By Jay T. Robertson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, University of Mobile
GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS
Psalm 5:1–12
David prayed Psalm 5 in the morning as he considered another day of contending with his enemies. “Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock at night. Devotion should be both the morning star and the evening star,” Charles Spurgeon wrote. Psalm 5 is an individual lament psalm and the first instance of a psalm with prayers for the punishment of enemies.
The Source of Righteousness (1–6)
In the midst of a distressful situation, David cried out to God with urgency and expectation. David pleaded with the Lord to pay careful attention to him and his sufferings. The three imperatives utilized by David in verses 1–2 (“listen to,” “consider” and “pay attention”) reveal the intensity with which David prayed to the Lord for deliverance and justice.
David also addressed God with three different designations: “Lord,” “my King” and “my God.” David may have been the divinely appointed king of Israel, but he fully understood that God was the ultimate King of Israel and all the earth. David demonstrated his personal reverence for God and his unwavering confidence in Him during this challenging time of distress.
“In the morning” signifies the priority and persistence of prayer in David’s life. The first waking thought he had in the morning was to go to God for help so he could handle the pressures of the day. It also implied persistence.
As David faced many challenges throughout his life, he kept on asking, seeking and knocking for God to open the door of His storehouse and provide for his needs. We also are to persist in prayer even if the answer of God is delayed.
Because God is righteous and just, He does not delight in wickedness and He hates evildoers. The proud will not stand up to God and survive. They will receive justice at the Judgment. Secret sin on earth is open scandal in heaven.
The terms David used to describe the wicked in verses 4–6 shed some light on what his enemies were attempting to do to him. Through arrogant boasting, lying, violence and treachery, they were seeking to remove David from the throne and replace him illegitimately.
The Benefit of Righteousness (7–10)
David starkly contrasted himself with his enemies. They were haughty while he was humble. Godly people recognize that they come before God only through “the abundance of Your faithful love.” It is because of God’s lovingkindness that David could approach the Lord and fellowship with Him. He responded to God’s mercy, kindness, goodness and faithfulness by bowing before the Lord in reverential awe.
Believers respond to God’s righteousness and mercy by desiring to live a life that reflects God’s righteousness and mercy. David prayed for God to direct his way as he faced his enemies. He prayed that God would reveal their guilt, bring them to judgment through their own schemes and drive them out. David prayed for God to punish the evildoers because they had rebelled against God when they attacked God’s anointed king.
God’s Blessing on the Righteous (11–12)
David prayed for the just ends of the wicked according to God’s revealed standard of justice (Deut. 25:1), and he urged those who are regarded as righteous by God’s grace to celebrate His blessings joyfully.
David concluded the psalm by expressing the assurance enjoyed by the faithful. He prayed that the truly faithful will always rejoice in the Lord and be assured of His care and provision.
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