Psalms 143

This is the seventh and last of the “penitential psalms” (see on Ps. 6). It is included primarily because David felt he needed to confess sins that were keeping him from enjoying God’s help and blessing (vv. 1–2). He had concluded that the suffering he was experiencing from the attacks of the enemy were actually God’s chastening, so he asked God for mercy. It is true that the Lord can use painful circumstances and difficult people to bring us to repentance, but sometimes those very things are God’s “tools” to polish and mature us, not to punish us. In this psalm, David presents many requests to the Lord, all of which may be summarized in two prayers: “Hear me” (vv. 1–6) and “Answer me” (vv. 7–12). This kind of praying is a good example for us to follow.

The basis for David’s prayer was the character of God, His faithfulness and righteousness, attributes that are mentioned again in verse 11. God is righteous in all that He does because He is holy, and He is faithful to His covenant and His promises. We plead these same attributes when we confess our sins to the Lord and claim His forgiveness (1 John 1:9). By calling himself God’s servant (vv. 2, 12), David affirmed that he was a son of the covenant and could plead on the basis of God’s Word. He also affirmed his own sinfulness (130:3–4; Job 9:32; 22:4; and see Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16).

After focusing on God’s character and his own needs, David told the Lord what he was enduring because of his enemies. The reference is probably to King Saul’s relentless persecution during David’s exile years. His vivid description almost helps us to feel the pain that David and his men were experiencing. They were crushed to the ground, lying in a dark grave like a corpse (v. 7; 7:5; 74:20; 88:5–6; Lam. 3:6), discouraged by a fainting (“stunned”) heart that wants to give up, and wrapped up in a depressed spirit that is appalled and devastated. Those who believe that God’s people never have their dark days and difficult weeks need to ponder this passage carefully.

What made this even more difficult was David’s memory of “the good old days” (v. 5; see 77:5, 11–12). Was he remembering the peaceful days he spent as a shepherd, caring for his father’s flock? But a lion and a bear attacked the flock (1 Sam. 17:34–36), so perhaps the “good old days” were not that good! Did he recall the days he served in Saul’s court, playing the harp for the paranoid king and leading his soldiers out to victory? But Saul tried to kill David and even commanded his men to kill him. No, David remembered the great works of God recorded in the Scriptures—the creation (“the works of his hands”), the call of Abraham, the pilgrimage of Jacob, the life of Joseph (from suffering to glory), the exodus from Egypt, and the conquest of Canaan. David had his own “Hebrews 11” to encourage his faith. He stood in the cave and made it into a Holy of Holies as he lifted his hands expectantly to the Lord in praise and prayer. (See 28:2; 44:20; 63:4; 77:2; 88:9; 141:2.) The Hebrew text of verse 6 reads “My soul—for thee,” for there is no verb. The image of the parched land suggests the verb “thirsts,” used by the King James Version and the New International Version, and the New American Standard Bible reads “longs for Thee.” The idea is the same: David’s hands were raised to God because he longed for Him and thirsted for fellowship with Him (42:2; 63:1; 84:2; 107:9; John 7:37–39; Rev. 21:6; 22:17). When we reach out to the Lord, it is because He has first reached out for us.

What were the answers for which David was waiting anxiously? The same answers we want to receive today. For one thing, we want to see God’s face (v. 7). David had often heard the priestly benediction declare that God’s face would shine upon His people in gracious blessing (Num. 6:22–27), but if He was displeased, He would hide His face from them (10:1; 13:1; 69:17; 102:2). To know the shining of His face means to walk in the light of His countenance and enjoy the smile of God upon our lives, but the absence of that blessing was like a living death (28:1).

We also want to hear God’s Word (v. 8). To see His smile and hear His voice gives us the strength we need to overcome the enemy. David moved from the darkness (v. 3) to the morning and the dawning of a new day (5:3; 30:5; 59:16; 88:13; 130:6; 90:14). The Word reminded him of God’s unfailing love, and the Word strengthened his faith (Rom. 10:17) and gave him guidance on the dangerous path he had to take from the cave to the crown.

We also want the blessing of experiencing the protection of God (v. 9). Jehovah was David’s “Rock” (18:2, 31, 46; 19:14), and he hid himself in “the cleft of the Rock” (Ex. 33:22) and was safe from the enemy. “Rock of ages / Cleft for me / Let me hide myself in Thee.” Another answer we receive from the Lord is a knowledge of the will of God (v.10). His good Spirit (Neh. 9:20) teaches us from the Word and shows us the path we should take (119:105). A knowledge of God’s will gives us confidence in the difficulties of life; it keeps us going when the going gets tough. Finally, God answers prayer by helping us bring glory to His great name (vv. 11–12). “For thy name’s sake” was the great motivation of David’s life and ministry (see 1 Sam. 17:26, 36, 45–47). “Hallowed be thy name” is the first request in the Lord’s Prayer, and it ought to be the motivation of all our prayers. David knew that he had a great work to do for the Lord, and he depended on the Lord to help him accomplish it and bring honor to His name.