Most of us can look back at some point in our lives and recall a time (perhaps several times) when someone told lies about us, or brought unjust and false charges against us. That can be quite devastating, particularly if the lies are thoroughly nasty, or the charges damaging. This is where we find King David in our psalm reading from this week’s Lectionary. It’s not indicated in the Scriptures at what point in David’s life he wrote this psalm. We also are not sure who it was who was bringing these false charges and lies against David.
As we start off in verse 1 we read that David wants to be exonerated from whatever these false accusations or charges that had been flung at him. Who is it that he turns to? We read right from the start that David goes to God with his plea. He comes to God, praying for His help, and pleading his innocence. Not only is he innocent, David says, but he also says he’s led his life with integrity and uprightness. Perfect? Sinless? No, that’s not what David is saying here. He, more than anyone, knew that he was not perfect, that he had, and would continue, to do wrong. What made David someone who God could say in Scripture was a man after His own heart (I Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22), was that he was always in fellowship with God. He would always ask for forgiveness as soon as he realized it. In this verse David was asking to be cleared of false charges.
In verses 2 and 3 David asks for God to examine, prove and try him. He wants God to test him, to refine and purify him. He knows that he hasn’t done whatever he’s been accused of, and he wants God to examine and prove this, and to vindicate him. David also wants God to examine him for any unconfessed sins. He wants to make sure his “prayer line” is always clear.
One thing that David wants to make sure in his life is that he is not spending a lot of time associating with sinners and the unsaved (vs. 4 - 5). There is a difference between being with sinners, and being one of them. Jesus went and talked with sinners. When one would invite Him to dinner, He gladly accepted, sat and ate with them. But Jesus certainly wasn’t one of them. His sole and only purpose was to seek and save the lost. Being one of them, where we take part in their activities and become like them, will destroy our witness, and leads to sin and backsliding. We certainly, though, need to go to sinners and the unsaved to witness to them.
David is trusting in the Lord to hear and answer his prayer. He does not take matters into his own hands. If David was king when he wrote this, he could have had these enemies who were lying about him executed. If it was written earlier in his life, while he was living on the run, he and his band of men with him were well trained in guerrilla fighting. They could have handled these troublemakers. Instead, though, David leaves this with God, and instead goes into the Lord’s house and worships Him there (vs. 6-8). David took enjoyment and participated in public worship, and this he did as he waited for the Lord to answer his prayer for vindication.
Again, David brings a contrast between the righteous and innocent, and the unrighteous, unsaved sinners (vs. 9-11). As before, David was not saying that he was sinless and perfect. He knew that he had a strong relationship with God, and wanted to keep sin out in order to keep that relationship strong. He wanted to keep walking with integrity. David closes the psalm with another statement of coming together with other believers to worship God (vs. 12).
We can learn from David’s example that when other people lie and falsely accuse us, to bring it to the Lord and trust Him, not take it into our own hands. We also need to keep our lives free from known and deliberate sins, so that we are able to freely come to the Lord in prayer. David knew this, and could give thanks to Him in public worship.
Trust in the LORD!
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