Psalm 17 A Prayer of David

¹Hear a just cause, O Lord,

Attend to my cry;

Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.

²Let my vindication come from Your presence;

Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.

³You have tested my heart;

You have visited me in the night;

You have tried me and have found nothing;

I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

⁴Concerning the works of men,

By the word of Your lips,

I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.

⁵Uphold my steps in Your paths,

That my footsteps may not slip.

⁶I have called upon You, for You will hear me,

O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.

⁷Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,

O You who save those who trust in You

From those who rise up against them.

⁸Keep me as the apple of Your eye;

Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,

⁹From the wicked who oppress me,

From my deadly enemies who surround me.

¹⁰They have closed up their fat hearts;

With their mouths they speak proudly.

¹¹They have now surrounded us in our steps;

They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth,

¹²As a lion is eager to tear his prey,

And like a young lion lurking in secret places.

¹³Arise, O Lord, Confront him, cast him down;

Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword,

¹⁴With Your hand from men, O Lord,

From men of the world who have their portion in this life,

And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure.

They are satisfied with children,

And leave the rest of their possession for their babes.

¹⁵As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;

I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

Commentary 

Vs. 1-2 ¹Hear a just cause, O Lord,

Attend to my cry;

Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.

²Let my vindication come from Your presence;

Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.

Psalm 17 is a cry for justice, for the Lord to intercede on our behalf and give us justice, His people, from all of those who are oppressing and persecuting us, from those of this world who have rejected Him, who have now set us up as their target, but not for our sin, or for some wrong, but simply because of our faith In Christ, of our doing well, which they carefully watch and observe, and which only infuriates them, (think of Nehemiah and his building the wall), for our success comes from Him, for He not only enables us, but He does all our works within us (Isaiah 26:12; Eph. 3:20). Therefore, we are to them most hated.

Therefore, our cry for justice is right, our plea for the Lord to hear our prayers for His Help and His Intercession is just and sound. For our request does not come deceitful lips; we are not lying about what is being done to us; nor are we lying in wait like those who watch us with all manner of evil thoughts and show all manner of ill intentions towards us. Therefore, we ask that our vindication come from You, God our Father from Your Presence not only within us; which they also perceive and fear and hate; but Your Presence revealed to them as the God of all Justice and all Truth standing right beside us. For we know Your eyes will not look favorably upon all those who think and scheme evil against us, who want to discourage and trouble and overcome us by their plots and schemes, for they only follow their own darkened hearts and counsels, and recruit others to do the same, for they only rely upon themselves and their abilities to multiply and manipulate others, but we follow and depend upon You! And so though they now feel they have the upper hand, (as they are many and have all of this world’s resources behind them), and we are but one, alone and isolated, and seemingly easy prey for these wolves that stock and hunt us. You too are One, One Omnipresent and All Powerful and All Mighty God, and there is no one who can outwit nor overcome You! Therefore, we your people O Lord, make our prayer to You! 

Vs. 3 “You have tested my heart;

You have visited me in the night;

You have tried me and have found nothing;

I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.”

Therefore, the appeal is made to God our Lord and Savior that He look upon us, because He alone knows our hearts, (something which they do not know, but they only imagine us, and speak to others about us, in the worst possible light, so as to make us out to be one to be watched and feared and hated). And when that fails, or is inappropriate, then they turn their hounding and stocking us into “a game” by which they get others to join them in, and all for their own entertainment and pleasures. Nonetheless our God knows all of this, and He has tested us and proven us, proven all of their slanderous claims and lies about us as utter falsehoods. Therefore, He visits us in the night watches when we in frustration and tears cry out to Him, (for He hears our cries and pleas in the night), and He knows that there is no just cause for their ongoing harassment and treatment of us in this way! Therefore, with our mouths we have proposed not to transgress, not to transgress against God by lyingly speaking of them, as they so brazenly and fearlessly do of us!

Vs. 4 “Concerning the works of men,

By the word of Your lips,

I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.”

And even though their evil words and works against us demand a just retribution, “…By the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.” Therefore, I have not done, nor sought any vengeance, nor plotted any schemes against them! Indeed, when I could’ve taken justice to them, I showed them mercy and asked You for Your mercy!

