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Scripture Reading: Psa. 3; Psa. 4; Psa. 5; Psa. 6; Psa. 7
Thus far, we have covered Psalm 1 concerning the law in man's appreciation and Psalm 2 concerning Christ in God's economy. We have seen that it was altogether by the Holy Spirit for the Psalms to be arranged this way. Suppose that we were the arrangers of the one hundred fifty psalms. Which psalm would we place as the first one? The Lord's way is the best way. He put Psalm 1 first, where we see the law in man's appreciation. Then we see Christ in God's economy in Psalm 2. What would be next in Psalms 3—7? It is interesting to see that right after Psalms 1 and 2, there are five psalms which show us David's concepts concerning a godly life.
The title of Psalm 3 says, "A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son." Absalom was a rebellious son. The Psalms were arranged in this way to show us that David needed to be corrected and disciplined. David appreciated the law so highly in Psalm 1, but did he keep the law? Did he as a tree stand by the streams steadfastly? He was not planted by the streams in Psalm 3. Instead, he was fleeing from his rebellious son.
From my youth I have loved Psalm 51. This is a psalm of David's repentance after his great sin recorded in 2 Samuel 11. David committed intentional murder, using his power and authority as a king to carry out his conspiracy to kill Uriah, one of his fighters. After that murder, he robbed Uriah of his wife. The last five commandments of the law prohibit killing, fornication, stealing, lying, and coveting. David broke the last five commandments. He killed Uriah, committed fornication, stole Uriah's wife, lied to Uriah, and coveted Uriah's wife. That offended God to the uttermost (1 Kings 15:5). Right away God sent the prophet Nathan to reprove David, as recorded in 2 Samuel 12. David became subdued, and he repented. Then he wrote Psalm 51. That is a wonderful psalm. The standard in this psalm is high; it is full of life and full of spirit. It even takes care of God's economy. The end of that psalm shows that after his confession of his own sin, he still remembered Zion and Jerusalem. In verse 18 David said, "Do good in Your good pleasure unto Zion:/Build the walls of Jerusalem."
That psalm is very good and very high. But it is difficult to believe that about three years later, he wrote Psalms 3—7, which are full of the human concept. After David committed murder and fornication, God disciplined him by allowing there to be trouble among his children (2 Sam. 12:11). One of David's sons committed fornication with one of his daughters. Then the fornicator was killed by another son of David, Absalom (2 Sam. 13:1-36). After the killing of his brother, Absalom fled to Geshur and stayed there for three years (vv. 37-39). Then after three years, he came back to David, and a little later he rebelled. Then David fled. In his flight from his rebellious son, he wrote Psalms 3—7. We have to know the history of these psalms in order to see them in the light of God's New Testament economy.
Some Chinese Christians have said that if you want to learn how to pray, you should study the Psalms, but I would say that we should not do this. Psalms 3—7 are all psalms of prayer, but they are the wrong example of how to pray because they are according to David's human concept for his personal interest. The Chinese Christians also say that if you want to learn how to preach, you should study Proverbs. But I would say that if you want to be a good preacher, you should study Paul's fourteen Epistles. Furthermore, if you want to learn to pray, you should go to Paul. Paul gave us two model prayers in one book, the book of Ephesians. In Ephesians 1 he said that he would ask the Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation that we may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us (vv. 17-19). Then in Ephesians 3, Paul said, "I bow my knees unto the Father..that He would grant you..to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man, that Christ may make His home in your hearts..that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God" (vv. 14-19). If we compare these two prayers of the apostle Paul with the prayers in Psalms 3—7, we will realize that the prayers in these psalms should not be the examples of how we should pray.
In this message I would like to paraphrase the main points in these five psalms. We need to evaluate these psalms point by point in the light of God's New Testament economy. The prayers in Psalms 3—7 are all involved in sufferings, in good and evil, and are even involved in avenging, self-righteousness, and accusing of others. There is no point in these psalms indicating life, repentance, self-condemnation, or self-denial. Furthermore, there is no point indicating much fellowship with God, touching God or being touched by God, and being humble and contrite in spirit. As we consider these psalms, we need to see these points.
