Psalms

We see King David as a mediator.  This was probably early in his reign as King.  He inherited a divided kingdom.  Even within his own administration there were people who were not faithful to him.  David was a leader, leading with godly standards.  He had he heart of a servant and that made him a good leader.  He was committed to those who call Him King.  And He was committed and faithful to God who he looks to for guidance, truth and protection.  God is the source of mercy and justice.  David was the administrator that mercy and justice as God's anointed leader on earth.  We know David is a picture of Jesus, the one perfect King who will someday inhabit the throne.

Wiersbe breaks the Psalm down this way:

Verses 1-2 devotion

Verses 3-5 Discernment

Verses 6-8 Decision

A Psalm of David.

¹ I will sing of mercy and justice;
To You, O LORD, I will sing praises.
We know mercy is not getting what you deserve.  Justice seems to be the opposite.  Many times we cry to God for mercy when we deserve justice, and we cry out for justice for those who have wronged us in some way.  Are mercy and justice opposite?  Can a merciful God also be just?  A good judge declares a proper punishment for a crime.  A judge that looks the other way in mercy is no longer just.  It really only makes sense for man to praise God for mercy and justice in the light of Jesus Christ.  God can be merciful to us because Jesus received our just reward.  This should make us sing God's praises.

David only knew mercy and justice in light of his relationship with God.  He had felt the sting of justice in his life when the Lord corrected him or allowed judgment in his life.  David also saw the hand of a merciful God.  That mercy is possible because another king would come and pay for King David's sins.

² I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
We know David isn't perfect and never could be, but he was leaning that way and living that direction.  He had a godly desire to live a life that was blameless.  This was difficult for the king because someone was always ready to be critical.  David is just saying that he isn't going to make it easy for them.  His blameless walk started at home.  His entire life was consistent.  David didn't know when the Lord would come to him.  It wouldn't matter because he was always ready.  David needed God in every part of his life. 

³ I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.

⁴ A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not know wickedness.
It's interesting that David may not yet have allowed his eyes to wander to Bathsheba.  This is probably yet to happen in his life.  David set the standards in his life but wasn't diligent to hold those standards.  When he looked on Bathsheba his gaze became sinful.  That sin escalated to murder and caused chaos in his life.  That sin also affected the country because the king was looking out for himself and had murder on his heart.  We must always be on guard.  We are active in battle every day. 

We must guard our eyes lest they lead us to sin.  We should desire to look upon only the righteous.  Those who fall away are those who allow sin to enter through their eyes.  Their work becomes evil and unrighteous.  King David couldn't entirely keep sin out of life no matter how he tried, but he could make every effort at it.  He may sin, but it won't cling to him.  His life would not be characterized by sin, evil, wickedness and unrighteousness.

⁵ Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,
Him I will destroy;
The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
Him I will not endure.
This kind of behavior is not welcome in the kingdom.  The King is establishing the pattern for the kingdom.  As the king goes, so go the people.  The people needed to know that haughtiness, pride and slandering were not allowed. 

In the same way, the ultimate king Jesus will also clean this from His kingdom.  Those who hold onto those things He will destroy, or allow them to be destroyed by the sin they embrace.  Every person has pride and haughtiness and slander in their heart.  When we come to Christ we are born again with new desires and a new heart, living in a new way.  By our yielding to the work of the Holy Spirit the slanderous old man in each of us is destroyed.  Our proud and haughty heart has been replaced with one that is broken and contrite over sin.

⁶ My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land,
That they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a perfect way,
He shall serve me.
The king gives his attention to the faithful.  It is those he intends to lead and protect.  It is in their lives that he attempts to show mercy and justice.  The king gives mercy to those seeking God, justice to those who do not.  He grants mercy to the broken and contrite, justice to the proud and haughty.  Those who also walk in a blameless way, seeking the perfect holiness of God shall be in service to the king.   We see this in King David attempting to be a Godly king with his eyes on God.  And we see this completely fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

⁷ He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.
⁸ Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.

This is the work of the godly king.  The liars and deceivers have no place in the kingdom.  They will not abide in the presence of the king.  David says he will rise early to destroy the wicked from the land.  He knows the wicked pollute the land with sin and evil and unrighteousness.  King David wanted to drive the evil out of the city of the Lord.

King Jesus wants to do the same thing.  He wants to do that work in our heart first.  He has the power and authority to drive the evil and wicked from within us.  When we yield to His work, we crucify the old man.  The wicked, proud and haughty sinner is destroyed.  For those who persist in holding to their ways of evil, the Lord will deal with them in another way.

Revelation 21

⁶ And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. ⁷ He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. ⁸ But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."