Vs. 5 “Uphold my steps in Your paths,

That my footsteps may not slip.”

Therefore, O Lord, continue on Your goodness towards me, continue to guide me and uphold me in Your Paths, so that my footsteps may not slip, slip back into the deceitful pattern of life of those of this world who do not know You.  

Vs. 6-7 ⁶I have called upon You, for You will hear me,

O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.

⁷Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,

O You who save those who trust in You

From those who rise up against them.

Because I have called upon You and kept myself from the paths of the destroyer, O God please listen to me and help me, save me from those who have risen up against me, show me Your marvelous lovingkindness by doing this through Your righteous right hand, so that they may know that You have done this, that You alone are in control, (not them as they so arrogantly think), that You save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them (Isaiah 41:10-13).

Vs. 8-9 ⁸Keep me as the apple of Your eye;

Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,

⁹From the wicked who oppress me,

From my deadly enemies who surround me.

Keep me O Lord then as the apple of Your eye, as a most precious and protected one, hide me then under the shadow of Your wings from their evil sight, “from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me.” For their is no love of God in them. 

Vs. 10 “They have closed up their fat hearts;

With their mouths they speak proudly.”

For they have closed up their fat hearts, in their pride and self-sufficiency they have rejected You, rejected all Your counsels and truths, therefore they are incapable of knowing and understanding You. Indeed, with their mouths they only speak proudly of all that they have done, and are going to do.

Vs. 11-12 ¹¹They have now surrounded us in our steps;

They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth,

¹²As a lion is eager to tear his prey,

And like a young lion lurking in secret places.

Is it not so that the wicked so eagerly surround the righteous, that they always set their eyes upon us with all kinds of wicked thoughts and intentions, that they eagerly look for an opportunity to harm or betray us according to the slander they speak about us, and when they find it, they quickly seize upon it, just like the young stout lion who quickly leaps and latches itself unto its prey before tearing it to pieces.

Vs. 13-14 ¹³Arise, O Lord, Confront him, cast him down;

Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword,

¹⁴With Your hand from men, O Lord,

From men of the world who have their portion in this life,

And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure.

They are satisfied with children,

And leave the rest of their possession for their babes.

Please then arise O Lord, arise and confront him and cast him down, since they do and say such evil things about us and against us with no cause or justification for their doing so! For they think it all joy and pleasure to afflict, to hound, to harass the meek and poor, to cunningly oppress all who believe in You and declare You and Your Lordship openly! Please save us O Lord from them, from the men of this world who have their portion in this life, whose belly’s You fill, and whose lives You cause to overflow with abundance, (and so they will have no excuse on the day of judgment for their rejecting You!), indeed they are satisfied with their children, and from their abundance they leave an inheritance to them, while never even considering You!

Vs. 15 “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;

I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”

 This then is what we long for and are patiently waiting for, our being with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ forever!, when we receive our heavenly bodies, for then we will never have to hide from them again, for then we will never have to hear their evil words, nor see the evil works of this world ever again!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson. 

Psalm 16

 A Michtam of David.

¹Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.

²O my soul, you have said to the Lord,

“You are my Lord,

My goodness is nothing apart from You.”

³As for the saints who are on the earth,

“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”

⁴Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;

Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,

Nor take up their names on my lips.

⁵O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;

You maintain my lot.

⁶The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;

Yes, I have a good inheritance.

⁷I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;

My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

⁸I have set the Lord always before me;

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will rest in hope.

¹⁰For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

¹¹You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Preamble: To begin this Psalm is Messianic, it is quoted by the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:25-28 where he cites verses 8-11 from it in his declaration of the Risen Christ! The Apostle Paul also cites from this Psalm in Acts 13:35. Now there are some commentary's like Believers Bible Commentary who see not just that section, but this entire Psalm as Messianic, which is a valid assertion. For once again there are two parallel themes running through this entire Psalm given through David, describing not only himself but also our Lord.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.”

How many saints (i.e., believers) down through the ages have also cried out to God with that very same cry? God Himself only knows. For that is the cry of everyone who believes in God and holds fast to His Word, that He would keep and preserve them for His heavenly Kingdom. Now the Name of God used here is El, the Omnipotent One, our Preserver. Notice too the link between trusting God and asking Him to preserve one. Thus, not God plus…, but God alone is where our trust and hope must always be.

