To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD.
As the title indicates, this Psalm is from David. The word servant is one who is in a covenant relationship. This relationship of this servant to God is one of submission to and service for God.
1 An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked:
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
In this first section David describes the moral depravity of man. The actions described in these first few verses reflect the opposite attitudes that a servant of God should have. There is no fear of God in the heart of man. In fact, the heart of man is full of hatred for God. The heart is deceitful and wicked. This is due to the presence of sin that we inherited from Adam. This sin inclines us to declare lordship over our life. Deep down inside we want to be our own god.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes,
When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.
The depraved man thinks so highly of himself he can no longer see or understand his own iniquity. He thinks highly of himself and is very good at spotting the shortcomings of others. But his own iniquity, if he sees it at all, is quickly justified in his own eyes.
3 The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
The bible has a lot to say about the mouth……..
Matthew 12:34
For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Proverbs 16:23
23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips.
This depraved man has ceased to be wise by the words of his mouth.
4 He devises wickedness on his bed;
He sets himself in a way that is not good;
He does not abhor evil.
This depraved man that represents each of us before we became believers devises wickedness even when at rest. His mind doesn't cease from constantly seeking his way. In all his scheming he sets himself in a way that has no good ending. This man doesn't abhor evil.
In Romans 3:10, Paul uses this Psalm in his list of fourteen indictments brought against the human race. This list shows the sinful nature of man.
5 Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the great mountains;
Your judgments are a great deep;
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
We transition here from describing the sinful and fallen nature of man to praise. And why not? When we realize what's in our heart, it makes all the more sense to praise God for not just striking us down in His righteous wrath. Instead of getting what we deserved, the Lord showed mercy.
David praises the immeasurable and unknowable attributes of God.
His mercy is in the heavens…..
It's vast and immeasurable, infinite and without end.
His faithfulness reaches the clouds……
God is faithful beyond what we can understand. His faithfulness is from horizon to horizon; from dawn to dusk; from birth to death.
His righteousness is like the great mountains…….
Immovable, untamable, unclimable……..
His judgments are a great deep………..
How deep? How wide? We can't even understand.
7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
His lovingkindness is amazing. We are his children and we run to his care. This is like the picture of the baby birds running to hide under the wings of the parent. When we are in the shadow of His wings, we are under His protection, care and watchful eye.
8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
9 For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.
God's people aren't just satisfied in Him, they are abundantly satisfied. In the fullness of God's house, there is no stray want or any unforgotten need. Everything that our soul needs is taken care of. Outside our needs, we also drink from the
10 Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the workers of iniquity have fallen;
They have been cast down and are not able to rise.
David offers a prayer in the last 3 verses. He asks that God would remain merciful and righteous to his people. He asks for protection from the foot of pride. If the foot of pride were to come against him it would affect his walk. And that walk is not a walk with the Lord. If the hand of the wicked was not kept away by the Lord, it would drive us away from him. We should pray for protection from these things because many have fallen by these sins. David knew these things would drive a person from the Lord. No one was immune. They would be cast down and not be able to rise.
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