Psalms 69:5-17

Before I get into this text I’ve got to say that, frankly, sometimes the Psalms make me uneasy. Often enough the author of a psalm will seem to declare his own righteousness while asking God to destroy his enemies. A first glance this seems pretty arrogant and presumptuous. One of the things that has helped me rethink that view is to think of the psalmist as a defendant pleading before a judge. If he is innocent (and yeah, even if he’s not, just bear with me) he will say “I haven’t done anything wrong!” Is our defendant literally saying he has never done a single thing wrong in all his life? Of course not. He’s saying that in this matter he has been unjustly accused, that he didn’t do what he is accused of doing.

Okay, back to Psalm 69.  This psalm has takes a different tact on his state before God. In verses 5 and 6 he says:

O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you. Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, O Lord God of hosts; let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel.

The psalmist (David, in this case) is laying himself bare, with no pretensions of personal righteousness. He is asking that God preserve the honor and good name of Israel despite what he has done. David is repentant. In verse 13 he goes on to ask God:

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.

What an amazing prayer, I love it!