Vs. 2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord,

“You are my Lord,

My goodness is nothing apart from You.”

In crying out to the Lord for help there is an acknowledgment that one’s own goodness is nothing apart from Him. For no one stands approved before Him based on one’s own deeds or merits. God’s help then does not come to us because we are somehow good enough, but only because He is Good enough!

Vs. 3 As for the saints who are on the earth,

“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”

The saints on earth are God’s people, His chosen ones in every generation. Everyone then who believes in Him through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ is one of His saints. These then are the people whom we love, and have our affections and desires and longings to do good for. For just as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has His delight in all of His people, so He has given this desire to us all as well (1 John 5:1-2).

Vs. 4 “Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;

Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,

Nor take up their names on my lips.”

In taking our stand with God and His people, we are steadfastly set against all forms of idolatry, all forms of false worship, will have no place amongst us. For their “worship” is evil, and is only to worship demons not God (1 Cor. 10:19-22; 1 Tim. 4:1-3). Therefore, in remaining loyal to the One true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent we will not acknowledge, nor mention any other “god”. Nor will we acknowledge nor practice any of their their "religious" rites and rituals. Therefore we will not give them any place in our worship and service of God . For the Scripture is clear, those who do and pursue their demonic idolatrous practices, or embrace their false worship practices and ideas about God are only hastening their own sorrows, which again is something we will not do, nor partake with them in!

Vs. 5 “O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;

You maintain my lot.”

The Lord alone then is our portion, He is my inheritance, my cup from which I drink His living waters daily, for He alone maintains and sustains me.

Vs. 6 “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;

Yes, I have a good inheritance.”

Indeed, all that comes to us from Him is most pleasant, Yes by Him I have a good inheritance, which I will not forsake for anyone or anything! 

Vs. 7 “I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;

My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.”

Not just the Lord, and not just David, but every believer will bless the Lord for His exceedingly wise counsels! Counsels that have kept us from every evil and false way, counsels that have preserved and restored us when we lost our way! Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ is our Counselor, and by His Word He instructs us and guides us, even in the night seasons when we are kept awake by all of our problems and troubles our hearts return to His Word and its truths for our guidance, comfort, and consolation.

Vs. 8 “I have set the Lord always before me;

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”

 

Verses eight through eleven are unmistakably the Lord Jesus Christ’s own declaration. That said, the truths contained within them also belong to us who believe in Him. And in this the Lord is always at our right hand, (therefore access Him continually through prayer), for He will not allow anyone to snatch us away from Him (consider John 10:27-30). Therefore though we are shaken we shall not be moved from Him! 

Vs. 9 “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will rest in hope.”

Therefore my heart too is glad, and my glory rejoices, because my flesh will rest in hope of His resurrecting me along with everyone who believes in Him from the grave. This then is the cry of our Lord and Savior. For having set the Lord always before Him, Jesus is glad and His glory rejoices, because even in death His Glory will remain (vs. 10). He then can confidently assert that His flesh will rest in hope, that even before He was crucified, Jesus knew that He would Rise from the dead on the third day. Now because of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Resurrection from the dead, everyone who believes in Him can also rest in hope, that is go to their deaths in hope of likewise rising from the dead.

Vs. 10 “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”

Here then is the Lord Jesus Christ’s most confident assertion that God our Father would not abandon Him, not even in death, that His flesh would not even see corruption in the grave! Now as to Sheol, in the O.T. this was the grave (or better) the state of the dead, where one’s soul was separated from one’s body, thus here Jesus is boldly saying that even in death He would not be separated from His Father, and in further saying that God will not allow His Holy One to see corruption, this passage is clearly not referring to David, but is boldly foretelling of Christ’s own incorruption and Resurrection from the dead. Therefore, it is Scripturally impossible to deny the Resurrection from the dead, of both the Lord Jesus Christ’s and our own (Acts 2:29-32, 13:36-40; Heb. 13:20 etc.). For just as the Lord Jesus Christ has Risen from dead, so shall everyone be raised who believes in Him, who has died when He returns, i.e., His Second Coming (Matt. 24:30-31; 1 Cor. 15:22-23; 1 Thess. 5:13-18; 2 Thess. 2:1-4 etc.).

