Psalm 109:1-3

Psalm 109:1-3

The power of the tongue

It’s another of David’s Psalms of woe. It seems that this dear man was constantly being maligned by his enemies and what hurt him the most was that they endlessly devised every kind of false accusation to put him down. The suggestion is, from verses 6-19, that there was one particular individual who was responsible, although later in the Psalm there seem to be a number of protagonists, for the language becomes plural. Perhaps, David is ruminating here about the disloyalty and devious antics of his predecessor, King Saul, or worse still the conniving schemes of his own son, Absalom?  Whoever was the cause, the pleas here are heart-wrenching and we see the great man falling into a pit of despair and self-pity until he has voiced his fears and his pain, then he is able to rise up and praise the Lord.

Isn’t it great that when the world seems to be against us and we are overwhelmed with anxiety and foreboding, we have a great God who is approachable and who not only hears our cries, but He takes the weight from our shoulders and reassures us of His divine love and protection? Who needs counsellors and psychologists? 

 

V1-3    There are those who have studied the language and context of this Psalm who maintain that these opening verses have a legal or judicial feel about them. In other words, David is appealing to His God who is the Judge in these matters. His defence is conducted before the throne of the Almighty Judge where he must represent himself and bring a plea of not guilty. He starts his appeal by showing deference and respect and with a request that the Lord will not be silent in this matter. “My Lord and my God, the One whom I praise, I appeal to You to speak out and to judge rightly against the accusations that are being made about me.” Then David outlines his case, “The people who accuse me are wicked and deceitful, they have levelled false allegations at me, and they have spoken lies about me. They are filled with hatred and their attacks on my person and reputation are completely false. There are no grounds for these charges, and I ask You to judge rightly in the matter of my complaint and to ensure that true justice is carried out and that I am vindicated.”         

The most frequent weapon used against David, and other Psalm writers, is the tongue. Many of the Psalms rate this weapon as being as deadly as swords and arrows. Mounting a defence against military might is just a matter of careful planning and calculation, it comes down to who has the biggest and best weapons. Mounting a blockade and defending ourselves against the “tongue” is a different matter. So much damage can be done in just a few seconds and there is no defence, it becomes a matter of their words against ours. Reputations, livelihoods and characters can be destroyed and too often there is no means of defence. It is only in God’s Courtroom that we can seek redress for the words that have condemned us. Nothing has changed!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insisted
Read more

Psalm 51:4

Psalm 51:4 Deliberate sin In Genesis 20 we read the story of Abimelek and Abraham. The latter had passed off his wife Sarah as his sister and Abimelek had taken her with a view to her becoming his wife. The relationship was not consummated, and the Lord used a dream to reveal to Abimelek just what was going on. The insulted king pleaded innocence,  “I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands ” he said, to the Lord. And God agreed,  “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me.”  This is a big subject but there is clearly a difference between sinful intentions and deeds where the participant knows that he/she is doing wrong, and those occasions where an action is carried out in innocence.  David knew all along that every detail of his relationship with Bathsheba was sinful, as were his actions in the cover-up. Therefore, he sinned against the Lord God and broke the commandments which said that  “You shall not commit adul
Read more

Psalm 57:8

Psalm 57:8 Awake my soul! This verse calls on three different elements to wake up! It follows on from the previous statement that David intends to sing and make music. We can imagine him opening his eyes one morning and all is silent and dark. The first birds have not yet started to sing, and the eastern sky is not yet pink. In contrast to the days of despair and defeat David is ready for this day and he is going to celebrate. He may be living in a gloomy, dank cave but hope is at hand, God is with him and he will triumph over his enemies. Maybe some of his companions got a shock that morning as their leader launched his early morning praise assault on the kingdoms of darkness! ·        Awake my soul. ·        Awake, harp and lyre. ·        Awake – the dawn. Sometimes we have to address the inner man and let our minds take control of our emotions and our desires. The negatives can be defeated, the whispering doubts can be silenced, the tide of fear and trepidation can be driven back. A
Read more