As we have pointed out, Psalms 3—7 show us David's concepts concerning a godly life. I use the word godly because it is my quotation from Psalm 4:3. David's concepts of such a godly life in Psalms 3—7 are in comparison with His inspired praise of the excellency of Christ in Psalm 8.
These five psalms were written by David in his flight from his son Absalom's rebellion, which was the outcome of David's sins of murder and robbing another of his wife (Psa. 3 title).
David, who appreciated the law with its keeper in Psalm 1, murdered Uriah and robbed him of his wife (2 Sam. 11:14-27). In Psalm 1 he highly uplifted and exalted the law with its keeper. In his great sin, however, he broke all the last five commandments, which require men to have virtues expressing God's divine attributes. Did David, the one who wrote Psalm 1, keep the law? I do not believe that many readers of the Psalms ever thought about this. They agreed with David's exaltation of the law in Psalm 1. They never thought that Psalm 1 was wrong in treasuring and uplifting the law.
The greatest teacher in the New Testament, Paul, told us that no flesh can be justified by keeping the law (Gal. 2:16; 3:11). It is impossible for fallen man to keep the law. Asking man to keep the law is like asking a crippled bird to fly from Los Angeles to New York. Romans 8:3 says that the law cannot do what God requires because it is weak through the flesh. The law is good in its nature (Rom. 7:12), but the law cannot give us life (Gal. 3:21); it cannot impart the very dynamic power, life power, organic power, into us.
David appreciated the law in Psalm 1, but he committed murder, fornication, stealing, lying, and coveting against the law. Eventually, he was fleeing from his rebellious son. Because David committed murder and fornication, God chastised him through his son's rebellion. His children became a mess. Among them, there were also murder and fornication. If we see this picture, we will be convinced not to treasure and uplift the law. We should not appreciate the law. The more we appreciate the law, the more we will commit something against the law.
After Jehovah reproved him through the prophet Nathan (2 Sam. 12:1-12), David repented and was forgiven by God (2 Sam. 12:13; Psa. 51:1-17).
Psalms 3—7 were composed according to David's concepts of a godly life. In these psalms David asked God to deal with his adversaries and be a shield around him, his glory and the One who lifted up his head (Psa. 3:1-3, 6-8). Does asking God to deal with his adversaries correspond with the New Testament teaching? Surely, it is against the New Testament teaching. The New Testament teaches us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27, 35; Rom. 12:20).
I have been in the Lord's recovery for sixty years. In these sixty years, I have encountered opposition and even rebellion. How do we react to such opposition? As descendants of Adam, we would ask the Lord to deal with all these opposers for us. But if we are in the reality of the New Testament, we dare not pray this way. We cannot pray this way to the Lord because He told us to love our enemies.
David also asked the Lord to be a shield of protection around him. Is this good or bad? What is wrong with asking God to protect us? I would say that this is neither bad nor good. At that juncture when he was fleeing from his son, David prayed such a prayer. Why did he not pray, "Lord, You know I committed that sin which caused my son to be rebellious. Lord, don't condemn him. Lord, condemn me. I repent. I would like to have a time to say to my son, 'Son, forgive me. The cause of today's trouble is not you, but me.' Lord, deal with my heart." This is a spiritual prayer. Instead, David was asking the Lord to be a shield around him. As a murderer and a fornicator, was David worthy to be protected? He also asked God to be his glory and the One who lifted up his head. Should David not have felt ashamed to ask this of God when he was fleeing from his son, being chastised by God because of his murder and fornication?
David also called out to Jehovah and believed that He would answer him from His holy mountain (Psa. 3:4).