Vs. 11 “You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

In a finial victorious declaration, David foresees the Lord showing him the path of life, and thus of His bringing him (and us all who believe in Him) to new and everlasting life, where both he and us all who believe in Him will forever be in His Presence, forever experiencing His fullness of joy, where we will be forever at His right hand where there are pleasure forever more! Yes the Lord Jesus Christ by His Crucifixion death, Resurrection the dead, and then Accession back to God the Father in heaven has paved the way for us all. Therefore what are you waiting for call upon the Lord Jesus Christ and receive remission of all your sins and new and everlasting life! 

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson. 

Psalm 15

 A Psalm of David.

 ¹Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?

Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

²He who walks uprightly,

And works righteousness,

And speaks the truth in his heart;

³He who does not backbite with his tongue,

Nor does evil to his neighbor,

Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;

⁴In whose eyes a vile person is despised,

But he honors those who fear the Lord;

He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

⁵He who does not put out his money at usury,

Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?

Who may dwell in Your holy hill?”

In this Psalm David asks and answers some very poignant questions about who may dwell with the Lord in His Tabernacle. Now we know that these things were thought upon while as yet the Gospel (i.e., the New Covenant) had not yet been instituted. Nonetheless the principals spoken of here apply to us all, for though salvation is by God’s grace alone given (i.e., gifted) to us by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, there are sound principals here of living and pursing a righteous life after one believes, and thus is saved by the grace of God. For a life of sin that is not forsaken, is not wrestled against, cannot be a life that has been regenerated and transformed by God’s Holy Spirit.

Vs. 2 He who walks uprightly,

And works righteousness,

And speaks the truth in his heart;

 Three things initially come to David’s mind. First is walking uprightly, that is that one is honest and has integrity, for there is no place for dishonest or corrupt dealings in the Lord Jesus Christ’s Kingdom, thus doing justly towards all is foundational (Micah 6:8). Next mentioned is the working of righteousness, now this is broad in scope, but ultimately it comes down to willfully choosing to do and say what is right, even after one sins or falters, one is quick to own their own guilt and seek to make it right again. One then would rather loose their own reputation, than destroy another's in trying to “save” it. Third is that they speak truth from their heart, they don’t lie, they don’t tell half truths, they don’t seek to mislead or deceive others, they don’t speak with a double tongue, therefore when we give our word, we mean it and stand by it.

Vs. 3 “He who does not backbite with his tongue,

Nor does evil to his neighbor,

Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;”

The backbiter, the secret hater, the one who spreads malicious gossip and evil rumors about others will not be found in Christ’s Kingdom. Same with the one who does evil to his neighbor, (whether they are brethren or not), for no one can justify doing evil towards one’s neighbor in light of the Lord’s command to “love one’s neighbor as oneself.” Neither then will be found those who take up a reproach against their friend. For what kind of person would pass on gossip or information about their friend that they know would knowingly harm or ruin them. Not the kind of person that will be found in Christ’s Kingdom. This though obviously does not include protecting the guilty from lawful and just prosecution if one is called to bear witness by the police or in court etc. for we do not live by the criminals code of protecting the guilty (i.e., no "snitches"). 

Vs. 4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised,

But he honors those who fear the Lord;

He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

The Godly Person then makes clear moral distinctions, and we base all of these on the Word of God and nothing else. For it is clear vile people are not only being accepted in their repulsive lifestyles today, but also honored while doing so, which is something God would never do. Therefore, we do not accept, (and we certainly don’t honor), vile people in their vile lifestyles, (for those practicing such things will not be found in the Kingdom of heaven, 1 Cor. 6:17-21), rather we honor all those who fear the Lord, who hold fast to His Word and His unchangeable moral precepts and truths, even when it means suffering rejection, persecution, and even harm from those of this degenerating world.

