David looked within he could only find one person to blame for this calamitous state of affairs – himself! He had sinned and thus, in his mind, he had brought this dreadful curse upon himself. There are hints of illness, impending death and a broken reputation, amidst the outpouring of bitter regret and sorrow at his disgrace. The Psalm is a gloomy commentary to say the least. 

 

Psalm 39 changes the emphasis somewhat; this Psalm is not so much a reflection on David’s state of mind but a conversation with the Lord God. David is not talking to Himself here, he is communicating with the Lord and instead of introspection there are pleas for help and for restoration. If we have ever sunk as low as David did in Psalm 38 then we must know that the only way forward is to bring all our hurts, anxieties and woes to the Lord and speak them out to Him. This marks the first steps to recovery. 

 

V1        Here is a good precept for any of us who are prone to let our tongues run away with us. We may get away with it among friends and family but we will certainly be held to account if we speak out of turn in front of our enemies. Let’s remind ourselves here, that David was a public figure, his every word was hung upon, reported in the papers, and commented upon in the social media of his day! If he let drop one word that was out of place or that could be misconstrued, you can be sure that his enemies would pounce on it gleefully. I don’t think we have a licence from this verse to say what we like, even amongst friends, but we definitely need to muzzle the tongue when amongst the wicked. I had a tongue that needed muzzling as a young man, if a comment would raise a laugh then, generally speaking, I would make it – and suffer the consequences! Shame on me. Therefore, let us learn from the mighty King David and choose our words very carefully when in the presence of the world. Most of us do not have microphones and the paparazzi breathing down our necks, but in the workplace and in social groups it is best to keep our opinions to ourselves.  

Sometimes, we long to speak out especially against injustice and corruption and evil, so when and what is the right time and place? Let’s keep reading and see what the Psalm will teach us. 

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