David was also praying in the night for Jehovah's sustaining (Psa. 3:5). Nearly all the Bible students and teachers call Psalm 3 a psalm of night prayer. Is praying nightly good or bad? It all depends upon how we pray. If David were really in the spirit, he would have considered the situation he was in at that time. He was fleeing from his rebellious son. He should have considered what caused his son to rebel. Then he would pray at night, "God, forgive me. It was I who caused my son to rebel. It was I who murdered Uriah, using my power and position as king to carry out conspiracy and murder. What a shame that even I robbed Uriah of his wife." As he was fleeing from his son, David should have felt shameful and repentant before God.
David asked God to vindicate his righteousness based upon the past experience of his prayer. He convinced others that he was a godly man whom God set apart for Himself and who called out to Jehovah and whom Jehovah heard when he called out to him. He also admonished others not to sin in anger but to consider in their heart upon their bed and be silent (Psa. 4:1-4). When he was fleeing from his son, he still asked God to vindicate him of his righteousness, but where was his righteousness? David should not have prayed this way. Instead, he should have asked God to enlighten him so that he could see how evil and sinful he was. As a king, he killed one of his fighters by his conspiracy. Then after killing him, he robbed him of his wife. Where was his righteousness?
He also was convincing others that he was a godly man whom God set apart for Himself. He was fleeing, yet he considered that he was set apart by God. This shows that he was in darkness. In considering Psalm 4, we need to remember that this was a psalm written by David at the time when he was fleeing. At that time, he indicated that he was a godly man whom God had set apart for Himself. Was that the time for him to pray in this way?
This shows that we human beings always are not easily convinced of or subdued in our sinfulness. Even if we murdered someone and committed fornication by robbing, we would not be convinced. We still would think we are good. We might vindicate ourselves by saying, "Yes, maybe I was wrong in certain matters, but I am a godly person whom God has set apart for Himself." I have been touching people for sixty years in the Lord's recovery, but I have nearly never had a time with one who was thoroughly convinced by God of his failures. In the law court, neither the plaintiff nor the defendant think that they are wrong. They cannot be convinced that they are wrong. We all need God's mercy to see our failures, our sinfulness, and our filthiness, to even roll on the floor in confession of our sins. This means that we have received mercy and found grace in the presence of God. As long as we would not be convinced of our sinfulness, we are wrong and in darkness.
In Psalm 4 David even admonished others not to sin in anger but to consider in their heart upon their bed and be silent. This is a good teaching, but why did David not teach himself? Was he the right person to pray this way? If you know his background, you can see that he was not the right person.
David also advised others to offer sacrifices of righteousness and trust in Jehovah (Psa. 4:5). This word is very good, but for him to write such a thing at that time in his particular situation was not fitting.
David asked God to lift up upon him the light of His countenance, thanking God for putting joy in his heart more than others' rejoicing in the abounding of grain and new wine, and trusting in God to lie down and sleep in peace and dwell in safety (Psa. 4:6-8). By this we can see that David had no feeling concerning his situation and condition of a great failure. He had become numb. How could such a sinful person pray this way to God at the time when he was fleeing from a situation of rebellion caused by his sinfulness? At such a time, he said that he would lie down and sleep in peace and dwell in safety.
David was one who was praying in the morning and watching (Psa. 5:1-3). Many teachers of the Bible call Psalm 5 a morning prayer. Psalm 3 is a night prayer, and Psalm 5 is a morning prayer.
David knew that God does not delight in wickedness but hates iniquity (Psa. 5:4-6). If David knew this, why did he commit such a great sin? Merely knowing the law does not work out anything. The law and David's knowledge of it did not work for him.
David said that he came into God's house in the abundance of His lovingkindness and worshipped toward God's holy temple in fear of Him. At that time, David was not worshipping in God's temple, but toward it (Psa. 5:7).
He asked God to lead him in His righteousness and make his ways straight on account of those who lay in wait for him (v. 8). He said that these ones had nothing right in their mouth, whose inward part was corruption and whose throat was an open grave, and who flattered with their tongue (v. 9). This clause was even quoted by Paul in his gospel preaching (Rom. 3:13).