Vs. 5 He who does not put out his money at usury,

Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

David then in considering what God approves of, of just what a Kingdom citizen looks like, also sees putting out one’s money at usury as an afront to all that is just and sound. For to lend out one’s money, but not as a means to help one in need, but only as a means to profit and gain from others in need, is also terribly abhorrent and acting completely contrary to God’s law (consider Ex. 22:25; Lev. 25:35-38; Deut. 15:7-11; 23:19-20; 1 John 3:17 etc.). Same with the taking of bribes against the innocent; and thus, completely perverting justice for the sake of one’s own evil gain is something that no believer should ever do. Everyone then who shuns doing such evil and horrible things is showing themselves to have God’s heart, mind and will in their own hearts and minds and will. In concluding then David says he who does these things, shall never be moved.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson. 

Psalm 14

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

 ¹The fool has said in his heart,

“There is no God.”

They are corrupt,

They have done abominable works,

There is none who does good.

²The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,

To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.

³They have all turned aside,

They have together become corrupt;

There is none who does good,

No, not one.

⁴Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,

Who eat up my people as they eat bread,

And do not call on the Lord?

⁵There they are in great fear,

For God is with the generation of the righteous.

⁶You shame the counsel of the poor,

But the Lord is his refuge.

⁷Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!

When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people,

Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

Commentary

Vs. 1 The fool has said in his heart,

“There is no God.”

They are corrupt,

They have done abominable works,

There is none who does good.

To deny God in heaven who created everything and everyone, who also sustains everything and everyone in the universe and beyond is to only be the ultimate fool. For it is to Him that all of living creation are responsible too, and will give an accounting of themselves. Now as this Psalm reveals this supreme folly of unbelief of the fool begins in their heart and then works itself out from there. And so, first they convince themselves that there is no God, that there will not be any accounting for what they conceive and do, and then they set about doing and pursuing all that their depraved hearts and minds desire. For when ones says that there is no God in their hearts they by their own choice have then chosen to separate themselves from Him, to remove themselves from His moral guidance, salvation, and ultimately redemption. Now sometimes this happens very slowly and gradually, and sometimes rather quickly, but as one does so, one begins to lose their moral conscience, they begin to lose their sense of meaning and purpose in this life, and so they begin to lose their desire to be socially and morally responsibility towards their fellow human beings. For when God ceases to exist in their heart then it doesn’t really matter to them what one says and does to others, because without God in heaven now restraining them, they themselves will now become their own “god,” and live by and do whatever their own lessoning and degenerating consciences desire to do. Thus, they will do wicked works, they will do abominable and terrible things, just as every sinner unleased does. And so, as this becomes the growing trend in society, society is faced with only two options, turn back from their wicked works and ways, or continue on in them, growing more and more headstrong and hardened in them. Which is how this world will hasten its own end, not through man made environmental disasters (i.e., climate change, though these will increase where man rules himself and lives for himself for his own greed and desires), but through the moral change. For when humanity collectively casts off God, and that with now full knowledge of Him through the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, there can be but only one end! For just as that was the end and undoing of ancient Pharaoh in Egypt in the days of Moses; and has been and undoing of everyone who also hardens themselves against God since; so that will be the collective end of this world, as God will increase His Judgments on it, just as He did in the days of Pharaoh. 

 Now from this Psalm the Apostle Paul in the N.T. rightly quotes from it in Romans chapter 3, to put all of humanity under sin, recalling that “there is none who does good, no not one” (Rom. 3:10). For that is the cry of Gospel that all people everywhere are sinners. That all people in every generation are born into Adams sin, and thus all people everywhere are in need of God’s salvation, (which is first the Atonement of our sins through the Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross, then the regeneration, i.e., rebirth of our person, of our being born-again by God’s Holy Spirit, by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, by His Holy Spirit in us, because by His Resurrection from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ has conquered death for us all who believe in Him, and thus He Himself has made the way for everlasting life to be given to us by His Holy Spirit, which God poured out into this world after Jesus Ascended forty days later back to heaven to take His seat on His Throne which His Father has prepared for Him. And so now He waits until all His enemies are made His footstool before He begins His everlasting Reign! “For the wages of sin is death…”, that is universal, “…but the gift of God is eternal life by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 6:23), that though is not though universally applied, but it is universally offered and available to all, and is given to everyone who believes in Him! For when Adan sinned, he first died spiritually, and so he along with Eve his wife both died spiritually, and thus they became separated from God because of their sin. Therefore, since we all are descended from them, we are all also born into that sin, and thus that Spiritually dead state, born into this world separated and alienated from God as well, and thus in need of His salvation, and thus in need of His reconciling us to Himself, which He has now done and we can now have by our own faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Vs. 2-3 ²The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,

To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.

