Psalm 41 Continued…
Psalm 41:4-9 I said, “O Lord, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you.” My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die and his name perish?” Whenever one comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander; then he goes out and spreads it abroad. All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying, “A vile disease has beset him; he will never get up from the place where he lies.” Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
David opened this Psalm speaking openly about his fears. Now, he begins to describe his foes. It is difficult for us today, brought up as we are on the hero legends of David, to imagine how many and varied were his enemies. We think of David as the giant slayer, as a charismatic figure able to transform the outcasts of society into a disciplined force of fighting men. We think of the man who inspired such loyalty that men would risk everything just to bring him a cup of water. But any man in a high office, no matter how wisely he rules, will have his foes and David was no exception. After his sin, which caused a scandal in Israel, his enemies were given great influence and power to use against him.
In this section David, instead of reciting his troubles in the manner characteristic of the thanksgiving of an individual, gives us the words of the lament which he addressed to the Lord when he was experiencing distress and affliction. In this way he conveys to his hearers a more lively and realistic impression of the situation in which he found himself and at the same time their sense of the measure of God’s providence in his life. And this is not a psalm written in the midst of trouble, but a portion of autobiography written in a time of calmness.
He is healed, for which he is profoundly thankful, but more than his recovery, he stresses his vindication against the assaults of his enemies. His integrity has been confirmed. He can for all the days to come stand in the temple before his people as one of whom the Lord is mindful.
David, above all things, is real. Not just that he was a real historical person, he was that. But he was real in his relationship with the Lord. He spoke plainly to God about his adversaries, and even his desire to see them pay for their evil deeds.
I think, we would do well to take a good lesson from David here. God doesn’t need you to address Him in polished 1611 English. He wants you raw and honest. He wants you to approach Him with all that is in your heart because He already knows what is there. And your communication of it is an act that brings you much closer to Him.
Pray
Father let me not be afraid to bare my heart to you!