PRAY LIKE DAVID PRAY (PSALM 17)
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A woman who had been bitten by a dog and was advised by her physician to write her last wishes, as she might succumb to hydrophobia. She spent so long with pencil and paper that the doctor finally remarked something about how long the will would be. “What will?” she snorted. “I’m writing a list of the people I’m going to bite!” (Illustrations of Bible Truths # 886)
The name of David is inseparable from the book of Psalms. David’s name is mentioned 88 times in the book of Psalms and more than 55 of the 150 psalms in the Psalter are titled as “a psalm of David,” but only two psalms credited as “a prayer of David” in the Bible (Ps 17:1, 86:1), so bear in mind this is uniquely a prayer, then a psalm and a poem.
How is your prayer life? What do you pray for? Why is prayer more than just feel good and essential in everyday life and do you handle unfavorable circumstances and undesirable elements in life? What
Call for the Lord’s Assessment
1 Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry. Hear my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips. 2 Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right. 3 Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed. 4 Though people tried to bribe me, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent through what your lips have commanded. 5 My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled. 6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me (Psalm 17:1-6)
A widow who had successfully raised a very large family was being interviewed by a reporter. In addition to six children of her own, she had adopted 12 other youngsters, and through it all she had maintained stability and an air of confidence. When asked the secret of her outstanding accomplishment, her answer to the newsman was quite surprising. She said “I managed so well because I'm in a partnership!” “What do you mean?” he inquired. The woman replied, “Many years ago I said, 'Lord, I'll do the work and You do the worrying.' And I haven't had an anxious care since.”
The two psalms credited as “a prayer of David” in the Bible (Ps 17:1, 86:1) both psalms begin with a thunderous and tenacious imperative (Ps 86:1). The imperative “hear” means to hearken, heed and honor. Hearing is not to challenge God or to show His ability, answer or advocacy, but to call on Him and seek His assessment, assurance and affirmation. The Hebrew has no “me” (NIV “hear me”) or the article “the” (, “the right”). It is objective inspection and interrogation, and not subjective interference and intervention. The subject at hand is righteousness (tsedeq, from which “sadducces” is derived), of which three psalms (Ps 4:1, 17:1, 58:1) address it right off the bat in verse 1, but none pleads for righteousness more forcefully and fervently at the top from the start with an imperative like Psalm 17. In the Bible it is better to practice righteousness than religion because a righteous man fears and follows God and not flatter or favor men. A righteous man is one who does not engage in folly, falsehood or friction.
There are three imperatives up to verse 5, all in verse 1.The first “hear” is the famous “Shema” passage of Deuteronomy (Deut 6:3, 4), the regular word for “hear.” The next “listen” comes with the word “cry,” of which there is more “cry” (v 1, “listen to my cry”) in Psalms than any book in the Bible. The third imperative “hear” is different in Hebrew from the first “hear” in verse 1. The first is the call to prayer, the second is the cry (listen to my cry), and the third is the conscience (it does not rise from deceitful lips).
What are we to pray for? Vindication (v 2) is mostly translated as “judgement.” The psalmist’s appeal is for vindication and not vengeance, righteousness and not self-righteousness, objectivity and not merely outcome, for God to preside and not punish.
The psalmist’s righteousness is not from pretension, pride or popularity. The audience is heavenly not horizontal, the aim is judgment not justification, and the activity is long-term not short-term. The verb “probe/prove” (v 3) is more final and finished outcome in Hebrew than the open and ongoing investigation in NIV. It is translated as prove (Ps 17:3), tried (1 Chron 29:17), examine (Ps 26:2). The second verb “examine” is “visit” in Hebrew, which is closer to home. The last verb “test” (v 3) is translated as goldsmiths (Neh 3:8), pure (Ps 119:140), cast (Isa 40:19), refine (Isa 48:10), melt (Jer 6:29). One is the heart, the other is the home – the residence and lodging, and the last is the heat. The first (prove) is the permission, the second (visit) is the place, the third (test) is the process, the last is the product or purpose. The first is by law, the second is at the lodging, and the third is in the lab. The first is investigation, second is intimate, and the last is intense.