³They have all turned aside,

They have together become corrupt;

There is none who does good,

No, not one.

Verses two and three then carry on this theme of humanities universal condemnation, that there is none who understands God, (or is even capable of understanding God in of themselves, for the worlds many depraved cultural practices and traditions, depraved religions and religious practices and teachings all prove this out, and so the charge is just). For there is none who understands Him, who seeks to know Him..., instead humanity down through the ages has turned aside from Him, and sought to built their own societies and cultures, and thus live their lives, independent of Him, thus they have all together become corrupt, they have all together gone astray. for apart from Him there is none who does good, no not one, everyone has mixed and corrupted motives. Therefore because of prevailing sin, and humanities propensities for it, we in of ourselves are not even capable of knowing Him and understanding Him as He should be known and understood, and that is in Holiness. Now we know that because of this (because our our own innate inabilities to do so) the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, came into this world as a Man, and brought what was once totally far off and completely impossible for us to do and attain too, to draw near too, and that is God Himself. He then has not only brought God near to us all, but He has also now given to us all a right and true understanding of God (John 1:17). For He is our Teacher, for He is God's Son and Chosen Prophet, He then is our only Lord and Savior! Verses one to three like so many prophetic passages in the Scripture speak then not just to an age or situation or circumstance then, (of humanity having  turned aside, turned to their own vices and devices and sought to build their societies and live their own lives apart from Him) but as is often the case, God through them is conveying to us, through His prophets, His Word and truth for us all.

Vs. 4-5 ⁴Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,

Who eat up my people as they eat bread,

And do not call on the Lord?

⁵There they are in great fear,

For God is with the generation of the righteous.

It is then the workers of iniquity who do not believe, who set themselves against God, who then turn against His people. And as they do so they only become more and more emboldened in their ways as they seek to destroy every remembrance of God by seeking to destroy His people. These then do not repent and believe, (call on the Name of the Lord), as is offered to every sinner, but they only store up great wrath and judgment upon themselves! For God is fully aware of them all, and He at His appointed time will bring their own fear and end to fruition. “For God is with the generation of the righteous.”

Vs.6 “You shame the counsel of the poor,

But the Lord is his refuge.”

Such is their pride that they only scoff at the counsels of the poor, of those who are meek and humble, of everyone who sees their own need and repents and believes!

Vs. 7 “Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!

When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people,

Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.”

In closing there is a great declaration and desire for the future glory of God, of His finial Deliverance and Salvation of all of His people. At that time all of Israel will rejoice and be glad as these will be God's finial people to experience His Salvation and Deliverance!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson. 

Psalm 13

 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

¹How long, O Lord?

Will You forget me forever?

How long will You hide Your face from me?

²How long shall I take counsel in my soul,

Having sorrow in my heart daily?

How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

³Consider and hear me,

O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes,

Lest I sleep the sleep of death;

⁴Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”;

Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

⁵But I have trusted in Your mercy;

My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

⁶I will sing to the Lord,

Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Commentary

Vs. 1-2 ¹How long, O Lord?

Will You forget me forever?

How long will You hide Your face from me?

²How long shall I take counsel in my soul,

Having sorrow in my heart daily?

How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

Four times the question is asked. “How long?” “How long Lord…,”, “How long will…”, “Will You forget me forever?”, “Will you hide Your face from me?”, “How long shall I have sorrow in my heart?”, How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Think about those statements, because in them is your and my plight, maybe not right now, but at some point, we will all face our greatest fears. For have you ever felt abandoned by the Lord? Have you ever felt that He has forgotten you? When your prayers go unanswered and you’re seeking His face does not produce the results you want. Have you ever hit the skids of depression and thought, when will this cloud of darkness lift? Or have you ever experienced your enemy, you know the one who says and spreads all kind of evil rumors about you, and yet who always seems to hold the favor of everyone, who always gets promoted before you, (who always seems to have all of life’s blessings come their way) even while working for and plotting your ruin behind the scenes. Then you can identify with this Psalm, with its cries for help, with its cries for justice.

