Psalm 143
143:1. Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications. In the preceding psalm he began by declaring that he had cried unto the Lord; here he begs to be favorably regarded by Jehovah, whose memorial is that he heareth prayer. He knew that Jehovah did hear prayer, and therefore he intreated him to hear his supplication, however feeble and broken it might be. In two forms he implores the one blessing of gracious audience: hear and give ear. Gracious people are so eager to be heard in prayer that they double their intreaties for that boon. The psalmist desires to be heard and to be considered; hence he cries, hear, and then give ear. Our case is difficult, and we plead for special attention. It is probable that David wished his suit against his adversaries to be heard by the righteous Judge, confident that if he had a hearing in the matter whereof he was slanderously accused, he would be triumphantly acquitted. Yet he prefers to turn it all into a petition??? hence he cries rather hear my prayer than hear my suit. Indeed David is especially earnest that he himself, and the whole of his life, may not become the subject of trial, for in that event he could not hope for acquital. Observe that he offered so much pleading that his life became one continual prayer; but that petitioning was so varied in form that it broke out in many supplications.
In thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. Saints desire to be answered as well as heard: they long to find the Lord faithful to his promise and righteous in defending the cause of justice. It is a happy thing when we dare appeal even to righteousness for our deliverance; and thus we can do upon Gospel principles, for “if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” Even the sterner attributes of God are upon the side of the one who humbly trusts, and turns his trust into prayer. It is a sign of our safety when our interests and those of righteousness are blended. With God’s faithfulness and righteousness upon our side we are guarded on the right hand and on the left. These are active attributes, and fully equal to the answering of any prayer which it would be right to answer. Requests which do not appeal to either of these attributes it would not be for the glory of God to hear, for they must contain desires for things unpromised, and unrighteous.
143:2. And enter not into judgment with thy servant. He had intreated for audience at the mercy-seat, but he has no wish to appear before the judgment-seat. Though clear before men, he could not claim innocence before God. He knew himself to be the Lord’s servant, yet he did not claim perfection, or plead merit, for even as a servant he was unprofitable.
For in thy sight shall no man living be justified. None can stand before God upon the footing of the law. In this verse David told out the doctrine of universal condemnation by the law long before Paul had taken his pen to write the same truth. To this day it stands true: no man living may dare to present himself for trial before the throne of the great King on the footing of the law. This foolish age has produced specimens of a pride so rank that people have dared to claim perfection in the flesh; but these boasters are no exception to the rule here laid down: they are but human, and poor specimens of humanity. When their lives are examined they are frequently found to be more faulty than the humble penitents before whom they vaunt their superiority.
143:3. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul. The attack was upon the soul or life of the psalmist: our adversaries mean us the worst possible evil; their attacks are no child’s play; they hunt for the precious life.
He hath smitten my life down to the ground. The existence of David was made bitter by the cruelty of his enemy; he was as one who was hurled down and made to lie upon the ground, where he could be trampled on by his assailant. Slander has a very depressing effect upon the spirits; it is a blow which overthrows the mind as though it were knocked down with the fist.
He hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. The enemy was not content with bringing his life to the ground—he would lay him lower still, even in the grave; and lower than that, if possible, for the enemy would shut up the saint in the darkness of hell if he could. David was driven by Saul’s animosity to haunt caverns, like an unquiet ghost; he wandered out by night, and lay hid by day like an uneasy spirit which had long been denied the repose of the grave. Good men began to forget him, as though he had been long dead. Poor David! He was qualified to bless the house of the living, but he was driven to consort with the dead! Such may be our case, and yet we may be very dear to the Lord. One thing is certain: the Lord who permits us to dwell in darkness among the dead will surely bring us into the light, to dwell with those who enjoy life eternal.
143:4. David was no Stoic; he felt his banishment, and smarted under the cruel assaults which were made upon his character. He felt perplexed and over-turned, lonely and afflicted. He was a man of thought and feeling, and suffered both in spirit and in heart from the undeserved and unprovoked hostility of his persecutors. Moreover, he labored under the sense of fearful loneliness; he was for a while forsaken of God, and his soul was exceeding heavy, even unto death. Such words our Lord Jesus might have used: in this the Head is like the members, and the members are as the Head.
143:5. I remember the days of old. When we see nothing new which can cheer us, let us think upon old things. We once had merry days, days of deliverance, and joy and thanksgiving; why not again? Jehovah rescued his people in the ages which lie back, centuries ago; why should he not do the like again? We ourselves have a rich past to look back upon; we have many memories, sacred memories, satisfactory memories, and these are as flowers for the bees of faith to visit, from whence they may make honey for present use.