The important thing for a righteous person or a righteous deed is to be motivated properly and purely, peacefully and positively, not merely passionately or proudly, perversely or politically. The verb “plan” - double “no” in Hebrew (v 3, I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed) is traditionally mostly translated as thought (Deut 19:19), purposed (Ps 17:3) and devised (Ps 31:13), a verb that originated from the tower of Babel (Gen 11:6, imagined), nothing is beyond their intention or imagination. The psalmist’s battles are for “my heart” (v 3), “my lips” and “my footsteps” (v 5).
The moral contrast is strong and sharp in the psalm.
My cry, my lips, v 1
Your face (you), your eyes, v 2
My heart, v 3
My mouth, v 3
Your lips (v 4)
My path, my footsteps (v 5)
The fourfold body references are His presence (face), his perspective (v 2, your eyes), His permission (v 4, your lips) and His path (v 5, your paths). The first is his company and closeness, the second his comprehension and care, the third His commands and conviction, and the fourth His counsel and correction. The first is to be “by His side,” the second is to be “in His sight,” the third is to be “in the Scriptures,” and the last is to be “in His steps.”
Continue in the Lord’s Abundance
6 …turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. 7 Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. 8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings 9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. 10 They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance. 11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground. 12 They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a fierce lion crouching in cover. (Psalm 17:6-12)
Abraham Lincoln said, “Quarrel not at all. No man resolved to make the most of himself can spare time for personal contention. Still less can he afford to take all the consequences, including the vitiating (weakening) of his temper and loss of self-control. Yield larger things to which you can show no more than equal right; and yield lesser ones, though clearly your own. Better give your path to a dog than be bitten by him in contesting for the right. Even killing the dog would not cure the bite.”
Righteousness begins with oneself, not others. It is a plea, a prompting and a pathway to God, not others. It is never permanent, perfect or predominant in this world. The next section begins with a solid and spirited imperative again, but this time with verbs associated with more intimacy, involvement and intensity. The verb “turn” (v 6 “turn your ear”) is “incline” in KJV, elsewhere translated as stretched out (Ex 6:6), spread (Gen 33:19), incline (Josh 24:23), extended (Ezra 7:28) and prolong (Job 15:29). It is to come, curl, coil, contort, and curve closer. The next strong imperative “hear” is integral and important because both “hear” verbs (v 1, 6) are in the imperative, but this time is to hear “my speech.” Unlike the personal pronoun “my” in previous verses (My cry, my lips, v 1; my heart, my mouth, v 3; my path, my footsteps, v 5), the personal pronoun “your” is sharper from verse 6: your ear (v 6), your right hand (v 7), your eye and your wings (v 8).
The imperative “show” is translated as be separated (Ex 33:16), set apart (Ps 4:3) and wonderfully made (Ps 139:14). Verse 7 has two “your” in Hebrew – your lovingkindness and “your hand,” but your hand is a subordinate clause, so the focus and force is on lovingkindness. Love is chesed in Hebrew, which is not exactly love. It is found most in Psalms – a record-breaking 129 times in Psalms versus the next most book of a mere 12 times in 2 Samuel. In the words of a popular song it is “Thy ‘lovingkindness’ is better than life” (Ps 63:3). Someone once said, “Chesed is more than love and greater than kindness.” Many translations use a double word to translate its abundance, affluence and amount, from lovingkindness in KJV to steadfast love in RSV (Ps 5:7) to unfailing love (Psa 6:4, 13:5, 18:50, 21:7, 26:3, 31:16, 32:10, 33:22, 36:7, 52:8, 62:12, 77:8, 85:7, 94:18, 107:8, 15, 21, 31, 109:26, 119:41, 138:2, 143:8, 12, 147:11), unfailing kindness (2Sa 22:51, Jer 31:3), and great love (Psa 5:7, 89:49, 106:45, Lam 3:22) in NIV. Chesed is relational love not emotional love, covenantal promise not cheap grace, permanent love and not passing love.