Vs. 3-4 Consider and hear me,

O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes,

Lest I sleep the sleep of death;

⁴Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”;

Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

In stating his case David now asks the Lord to consider him, consider what is happening to him, to enlighten his eyes (which is to say to heal him), to undo all their plots against him, and lift the clouds of darkness from him, to restore the joy of the Lord to him, “lest I sleep the sleep of death”, lest his enemies say, “I have prevailed against him.” Lest they see him downtrodden and defeated and rejoice because he has been moved to despair by them.

Vs. 5-6 ⁵But I have trusted in Your mercy;

My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

⁶I will sing to the Lord,

Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Now if they thought by afflicting David, they would destroy him or his faith, truly shows how arrogantly stupid they all really are. For rather then destroying him or his faith in the Lord, all they have done is awakened it, awakened him to draw much nearer and deeper to the Lord. To once again find his strength and solace in the Lord, in rejoicing in His salvation and delighting himself in Him for all that He has done for Him. This then is the defense of everyone who believes in the Lord, who does not forsake His saints, but we are established with Him on His Throne forever! Whatever then happens to us in this life, is just fleeting and passing until we go Home to be with Him forever!

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson. 

 

Psalm 12

To the Chief Musician. On An Eight-Stringed Harp. A Psalm of David.

¹Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases!

For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.

²They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;

With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

³May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,

And the tongue that speaks proud things,

⁴Who have said,

“With our tongue we will prevail;

Our lips are our own;

Who is lord over us?”

⁵“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,

Now I will arise,” says the Lord;

“I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”

⁶The words of the Lord are pure words,

Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,

Purified seven times.

⁷You shall keep them, O Lord,

You shall preserve them from this generation forever.

⁸The wicked prowl on every side,

When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

 

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases!

For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.”

In these unsettling times where there is a rapid decay of all moral sanity, this psalm resonates with us all who know and believe the truth. Yes, there is religion, there is always religion, but religious service is not what God wants from us, especially not according to commandments men (Matt. 15:1-9). He wants our hearts, souls, and minds to belong to Him and to be loyal to His Son Jesus Christ by keeping His commandments, for that covers everything. For when one is faithful to God through His Word, He shows Himself strong on their behalf (2 Chr. 16:9). Now in standing up for God’s truth we must not be lawless or riotous demonstrators, (who think being treated unjustly in times present or times past somehow now justifies their own unjust and lawless actions towards others). We must not then partake of or align ourselves with those who blockade public or private propriety or institutions, who think that by “force of arms”, or “strength of numbers” they can impose their will, or their brand of “freedom” on others. We must not then threaten, intimidate, or harass anyone who does not agree with us, for not only is that deeply wrong in the sight of God, “as love does no harm to one’s neighbor” (Rom. 13:10), but that is the play of all of those who are only weak and insecure in themselves, in their own convictions and beliefs. For our beliefs are strong, being born out of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thus are kept in our renewed hearts and minds as Christ’s disciples. For His commandments are ours, deeply held in our hearts and minds and always to be practiced in our own lives and congregations. Therefore, just as we ask the world not to impose their Godless morality on us, neither then do we seek to impose God’s Law on them. For in their declaring a separation of church and state, we also agree with and embrace the same, and so we ask that the state not impose its Godless morality on us, for we cannot, and will not obey that. For our loyalty first and foremost is to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel, thus we are not hostile towards anyone. But instead, we are proclaimers of God's Good News found in Jesus Christ that there is hope and redemption and regeneration and transformation through God’s Holy Spirit for every sinner who repents and believes. For that is our message to everyone. To turn to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and receive remission of all of your sins and have new and everlasting life! For where there is upheaval in this world, it is of the world’s own making, for in rejecting God’s salvation through His Son, they are only left with their own degenerate and degenerating morality, as God gives those who reject Him over to a debased mind to do and pursue all that will only ruin them in the end, when they reject Him and His Word for us all given through His Son (Rom. 1:16-32). Do not then end up like those who are only storing up great wrath upon themselves, as God in His merciful longsuffering forbearance and kindness still wants all to come to repentance and believe before His Son Returns to Judge then Rule the World in Righteousness. But He will not impose His salvation on anyone. 