David asked God to hold them guilty, letting them fall by their own counsels and thrusting them out because of their multiplied transgressions and their rebellion against God (v. 10). This prayer is full of condemnation of others, but there is no condemnation of David himself. It seems that everybody was wrong and sinful except him. We cannot find any hint here that he confessed his sin before God.
David asked God to let all who take refuge in Him rejoice and shout for joy forever that God might spread a cover, a canopy, over them to cause those who love God's name to exult in God. He also asked God to bless the righteous man, surrounding him with favor as with a shield (Psa. 5:11-12). I do not know why David prayed all these things here. Instead, he should have prayed, "Lord, forgive me. My sinful conduct caused my son to rebel. Lord, have mercy upon him. Move us all to repent to You." There is no hint in these psalms of David being convicted of his sinfulness.
In God's chastisement, David asked God to be gracious to him, to heal him, return to him, and save him for the sake of His lovingkindness (Psa. 6:1-5). David realized that he was in God's chastisement, but there was still not much confession about his failure. He said that he was wearied with his groaning, causing his bed to swim all night long, dissolving his couch with his tears. His eye had wasted because of grief and had aged because of his enemies (vv. 6-7). I think that this is David's exaggeration. Can anyone cause his bed to swim by his tears? Do we agree with this kind of prayer? If a brother prayed this way in a prayer meeting, we might admonish him to stop this kind of prayer.
David believed that Jehovah had heard the sound of his weeping and that all his enemies would be ashamed and greatly dismayed (Psa. 6:8-10). David could not forget his enemies. This is different from the Lord's teaching in the New Testament.
David took refuge in God and asked God to deliver him from all who pursued him. The enemies, including his son, were chasing after him. David felt that he had done no wrong (Psa. 7:1-5). How can anyone tell God that they have done no wrong?
David asked Jehovah to arise in His anger against the overflowing wrath of his enemies, and asked Jehovah to judge him according to his righteousness and integrity (Psa. 7:6-8). It is hard to imagine that such a godly man as David would pray such a prayer. He asked God to judge him according to his righteousness and integrity. Where was his integrity? He had committed fornication and murder, issuing in the rebellion of his son. As we consider Psalms 3—7 in this light, we can see how blind we have been in our appreciation of the Psalms.
David asked God to establish the righteous man and believed that his shield was with God, who, as a righteous Judge, saves the upright in heart (Psa. 7:9-13).
David believed that the evil man travails in iniquity and digs a pit, hollowing it out and falling into the hole, his mischief returning upon his own head (Psa. 7:14-16). I say again, suppose that a brother prayed this way in a prayer meeting. The saints might ask him to stop.
David gave thanks to Jehovah according to His righteousness and sang praise to the name of Jehovah the Most High (Psa. 7:17). This is one of the few good points in Psalms 3—7. Thank the Lord that these psalms have a good ending.
However, we can see that there is nothing in Psalms 3—7 concerning God's economy, God's kingdom, and God's interest. There is nothing concerning Christ. There is no real interceding spirit, that is, no intercession for others in the spirit. Also, there is very little life supply to the readers. Instead, these psalms encourage, strengthen, and confirm the readers in asking God to take care of them and their interest. Many readers of the Psalms, who read without the proper discernment of the human concept and the divine concept, have been encouraged to take care of their benefit and their interest.
After considering Psalms 3—7 in the light of God's New Testament economy, we can see that these psalms should not be taken as models for our prayer. In them we see David's sufferings, his desire to be avenged of his adversaries, and his self-righteousness. We do not see any repentance, confession of his fault, or self-condemnation. Psalm 8, however, reveals Christ's incarnation, His death and resurrection, His ascension, and His kingdom. Psalms 3—7 reveal David's concepts concerning a godly life, whereas Psalm 8 is his inspired praise of the excellency of Christ.