I meditate on all thy works. When my own works reproach me, thy works refresh me. If at the first view the deeds of the Lord do not encourage us, let us think them over again, ruminating and considering the histories of divine providence. We ought to take a wide and large view of all God’s works, for as a whole they work together for good, and in each part they are worthy of reverent study.
I muse on the work of thy hands. This he had done even in his most trying hours. Creation had been the book in which he read of the wisdom and goodness of the Lord. He repeats his perusal of the page of nature, and counts it a balm for his wounds, a cordial for his cares, to see what the Lord has made by his skillfull hands. When the work of our own hand grieves us, let us look to the work of God’s hands. Memory, meditation, and musing are here set together as the three graces, ministering grace to a mind depressed and likely to be diseased. As David with his harp played away the evil spirit from Saul, so does he here chase away gloom from his own soul by holy communion with God.
143:6. I stretch forth my hands unto thee. He was eager for his God. His thoughts of God kindled in him burning desires, and these led to energetic expressions of his inward longings. As a prisoner whose feet are bound extends his hands in supplication when there is hope of liberty, so does David.
My soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. As the soil cracks, and yawns, and thus opens its mouth in dumb pleadings, so did the psalmist’s soul break with longings. No heavenly shower had refreshed him from the sanctuary: banished from the means of grace, his soul felt parched and dry, and he cried out, “My soul to thee”; nothing would content him but the presence of his God. Not alone did he extend his hands, but his heart was stretched out towards the Lord. He was athirst for the Lord. If he could but feel the presence of his God he would no longer be overwhelmed or dwell in darkness; everything would turn to peace and joy.
Selah. It was time to pause, for the supplication had risen to agony point. Both harp-strings and heart-strings were strained, and needed a little rest to get them right again for the second half of the song.
143:7. Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth. If long delayed, the deliverance would come too late. The afflicted suppliant faints, and is ready to die. His life is ebbing out; each moment is of importance; it will soon he all over with him. No argument for speed can be more powerful than this. Who will not run to help a suppliant when his life is in jeopardy? Mercy has wings to its heels when misery is in extremity. God will not fail when our spirit fails, but the rather he will hasten his course and come to us on the wings of the wind.
Hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. Communion with God is so dear to a true heart that the withdrawal of it makes the person feel ready to die and perish utterly. God’s withdrawals reduce the heart to despair, and take away all strength from the mind. Moreover, his absence enables adversaries to work their will without restraint; and thus, in a second way, the persecuted one is likely to perish. If we have God’s countenance we live, but if he turns his back upon us we die. When the Lord looks with favor upon our efforts we prosper, but if he refuses to countenance them we labor in vain.
143:8. Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust. Lord, my sorrow makes me deaf: cause me to hear. There is but one voice that can cheer me: cause me to hear thy lovingkindness. That music I desire to hear at once—cause me to hear it in the morning, at first dawning hour. A sense of divine love is to the soul both dawn and dew; the end of the night of weeping, the beginning of the morning of joy. Only God can take away from our weary ears the din of our care, and charm them with the sweet notes of his love. Our plea with the Lord is our faith: if we are relying upon him, he cannot disappoint us: in thee do I trust is a sound and solid argument with God. He who made the ear will cause us to hear; he who is love itself will bring his loving-kindness before our minds.
Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. The Great First Cause must cause us to hear and to know. Spiritual senses are dependent upon God, and heavenly knowledge comes from him alone. To know the way we ought to take is exceedingly needful, for how can we be exact in obedience to a law with which we are not acquainted? If we know not the way, how shall we keep in it? The psalmist lifts up his soul: the soul that trusts will rise. We will not allow our hope to sink, but we will strive to get up and rise out of our daily griefs. This is wise. When David was in any difficulty as to his way he lifted his soul towards God himself, and then he knew that he could not go very far wrong. If the soul will not rise of itself we must lift it up unto God. This is good argument in prayer: surely the God to whom we endeavor to lift our soul will condescend to show us what he would have us to do. Let us attend to David’s example, and when our heart is low, endeavor to lift it up to the Lord himself.
143:9. Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies. Many foes beset us, we cannot overcome them, we cannot even escape from them; but Jehovah can and will rescue us if we pray to him. The weapon of all-prayer will stand us in better stead than sword and shield.