If anything written here has reached you, has given you cause to pause and think then thank God that your heart is not hardened, that there is still hope for you, and consider that God’s longsuffering towards you, towards all people is so that they might repent and believe so that they may have (you may have) remission of all your sins and everlasting life the moment you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:9-10, 13; Eph. 1:13-14). Therefore, do not delay, Call on the Lord Jesus Christ today!

 Vs. 2 “They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;

With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.”

Returning then to the Psalm here then is the manner of their persons, first is they speak idly with their neighbors, that is they indulge in all forms of lies and deceptions, whether these are half truths, gross exaggerations, or fragrant lies meant to manipulate and deceive others, they speak these with neither fear of God, nor with any regard for how these will affect people. For if being knowingly deceitful brings about their desired results then they are okay with it. However, nobody who knowingly lies too, deceives, or manipulates another belongs to Christ. Therefore, if they profess to be Christian, yet they are only forwarding all kinds of lying conspiracy theories do not believe them, for they are only liars and deceivers who do so, (who seek to profit or benefit from the same), and thus they are only doing the devils work, not the Lords! For where there is confusion and chaos being sown through lies and deceptions that is always the devils work! Therefore, do yourselves a favor and stay away from such people.

Second thing mentioned is that they are people of flattery, they use and know how to use insincere compliments to sway people to either use them or manipulate them in some way. These sorts of people then are very dangerous because we all like to be seen in a certain light, and when they perceive this about us, guaranteed they will speak what we always wanted to hear about ourselves. Beware then of flattery and those who use it!

Third they speak with a double heart; thus, they speak one thing openly while holding something quite different in their heart. And so you can never take anything they say to you say at face value, because there is always some agenda behind it. Indeed they can even profess loyalty to Christ on one hand while not having any love for Him in their hearts. This then works its way down through their beliefs and practices towards others as well. Jesus warned us not to believe everyone who confesses Him as Lord, especially when their lives and actions do not line up with Him. For false brethren, false teachers, false prophets, people of duplicity, exist in every generation. Be discerning and beware of them.

Vs. 3-4 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,

And the tongue that speaks proud things,

⁴Who have said,

“With our tongue we will prevail;

Our lips are our own;

Who is lord over us?”

In light of these things David asks that the Lord to cut off all flattering lips, to cut out all tongues which speak lies so boastfully and proudly, who in their rejection of the Lord now think and speak and live like that they are it and there is no one else. Now this He will do at His Judgment seat (Prov. 10:31).

Vs. 5 “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,

Now I will arise,” says the Lord;

“I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”

Who then always suffers at their hands, is it not the poor and needy? is it not the meek and humble who are always their victims? Victims of the proud and mighty of this world. Therefore, because the Lord loves these, He will arise for their cause, He will set us in the safety for which we yearn! For the Day is Coming when the Lord will Judge the World in Righteousness by His Truth (Ps. 96:13; 98:9)! Woe to the proud and wicked then, for a full repayment for what they have done will be rendered to them!

Vs. 6 “The words of the Lord are pure words,

Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,

Purified seven times.”

Unlike their deceptions, half truths and outright lies, God’s Word is truth, pure unchangeable, unalterable holy truth, from everlasting to everlasting it remains the same unchanged! For God does not morally pollute it, or spiritually corrupt it by mixing it with the dross of this world. He does not sell it or prostitute it to the highest bidder. He does not change it, or altar it to suite the desires, or meet the "needs" of mankind, like this worlds “truth” so quickly and easily is. Indeed truth that is changed to suite mankind’s degenerating moral and social conscience is not truth, it’s a horror!

Vs. 7 “You shall keep them, O Lord,

You shall preserve them from this generation forever.”

God then will keep and preserve us all who believe in Him from this generation, He will hold us safe and secure who hold fast to Him and His Word, forever!

Vs. 8 “The wicked prowl on every side,

When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.”

Here then is the cause for all of the social upheaval that we all now see. For in exalting vileness, in  seeking to normalize it in the collective social conscience, they have now given way and right to the wicked to run rampant as well. For you cannot embrace one and not have the other, for they always go hand in hand. Thus, all the unmitigated violence, all the social upheaval and unrest that we all now see and are experiencing (and which will only get worse) all comes from their exalting vileness amongst the sons of men.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.