Spurgeon PS1701
TITLE AND SUBJECT.–_A Prayer of David_. David would not have been a man after God’s own heart, if he had not been a man of prayer. He was a master in the sacred art of supplication. He flies to prayer in all times of need, as a pilot speeds to the harbour in the stress of tempest. So frequent were David’s prayers that they could not all be dated and entitled; and hence this simply bears the author’s name, and nothing more. The smell of the furnace is upon the present Psalm, but there is evidence in the last verse that he who wrote it came unharmed out of the flame. We have in the present plaintive song, AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN from the persecutions of earth. A spiritual eye may see Jesus here.
DIVISIONS.–There are no very clear lines of demarcation between the parts; but we prefer the divisions adopted by that precious old commentator, David Dickson. In verses #1-4|, David craves justice in the controversy between him and his oppressors. In verses #5,6|, he requests of the Lord grace to act rightly while under the trial. From verse #7-12|, he seeks protection from his foes, whom he graphically describes; and in verses #13,14|, pleads that they may be disappointed; closing the whole in the most comfortable confidence that all would certainly be well with himself at the last.
EXPOSITION.
“_Hear the right, O Lord_.” He that has the worst cause makes the most noise; hence the oppressed soul is apprehensive that its voice may be drowned, and therefore pleads in this one verse for a hearing no less than three times. The troubled heart craves for the ear of the great Judge, persuaded that with him to hear is to redress. If our God could not or would not hear us, our state would be deplorable indeed; and yet some professors set such small store by the mercy-seat, that God does not hear them for the simple reason that they neglect to plead. As well have no house if we persist like gipsies in living in the lanes and commons; as well have no mercy-seat as be always defending our own cause and never going to God. There is more fear that _we_ will not hear the Lord than that the Lord will not hear us. “_Hear the right_;” it is well if our case is good in itself and can be urged as a right one, for right shall never be wronged by our righteous Judge; but if our suit be marred by our infirmities, it is a great privilege that we may make mention of the righteousness of our Lord Jesus, which is ever prevalent on high. _Right_ has a voice which Jehovah always hears; and if my wrongs clamour against me with great force and fury, I will pray the Lord to hear that still louder and mightier voice of the right, and the rights of his dear Son. “Hear, O God, the just One;” i.e., “hear the Messiah,” is a rendering adopted by Jerome, and admired by Bishop Horsley, whether correct or not as a translation, it is proper enough as a plea. Let the reader plead it at the throne of the righteous God, even when all other arguments are unavailing.
“_Attend unto my cry_.” This shows the vehemence and earnestness of the petitioner; he is no mere talker, he weeps and laments. Who can resist a cry? A real hearty, bitter, piteous cry, might almost melt a rock, there can be no fear of its prevalence with our heavenly Father. A cry is our earliest utterance, and in many ways the most natural of human sounds; if our prayer should like the infant’s cry be more natural than intelligent, and more earnest than elegant, it will be none the less eloquent with God. There is a mighty power in a child’s cry to prevail with a parent’s heart. “_Give ear unto my prayer_.” Some repetitions are not vain. The reduplication here used is neither superstition nor tautology, but is like the repeated blow of a hammer hitting the same nail on the head to fix it the more effectually, or the continued knocking of a beggar at the gate who cannot be denied an alms. “_That goeth not out of feigned lips_.” Sincerity is a _sine qua non_ in prayer. Lips of deceit are detestable to man and much more to God. In intercourse so hallowed as that of prayer, hypocrisy even in the remotest degree is as fatal as it is foolish. Hypocritical piety is double iniquity. He who would feign and flatter had better try his craft with a fool like himself, for to deceive the all-seeing One is as impossible as to take the moon in a net, or to lead the sun into a snare. He who would deceive God is himself already most grossly deceived. Our sincerity in prayer has no merit in it, any more than the earnestness of a mendicant in the street; but at the same time the Lord has regard to it, through Jesus, and will not long refuse his ear to an honest and fervent petitioner.
EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.
Title.–“_A prayer of David_.” Since many of the Psalms consist of _prayers_, the question may be asked why such an inscription more especially belongs to this. But though the others contain divers prayers mixed with other matters, this is a supplication through its whole course.–_The Venerable Bede_, 672-735.
Verse 1.–“_Hear … attend … give ear_.” This petition repeated thrice, indicates a great power of feeling and many tears; because the craft of the ungodly, in truth, grieves and afflicts the spiritual man more than their power and violence, for we can get a knowledge of open force and violence, and, when we see the danger, can in some way guard against it.–^Martin Luther.
Verse 1.–“_That goeth not out of feigned lips_.”–There are such things as “_feigned lips_;” a contradiction between the heart and the tongue, a clamour in the voice and scoffing in the soul, a crying to God, “Thou art my father, the guide of my youth;” and yet speaking and doing evil to the utmost of our power (#Jer 3:4,5|), as if God could be imposed upon by fawning pretences, and, like old Isaac, take Jacob for Esau, and be cozened by the smell of his garments; as if he could not discern the dark heart under an angel’s garb. … This is an unworthy conceit of God, to fancy that we can satisfy for inward sins, and avert approaching judgments by external offerings, by a loud voice, with a false heart, as if God (like children), would be pleased with the glittering of an empty shell, or the rattling of stones, the chinking of money, a mere voice, and crying without inward frames and intentions of service.–^Stephen Charnock.
Verse 1.–“_Not out of feigned lips_.” It is observable, that the eagle soareth on high, little intending to fly to heaven, but to gain her prey; and so it is that many do carry a great deal of seeming devotion in lifting up their eyes towards heaven; but they do it only to accomplish with more ease, safety, and applause their wicked and damnable designs here on earth; such as without are Catos, within Neros; hear them, no man better; search and try them, no man worse; they have Jacob’s voice, but Esau’s hands; they profess like saints, but practise little Satans; they have their long prayers, but short prayings; they are like apothecaries’ gallipots–having without the title of some excellent preservative, but within they are full of deadly poison; counterfeit holiness is their cloak for all manner of villanies, and the midwife to bring forth all their devilish designs.–^Peter Bales, in Spencer’s “Things New and Old.”
Verse 1.–“_Not out of feigned lips_.” Not only a righteous cause, but a righteous prayer are urged as motives why God should hear. Calvin remarks on the importance of joining prayer to the testimony of a good conscience, lest we defraud God of his honour by not committing all judgment to him.–^J. J. Stewart Perowne.
Verse 1.–Though thy prayers be never so well framed in regard of words, and reverently performed as to thy external gestures; yet all is nothing, _if thy heart be not in the duty_. For prayer is not a work of the head, or hand, or eyes only, but chiefly a work of the heart, and therefore called in Scripture, the “pouring out of the soul” (#1Sa 1:15|); and the “pouring out of the heart.” #Ps 67:8|. And, indeed, the very soul of prayer lieth in the pouring out of the soul before the Lord. Whensoever, therefore, thou drawest near unto God in prayer, let it be with thine heart and soul, otherwise thou canst have no assurance of audience, and acceptance; for as Cyprian speaketh, _Quomodo te audiri a Deo postulas_, etc. How canst thou expect the Lord should hear thee, when thou hearest not thyself? or that he should regard thy prayers, when thou regardest not what thou prayest? Certainly that prayer reacheth not the heart of God, which reacheth not our own.–^Thomas Gouge, 1605-1681.
HINTS TO PREACHERS.
Verse 1.–The voice of Jesus–our Righteousness, and our own voice. Work out the thought of both coming up to the ear of heaven, noting the qualities of our prayer as indicated by the psalmist’s language, such as earnestness, perseverance, sincerity, etc.