Hear a just cause, O Lord, attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from Your presence; let Your eyes look on the things that are upright. (Psalm 17:1-2)
The more we look at David’s prayers and petitions, the more we realize that, in spite of the great and noteworthy things for which he is famous, he was like most of us — up and down. By that I mean, one moment he is certain of God’s favor and mercy, as in the previous psalm, and the next moment he seems unsure and desperate. In the opening verses of this psalm, the latter seems to be the case which is why it is more of a prayer than it is a praise or proclamation. In fact, rabbinical commentators believe it was written after David sinned with Bathsheba, was confronted by Nathan the prophet and then repented of his misdeeds.
If that was the case, the nature of his sin caused him to be concerned about his standing with God. Frankly, there could be something to this notion: the phrase “Let vindication come from Your presence” is rendered literally as “May my judgement be dismissed.” If this was written subsequent to his failure, and he was troubled about his relationship with God, we can understand why he would ask God to dismiss a judgment that he truly deserved and “look (only) on the things that are upright.” In other words, he was asking God not to judge him based on this one transgression but to consider those times when he was walking upright before God.
It is a fact that God never chooses a perfect person but always perfects those He has chosen — David was no different. Like so many notable people before and after him, David was quite human, meaning that he was prone to make the worst of mistakes. On the other hand, David had a deep understanding and unique appreciation for God’s goodness, compassion and mercy; he called upon the LORD in this regard time and again. We, too, are prone to make terrible mistakes, unfortunately — not that we should consider this reality as justification to do wrong — but like David, we can look to God for mercy when we fall short. It is also important to be as David was when we approach God — honest with Him and with ourselves. David did not seek God with deceitful lips and ulterior motives; he was forthright and sought him with a broken and contrite heart.
In another psalm David reiterated this point saying, “A broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). Inevitably, we will fall short of God’s standards but if we do, and if we acknowledge it with brokenness and contrition, God promises to be merciful. Regardless of what we have done or might do, nothing is so big that the love of God cannot overcome it.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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