The last imperative “keep” (v 8, “Keep me as the apple of your eye”) means to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc. English phrases include keep up, keep fit, keep going. It is to protect, preserve and persevere. It means present and not past, updated and not dated, outdated, postdated, backdated. The verb “hide” (v 8) is not an imperative.
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The first part of David’s prayer has to do with self, but the second has to do with the opponents and their oppression. They are regarded as foes (v 7), the wicked (v 9) and “my mortal enemies.” They destroy/oppress and surround/strike (v 9), close up their callous hearts (v 10) and spoke with arrogance (v 10), tracked David down (v 11) and surround him. The highlight is the two purposes (v 11, 12) of the wicked.
The first of two purpose infinitive “to throw” (v 11), a repetition of the verb “turn” in verse 6, more or less translated as pitch (Gen 12:8), stretched out (Ex 6:6), spread (Gen 33:19), incline (Josh 24:23), extended (Ezra 7:28) and prolong (Job 15:29).To throw to the ground means to shame, sink, stamp, squash and smash others. The direction is downward, top down.
The second of the wicked’s two purpose infinitives is to prey, translated as rent in pieces (Gen 37:33), torn in pieces (Gen 44:28), ravin (Gen 49:27), feed (Prov 30:8) and catch (Ezek 19:3). It is to shatter, shred, split, splinter and sever. The first purpose is to crumble and collapse, the second is to crash and crush. It means no possibility of return, remain or revenge. The direction is sideward. The first infinitive is to fall and the second is to flatten, to topple versus to tear.
Count on the Lord’s Authority
13 Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down; with your sword rescue me from the wicked. 14 By your hand save me from such people, Lord, from those of this world whose reward is in this life. May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies; may their children gorge themselves on it, and may there be leftovers for their little ones. 15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. (Psalm 17:13-15)
If you want to be distressed -- look within.
If you want to be defeated -- look back.
If you want to be distracted -- look around.
If you want to be dismayed -- look ahead.
If you want to be delivered -- look up!
The last thing in prayer is to take it to God, not take it into one’s own hands. The first four verbs are imperatives. The phrase “Arise O Lord” is found only once outside of Psalms (2 Chron 6:41), but is popular to Psalms (Ps 7:6, 9:19, 10:12, 132:8). The verb “confront/disappoint” (v 13) is understated. The translated is met (Deut 23:4), prevent (2 Sam 22:6), come before (2 Kings 19:32) and disappoint (Ps 17:13). The prayer goes for the outcome, to disappoint, not just confront. It is more damaging, decisive, not debating or deciding. Rise is call to start action, confront is the call to stop before it begins.
Rise up Confront Bring…down Rescue
Start Stop Shame Save
Rise Resist Ruin Rescue
Decide Defend Defeat Deliver
The verb “bring down/cast down” is translated as stooped (Gen 49:9), couched, as a great lion (Num 24:9), bowed (Judg 5:27), brought me very low (Judg 11:35), kneeling (1 Kings 8:54), fell (2 Kings 1:13), sunk down (2 Kings 9:24), feeble (Job 4:4), cast him down (Ps 17:13). This is call to shame. “Rise” and bring “down” are contrasts.
The final imperative “rescue” (v 14) is translated as deliverer (2 Sam 22:2), escape (Ps 71:2), carry it away safe (Isa 5:29).
The first imperative (arise) is the outcry, the second (confront) is the objection, the second (bring down) is the offense, the third (rescue) is the outcome. The first is the determination and drive, the second is the disruption and the detention, the second is damage and disgrace, the third is the deliverance and the delight.
Conclusion: How do you handle life? Do you curse it, choose it or correct and change it? Do you consider your life a disaster or a delight, a dream or a drama, a design or a dud, a distinction or a deceit?
The lyrics of the hymn “What A Friend We have in Jesus” remind us:
What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged, Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful? Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge— take it to the Lord in prayer;
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there.
