Psalm 41
Part 2 of 3
(Verses 4-10)
4 I said, “O Lord, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
5 My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die and his name perish?”
6 Whenever one comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it abroad.
7 All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying,
8 “A vile disease has beset him; he will never get up from the place where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
10 But you, O Lord, have mercy on me; raise me up, that I may repay them.
Last week’s three verses showed us “those who give mercy will receive mercy”. Tonight, we see this overarching thought:
The Consequence of Treachery
David is still addressing the congregation as he reminds those hearing that the Lord will (rightfully) punish those who take advantage of the afflicted. David proved this through the retelling of his own story. [1]
Verse 4: David remembers his call for mercy.
· David’s request for the Lord to help him not a demand. He is confessing sin and asking God to restore him.
· David also recalls the object of his sin: the Lord. We don’t always have that attitude but we should and accordingly we must sometimes say, “Lord, I have sinned and I have offended you, Lord.”[2]
Verses 5-9: David remembers the harshness of his enemies.
· David lamented the fact that his enemies took advantage of his condition.
· Verse 5 tells us
o they wanted him to die,
o they declared he would die (some friend!)
o and even a trusting friend (someone David thought he could trust!) betrayed him—which certainly made him want to die! [3]
§ This friend was most likely Ah
ithophel, who betrayed him, and then hanged himself (2 Sam. 16:20-17:3, 23). [4]
· Jesus quotes these words in verse 9 to speak of Judas Iscariot (John 13:18):
o “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’
Verse 10: David wants to repay his enemies
· This obviously presents trouble, at face value, to our mindsets. Jesus told us to not repay evil for evil. Here is prime example where you MUST read the Bible on its terms.
· What position does David hold the Kingdom of Israel? King
· As king he is charged to defend his people against all threats and keep them centered on the Lord.
· Any charge against the King of Israel was a charge against the Lord because the King (especially King David!) was the Lord’s anointed.
· Therefore, David is doing what he was called to do: defend God’s people.
[1]John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 1:825.
[2]Robert G. Bratcher and William David Reyburn, A Translator’s Handbook on the Book of Psalms, Helps for translators (New York: United Bible Societies, 1991), 393.
[3]John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 1:825.
[4]John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 1:825.
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