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Psalms

Psalm 17

By Pastor Doug
Prayer of confidence in final salvation.

Psalms 17 (return to index)


 

This psalm is a prayer from David asking the Lord for protection.  It is one of five Psalms identified as prayers (17, 86, 90, 102, 142). The language is like David is in a court of law and he is standing before the chief justice.  David is presenting his case before God.  He's laying it all out before Him.  He makes three major requests before the Lord: examine me; keep me; and rescue me.

 

 1 Hear a just cause, O LORD,
         Attend to my cry;
         Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.
 2 Let my vindication come from Your presence;
         Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright. 


We have 5 petitions in the first 2 verses.



  1. Hear my cause.
  2. Attend to my cry for help.
  3. Give ear to my prayers.
  4. Give me your vindication.
  5. Look on the upright things.

 


David thought his cause was right.  We always do, don't we?  No matter how hard we try we have plans for our lives and when things don't go according to our plan we bring our complaint to the Lord.  David wants the Lord's attention to his cause.  He is crying out to him, seeking vindication, but He's interested only in vindication coming from God. 


 


David wants God to look on his case with justice.  In Psalm 139 David said, "Search me, O God, and know my heart."  That's much the same way here.  He's not asking God to overlook anything, he's asking God to look into the matter and see what He finds.



 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.
 4 Concerning the works of men,
         By the word of Your lips,
         I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.
David's heart had been tested.  God had seen him through many times.  In the testing, in the dark of the night, God found no transgression.  David had opened up to God and said search me and know, test me and let me know what you find.


 


We've all been tested in the dark times of our life.  Have you felt the presence of God in the Valley of the shadow of death?  Has he carried you through?  The Holy Spirit works in all circumstances to perfect us - to grow us.


 


In the dark times, when our back is against the wall or when we feel threatened or challenged is when we show our true colors.  David said God tried him and found nothing.  Could we say that?  Should we ask God to check our priorities?  Our lifestyle?  Our commitment? Our obedience?  It's a big step in the growth process.  In dark times when God is checking you is when our heart is really exposed.  The attitudes and pride that are hidden many times come to the surface.


 


When you ask God to examine you, you have to be ready for the answer.  It may not be what you want to hear.  You may not agree with God's assessment.  He may show you things you don't really want to see or confess to.  But asking is the right thing to do.


 


5Uphold my steps in Your paths,
         That my footsteps may not slip.
Even though David thought his ways were upright, he asked God to uphold his steps.  There's no self righteousness with David.  He knows he is one misstep away from falling out of step with God.  He's one step from sin.


 


It's important to note, David wasn't at a standstill.  He was still walking and still on God's path.  He wasn't at a standstill crying to the Lord.  He was making his case but was still getting on with life.


 


It would be easy to get caught up in pleading our case to God.  Trying to convince him what we want is right.  Trying to convince God our way is right.  It would be so easy to come to a complete standstill while doing so.  I think David made his plea and got on with life.


   
 6 I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
         Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
We should all know that when we call on the Lord He will hear us.  David asks for God once again to incline His ear this way.  He asked God to hear what he had to say.  David was taking his case before the Lord.


 


 7 Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
         O You who save those who trust in You
         From those who rise up against them.


It's so exciting to see the marvelous loving kindness from God, isn't it?  It's so amazing when He reaches down, right in the middle of our life and moves; sometimes in just a small way; others in mighty ways; but always so you know it was from Him.


 


How can we ever lose our trust or doubt our faith?  God has saved us so many times.  He is our father in heaven and wants what's best for us.  If a son asks for an egg, will the father offer him a scorpion? 


 


Has our trust in His Lovingkindness grown?  In the last year?  Month?  Week?  With every new challenge in life, God is asking in a new way, "Do you trust me?"  We answer by our actions.



 8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
         Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,
 9 From the wicked who oppress me,
         From my deadly enemies who surround me. 
So many times we seek solace and peace in this world.  How quickly I can lose my joy to my circumstances.  When life is difficult we should cry out to God.  And even in the worst circumstances we can find solace in Him.


 


David asked God to keep Him as the apple of his eye; right in the center.  The apple of the eye is sensitive and we react quickly when it is threatened.  Our eyes are precious to us.  David wants that kind of response and protection from God.  He wants to be precious to God.  He wants a quick response.


 


When we are in the center of God's sight, we can hide under the shadow of his wings.  This is the protection of a mother bird protecting her chicks.  No danger can get there without going through that protection.  We must be close to God to be in His shadow and find protection from the wicked, from those that oppress us and the enemies that surround us.


 


Have you ever been in that situation where you feel surrounded on all sides; everywhere you turn someone is causing you pain; you can't get away from it; it's relentless and you want to run away from it but can't.  David found peace and comfort in the shadow of God's protection.  It reminds me of a little kid hiding by closing his eyes.  He feels safe because he can't see.  Sometimes I want to close my eyes and be in the shadow of God's wings.  I think that's living by faith, not by sight.


         
 10 They have closed up their fat hearts;
         With their mouths they speak proudly.
 11 They have now surrounded us in our steps;
         They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth,
 12 As a lion is eager to tear his prey,
         And like a young lion lurking in secret places.
I've had days like this as we all have.  This describes our work, marriage, neighborhood or family.  It may describe sickness, depression, sadness or a broken heart.  These things are our enemies.  They steal our peace.  Like a lion lurking in secret places, these things are ready to attack without warning.


 


David says, when these things happen………..
 13 Arise, O LORD,
         Confront him,  cast him down; 
         Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword,
 14 With 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.
It's okay to cry out to God.  It's all right to beg him to arise, confront and cast down these things that threaten your joy.  David was looking for deliverance.  That's really all we are after, isn't it.  I want to be delivered through this life.  I want to be faithful, but find it difficult as we all do.


 


We are threatened by the sinful nature that resides in us.  The external evil that resides in the world pollutes our lives.  The spiritual battle that rages around us constantly is a source of attack in our lives.  It's like the young lion lurking in secret places.  It is ready to pounce at any moment.


 


As a Christian, deep down inside we long to be delivered from these attacks that come from the inside and outside; from the physical and the Spiritual world around us.  The inconsolable longing of every Christian is to cast off the corruptible and trade it for the incorruptible.  While we don't wish our life away, we do have a longing to be done with the sins that trip us up.  We will get to trade the sinful body in some day for perfection.  I don't know how that happens exactly but I can't wait to find out.         



 15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
         I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.


If we have our sins forgiven then we have the righteousness of Christ.  We get to wear it like the borrowed robe of the king.  We will stand and see His face in righteousness.  What a day that will be.  I will be satisfied when I awake in the likeness of Jesus Christ.


 


That's the 17th Psalm with its 17 petitions to the Lord.