Psalm 109:23-25

Psalm 109:23-25

Fading like an evening shadow

The description here of David’s physical condition is pitiful. He has already explained his wounded heart and now add to that a life-sapping affliction that makes him feel like the final shadows before sunset. In Psalm 102:11 an anonymous writer describes a similar condition, “My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass.” In fact, the Scriptures often liken the evening shadows to death and the morning sunrise to resurrection and new life. In the morning the wicked hide, in the evening they begin to go about their business. Note these words of the Lord to Job, “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?” Job 38:13. 

David also sees himself as an irritant locust, something you shake off your body if it lands on you! In addition, he feels his knees weakening as a consequence of his going without food, and here he lets on that he has been rigorously fasting for days, so much so that his body has lost all of its fat, his appearance has become gaunt and haggard. It seems that his physical state has encouraged his enemies to turn the screw even further, maybe they gleefully believe that their king is not long for this world! And so he becomes an object of scorn, the accusers shake their hands and snigger at his appearance and count down the days, or even the hours, before David will no longer be in this world. How evil and cruel they have become, not only do they find his emaciated appearance as comical, but they cannot wait for his demise. None of them believe that he can ever recover from this suffering, their dark and devious plans have reached their conclusion – and it is all a big joke! No wonder David had been so scathing in his vengeful criticism of these men, they were going to get everything they deserved but their judgement was in God’s hands. Food for thought?