Psalm 30 Continued…
Psalm 30:10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me; O Lord, be my help.
This is a prayer all of us have prayed at one time or another. David asks the Lord to shine the light of his countenance upon him again, and to manifest and apply his pardoning grace to him, and to deliver him out of all his afflictions. This, too, is the prayer which he uttered during the calamities referred to in verse 7. It is a cry for mercy founded on the idea referred to in verse 9.
O Lord, be my help
He knew that the help of man was useless; and he was entirely within his rights to ask for help from the Lord, who was able to help him when no one else could.
Here David’s prayer is uttered during the time of his distress, and he proceeds to declare the result of this prayer in the final verses.
Psalm 30:11 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
Having related his prayer, David now announces the gracious answer which God gave him. This, along with what follows, expresses the success he had in seeking the Lord by prayer and supplication; there was a sudden change of circumstances, as often happens with the people of God; sometimes they are mourning because of sin, their own and others, or on account of afflictions. At other times, it is because of spiritual decay, or through the temptations of Satan, or, as it was with David on this occasion, because of God hiding his face. His mourning is exchanged for joy and gladness when the Lord extends his pardoning love to them, revives his work in their souls, takes off his afflicting hand from them, rebukes the tempter, and delivers them out of his temptations, and reveals himself, his grace and favor. That is, God had heard his prayer; he had brought his troubles to an end; he had caused his sorrows to be succeeded by joy.
Observe the contrast, God takes away the mourning of his people; and what does he give them instead of it? Quiet and peace, and a great deal more than that. He makes their hearts to dance at the sound of his name. Suddenly, in a moment, all was changed. The angel ceased to slay. God directed him to hold his hand. The Prophet Gad was sent with the joyful news to David and commanded him to immediately build an altar to Yahweh. Then the mourning ceased, and a joyful ceremony was instituted, and dancing was part of it.
You removed my sackcloth
Sackcloth was worn during times of mourning for the passing of a loved one, and in times of calamity and distress, and as a token of humiliation and repentance. The king had clothed himself in sackcloth on the occasion mentioned here. Compare:
• 1 Chronicles 21:16: “David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.” The wearing of sackcloth was probably accompanied by fasting.
He (figuratively speaking) takes off their sackcloth, which means that God had taken away their sorrow with the causes of it. That is good. What a delight to be rid of the clothing of despair! But what then? He clothes us. And how? With some commonly worn clothing? No, but with that royal vestment which is the apparel of glorified spirits in heaven.
And clothed me with joy.
This is better than wearing garments made of silk or cloth made of gold, adorned with embroidery and covered with gems. Many a poor man wears this heavenly apparel wrapped around his heart, though cotton is his only outward garb; and such a man needs not to envy the emperor in all his pomp.
Psalm 30:12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.
Meaning either his soul, the glorious part of him or his tongue, which is the glory of it, and with which he glorified God. The ultimate purpose of God’s mercies to us is our praise to Him.
This verse states the purpose for which the psalmist now understood that God intended to accomplish by His dealings with him in the various scenes of his past life. The purpose of God, in all these various dealings, was, that he should learn to praise the Lord.
• In the prosperity which had been bestowed on him. (vs. 6, 7)
• In the reverses and trials by sickness or otherwise which had come upon him. (vs. 3, 7)
• In the deliverance which God had granted him in answer to his prayers. (vs. 2, 3, 10, 11)
David’s purpose now, as he entered his new palace and dedicated it to God, was, to praise God with his highest powers forever.
PRAY
Father may I continually give thanks to you and tell of all your great deeds to all I meet!