May the Reader be blessed: Psalms 143 with commentary The following is adapted from my original manuscript notes “Meditations on the Psalms” Written between 2003-2010 Psalm 143:1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness. 2 Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous. 143:2 None Righteous ● Compare Psalms 14:2-3; 14:3; and Romans 3:10, and notes to same. 3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead. 4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is distressed. 5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. 6 I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah 7 Answer me speedily, O LORD; My spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, Lest I be like those who go down into the pit. 8 Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. 9 Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; In You I take shelter. 10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. 11 Revive me, O LORD, for Your names sake! For Your righteousness sake bring my soul out of trouble. 12 In Your mercy cut off my enemies, And destroy all those who afflict my soul; For I am Your servant. (Psa 143:1-12 NKJ) 143:1-12 Seriously Depressed ● A serious case of depression (vv. 3-7). Too bad David didn’t have a good psychologist to give him years of therapy to deal with his issues. (Issues which probably stemmed from his abused childhood: having to go out alone and care for sheep in all manner of inclement weather and dangers, being picked on by his brothers). Or perhaps a psychiatrist was really what he needed, to give him Zoloft, or Prozac, or some other drug to take away his pain.— NOT! ● Here as in other psalms, David is descried as being in a severe state of depression (vv.3-7). Yet, even in the midst of his suffering, he recognized that ultimately his help, his deliverance, was to be found in the LORD. In the LORD’s presence, v. 7. In the LORD’s lovingkindness, v. 8. In trusting the LORD’s guidance, v.8.In the LORD’s deliverance, v. 9 In the knowledge and application of the LORD’s will, v. 10. ● David did not turn to those wise in the ways of the world, the astrologers, the necromancers, worldly counselors, etc. He turned to the God of creation, and in Him, he ultimately found his deliverance. Practical Application ● The cure for depression is not in worldly counselors or pills. It is in a right relationship with our Creator, God. PSALM 14:2-3 2 The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. 3 They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one. (Psa 14:2-3 NKJ) 14:2-3 None Righteous ● God repeats this theme that, there is none righteous, none who look for God. Cf. Psalm 53:2-3l; Romans 3:10-12. ● How do we account for Noah, “a just man, perfect in his generation” (cf. Genesis 6:9)? Or, Abraham, “he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (cf. Genesis 15:6)? ● The answer is found in God. ● As to the first, if God says, “there is none righteous,” then there is none righteous, period. Therefore any righteousness attributed to any person must be a foreign righteousness. Paul confirms this in Romans chapter 4. There, Paul describes the righteousness that God Himself imputes or attributes to individuals on account of faith. This too is confirmed in the case of Noah. Genesis 6:8 states clearly that, “Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” Now, we know that grace is not something earned. ● As to the second part, there is none who seeks after God. This too is true. None of the Bible greats, Noah, Abraham, Paul, etc, were looking for God. He, God, the creator of everything, approached them! They, for their part, responded in faithful obedience. 14:3 None Who Does Good ● This also is a truth that is repeated in Scripture. That there is None who does good; cf. Psalm 53:1,3; Romans 3:12. Also the LORD Jesus’ own words in Matthew 19:17 “Why do you call Me good? There is no one good but One, that is God.” ● This does not deny that people, even the most wicked of people cannot do “good deeds”. What it does teach however is that even our “good deeds” are in fact, sinful. Not in themselves as such, but from the lack in the person doing them. Proverbs 21:4 says, “A haughty look, a proud heart, And the plowing [Or lamp] of the wicked are sin.” Now we know that plowing (a field) is a morally neutral act. How then can it be sin? Because, in the case of an unbeliever, it is merely another means by which he may continue in his life of unbelief. Now, if a morally neutral act can be sin, it is not unreasonable to accept that a morally good act (say, feeding the poor) in itself, performed for the wrong reason(s), is not “good”. Therefore, there is none [outside of God and those united to Him through Christ] who does good, cf. Psalm 16:2b, “my goodness is nothing apart from You.” ROMANS 3:10-12 10 As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one. (Rom 3:10-12 NKJ)
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 11:11:26 +0000
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