Psalm 17: Hear me LORD
Hear me LORD, my plea is just and
Listen to my cry and hear my prayer, hear my prayer,
Hear my cry, hear it LORD. It does not rise from lying lips,
So may my vindication come from you LORD,
May your eyes see what is right.
Though you probe my heart and you
Examine me at night, and test me,
You will find that I have planned no evil.
My mouth has not transgressed.
Though some people tried to bribe me,
I have kept myself from violent ways,
Through what your lips they have commanded me.
My feet have not slipped.
I will call on God who answers,
Turn your ear and hear my prayer
And give an answer to me LORD,
For God you hear my prayer.
Show me wonders of your great love,
You who save by your right hand,
All those who take their refuge
From their foes and hide in you
Keep me as the apple of your eye
And hide me ‘neath your wings,
Far from my mortal enemies surrounding me,
Who’re out to destroy me.
They close up their callous hearts,
And their mouths speak with arrogance,
They’ve tracked me down
And now they have surrounded me.
With their eyes alert, they throw me
To the ground; they’re like a lion
Whose hungry for prey; a lion crouching down;
A fierce lion crouching down.
Rise up LORD and bring them down
And with your sword come rescue me,
Confront them LORD and bring them down
And bring the wicked down.
By your hand save me from them,
From those of this world whose reward is
In this life; men of the world
Who glory in this life.
May their bellies be filled up
With what you have stored up for them
And may their children have more than enough to eat;
Their babies eat their fill.
As for me I will behold your face,
Be vindicated by the LORD;
When I awake I will be satisfied;
See your likeness LORD.
Jeff Lowe: lead vocal, backing vocals, piano, appalacian dulcimer, synth - pads , bass, drums
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Psalm 17 Reflection
When we encounter the first few verses of this Psalm, David seems to come across as self-satisfied, boasting of his righteousness. As Michael Wilcock has written, “we need to realise what his righteousness plea is, and what it is not.” He is not claiming either to be perfect or to be sufficiently good for God to owe him a favour. His plea is a claim that he has been misrepresented; he insists that what King Saul believes about him is not true – he is not the King’s enemy.
He knows that God can and will probe his heart, he knows that God has heard every word he has spoken, and so he’s coming to God openly. He’s kept himself from bribery and distanced from violent men, but now he comes to God asking for protection. He realises that bible knowledge alone won’t destroy his enemies nor make a way of escape. Sometimes we need God to show us the wonders of his great love: to part the Red Sea, deliver us from the murderous throng, free us from an addiction, or stop us returning to unbelief. Only under God’s wings will there be sufficient shelter to deliver us from the fierce lion and the demonic dangers that assail us.
There is likely to be an occasion in our lives when we are attacked by people of the world, if not by men trying to physically kill us, then by people spiritually wounding us with words or actions. The Lord will confront these wicked people and rescue us. With such assurance we can go to our beds assured and protected. And in the morning, wake with a renewed sense of his presence.