I flee unto thee to hide me. This was a good result from his persecutions. That which makes us flee to our God may be an ill wind, but it blows us good. There is no cowardice in such flight, but much holy courage. God can hide us out of reach of harm, and even out of sight of it. He is our hiding-place; Jesus has made himself the refuge of his people: the sooner, and the more entirely, we flee to him the better for us. Beneath the crimson canopy of our Lord’s atonement believers are completely hidden; let us abide there and be at rest. In verse 7 our poet cried, “Hide not thy face,” and here he prays, “Hide me.” Note also how often he uses the words unto thee; he is after his God; he must travel in that direction by some means, even though he may seem to be beating a retreat; his whole being longs to be near the Lord. Is it possible that such thirstings for God will be left unsupplied?
143:10. Teach me to do thy will. How childlike—teach me! How practical—teach me to do! How undivided in obedience—to do thy will! To do all of it, let it be what it may. This is the best form of instruction, for its source is God, its object is holiness, its spirit is that of hearty loyalty. The man is hidden in the Lord, and spends his peaceful life in learning the will of his Preserver. A heart cannot long be desolate which is thus docile.
For thou art my God. Who else can teach me as thou canst? Who else will care to do it but my God? Thou hast given me thyself; thou wilt surely give me thy teaching. If I have thee, may I not ask to have thy perfect mind? When the heart can sincerely call Jehovah my God, the understanding is ready to learn of him, the will is prepared to obey him, the whole man is eager to please him.
Thy spirit is good. God is all spirit and all good. His essence is goodness, kindness, holiness: it is his nature to do good, and what greater good can he do to us than to hear such a prayer as that which follows—Lead me into the land of uprightness? David desires to be among the godly, in a land of another sort from that which had cast him out. He sighed for the upland meadows of grace, the table-lands of peace, the fertile plains of communion. He could not reach them of himself; he must be led there. God, who is good, can best conduct us to the godly land. There is no inheritance like a portion in the land of promise, the land of precept, the land of perfectness. He who teaches us must put us into a baby’s harness, and guide and conduct us to his own dwelling-place in the country of holiness. The way is long, and steep, and he who goes without a divine leader will faint on the journey; but with Jehovah to lead, it is delightful to follow, and there is neither stumbling nor wandering.
143:11. Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake. Oh for more life as well as more light! Teaching and leading call for invigoration, or we shall be dull scholars and slow pilgrims. Jehovah, the Lord and giver of life, is the only one from whom life can come to renew and revive us; hence, the prayer is to him only. Perchance a servant might teach and lead, but only the Master can en-liven. We are often near to death, and hence each one may fitly cry, Quicken me. But what is there in us which we can plead as a reason for such a favor? Nothing, literally nothing. We must beg it for his name’s sake. He must quicken us because he is the living God, the loving God, the Lord who delighteth in mercy. What blessed arguments lie clustered together in his glorious name! We need never cease praying for want of acceptable pleas; and we may always fall back upon the one before us—thy name’s sake. It will render the name of Jehovah the more glorious in human eyes if he creates a high degree of spiritual life in his servants; and this is a reason for his doing so, which we may urge with much confidence.
For thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. Let people see that thou art on the side of the right, and that thou wilt not allow the wicked to ride rough-shod over those who trust in thee. Thou hast promised to succor thy people; thou art not unrighteous to forget their work of faith; thou art, on the contrary, righteous in answering sincere prayer, and in comforting thy people. David was heavily afflicted. Not only was there trouble in his soul, but his soul was in trouble; plunged in it as in a sea, shut up in it as in a prison. God could bring him out of it, and especially he could at once lift up his soul or spirit out of the ditch. We may be sure that trouble was soon over when the Lord heard such supplications.
143:12. And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul. He believes that it will be so, and thus prophesies the event; for the words may be read as a declaration, and it is better so to understand them. We could not pray just so with our Christian light; but under Old Testament arrangements the spirit of it was congruous to the law. It is a petition which justice sanctions, but the spirit of love is not at home in presenting it. We, as Christians, turn the petition to spiritual use only. Yet David was of so generous a mind, and dealt so tenderly with Saul, that he could hardly have meant all that his words are made in our version to say.
For I am thy servant; and therefore I hope that my Master will protect me in his service, and grant me victory while I fight his battles. It is a warrior’s prayer, and smells of the dust and smoke of battle. It was heard, and therefore it was not asking amiss. Still there is a more excellent way.
Excerpt from:
The Treasury of David by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)
e-Sword v 9.5.1 Copyright 2000-2009 Rick Meyers
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