Psalm 5-6

This psalm is a morning prayer – in the morning his voice would be lifted unto God. This psalm is a prayer of David when he was exposed to danger by enemies whom we don’t know.

Psalm 5:1-3 To the Chief Musician. With flutes. A Psalm of David. Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my meditation. 2 Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. 3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.

David prayed to God. This may sound elementary, but it is an essential aspect of prayer. Often we come to pray with a list full of our request or our feelings that we never consciously focus on God and sense His presence. David was a great man of prayer because His prayer time was focused on God.

More often than not, both public and private prayers of ours are not unto God, rather to those who are around us or simply to ourselves. In order to have a prayer unto God, we need to make a definite and conscious approach to him when we pray.

It is common for us to pray haphazardly. We don’t pray with diligence and tenacity and most of all with humility. Abraham did it on behalf of his nephew Lot who lived in Sodom.

David made it a point to pray in the morning. He did this because he wanted to honor God at the beginning of his day, and set the tone for an entire day dedicated unto God.

Hudson Taylor, the famous missionary to the Inland China, had trouble finding time alone with God. He began to wake himself up at 2:00 in the morning and using those quiet hours when everyone else slept to commune with God.

Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

In v3, David gives us what to do before and after prayer. Before we pray, we should direct our prayer to the Lord. After we pray, we look up with expectancy to heaven, really believing that God will answer.

Psalm 5:4-8 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. 5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. 6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. 8 Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face.

As we draw closer to God, we should become more aware of God’s holiness and man’s sinfulness. This is a good way to measure how well we are praying and whether, as we pray, we are drawing close to God or are merely mouthing words. If we are drawing close to God, we will become increasingly sensitive to sin, which is inevitable since the God we are approaching is a holy God.

David had a total confidence in the mercy of God, not his own righteousness. His worship is not based on his feelings or his favorite worship songs, but on his reverence for a righteous and merciful God.

In v7, it says, “Your holy temple.” Because of this, some Bible scholars insist that the writer of this psalm cannot be David since the Holy Temple was built by his son Solomon after his death. But in the original Hebrew word, the word ‘temple’ also includes the meaning of ‘tabernacle’.

Psalm 5:9-10 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; Their inward part is destruction; Their throat is an open tomb; They flatter with their tongue. 10 Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, For they have rebelled against You.

David was attacked constantly, physically, verbally and emotionally by his enemies. But through this situation, his prayer became more fervent than ever before.

Flattery is something people do in front of you without their hearts in it. But gossip is something they do behind your back with their hearts in it.

Psalm 5:11-12 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. 12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

The psalm closes with a note of encouragement that God blesses and protects those who love Him. Singing is a natural way to praise the Lord.

Romans 12:17-21 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

E. APPLICATION
1) When we pray to the Lord, we need to communicate with Him, not with ourselves or those who are around us.

2) Before we pray, we should direct our prayer to the Lord. After we pray, we look up with expectancy to heaven, really believing that God will answer.

3) The righteous aren’t made righteous by their words. The righteous are those who trust the Lord and love His name.

Psalm 6 is known as the first of seven penitential psalms – songs of confession and humility before God. It was a custom in the early church to sing these psalms on Ash Wednesday, the Wednesday before Easter.

The man in this psalm has looked all about him and has seen the wickedness on every hand. He has also looked in his own heart and recognized that he is not perfect before God at all. If the previous psalms and prayers had to do with morning and evening, this psalm has to do with the darkest night.

Psalm 6:1-3 To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. On an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David. O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure. 2 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. 3 My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O Lord--how long?

We don’t know what the occasion of sin was, but David knew that he was under the rebuke of God because of it. We know that God’s chastening hand is not primarily a mark of His displeasure, but it is a mark of adoption and love.

Hebrews 12:7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?

Living before the finished work of Jesus on the cross, David couldn’t be sure about his standing with God. On this side of the cross we know that all the anger God has towards us was poured out on Jesus at the cross. God chastens the believer out of correcting love and not out of anger.

Like any other difficulties of the trials and tests that drive us to our knees, David also prayed to the Lord fervently.

There is a place for humble resignation to chastisement, but he still knew he should ask God to shorten the trial. And I don’t blame him for that.

Psalm 6:4-7 Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake! 5 For in death there is no remembrance of You; In the grave who will give You thanks? 6 I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. 7 My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies.

One of the reasons why we love the Book of Psalms is that we can relate our own feelings with what the Psalmists say - shouts of joy, deep cries for mercy, groans that come from the bottom of a person’s heart and sheer excitement in God. It is all in there.

This is a cry for mercy out of the very depths of despair. Only the mercy of God can save us from this kind of situation. We are told over and over again in the Old and New Testament that God is rich in mercy.

Lamentations 3:22-23 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Psalm 6:8-10 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. 9 The Lord has heard my supplication; The Lord will receive my prayer. 10 Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.

Weeping has a voice before God. It isn’t that God is impressed by emotional displays, but a passionate heart impresses Him. David wasn’t afraid to cry before the LORD, and God honored the voice of his weeping.

It is absolutely wonderful that our Lord can understand exactly what we need to pray to Him.

Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Let us never forget our obligation as creatures made in God’s image, and our greater obligation as followers of Jesus being renewed in this image through Christ.
1) We must remember that God chastens the believer out of correcting love and not out of anger.

2) We must remember that God is not impressed with our flowery prayer language, but our sincere hearts.

If you want to contact the webservant of Calvary Chapel of Sahuarita, please send an e-mail.



	Psalm 5-6

	Psalm 5 - A morning prayer This psalm is a morning prayer – in the morning his voice would be lifted unto God. This psalm is a prayer of David when he was exposed to danger by enemies whom we don’t know. A. COMING TO THE LORD IN THE MORNING Psalm 5:1-3 To the Chief Musician. With flutes. A Psalm of David. Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my meditation. 2 Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. 3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up. David prayed to God. This may sound elementary, but it is an essential aspect of prayer. Often we come to pray with a list full of our request or our feelings that we never consciously focus on God and sense His presence. David was a great man of prayer because His prayer time was focused on God. More often than not, both public and private prayers of ours are not unto God, rather to those who are around us or simply to ourselves. In order to have a prayer unto God, we need to make a definite and conscious approach to him when we pray. It is common for us to pray haphazardly. We don’t pray with diligence and tenacity and most of all with humility. Abraham did it on behalf of his nephew Lot who lived in Sodom. David made it a point to pray in the morning. He did this because he wanted to honor God at the beginning of his day, and set the tone for an entire day dedicated unto God. Hudson Taylor, the famous missionary to the Inland China, had trouble finding time alone with God. He began to wake himself up at 2:00 in the morning and using those quiet hours when everyone else slept to commune with God. Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. In v3, David gives us what to do before and after prayer. Before we pray, we should direct our prayer to the Lord. After we pray, we look up with expectancy to heaven, really believing that God will answer. B. A CONTRAST BETWEEN THE WICKED AND GODLY Psalm 5:4-8 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. 5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. 6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. 8 Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face. As we draw closer to God, we should become more aware of God’s holiness and man’s sinfulness. This is a good way to measure how well we are praying and whether, as we pray, we are drawing close to God or are merely mouthing words. If we are drawing close to God, we will become increasingly sensitive to sin, which is inevitable since the God we are approaching is a holy God. David had a total confidence in the mercy of God, not his own righteousness. His worship is not based on his feelings or his favorite worship songs, but on his reverence for a righteous and merciful God. In v7, it says, “Your holy temple.” Because of this, some Bible scholars insist that the writer of this psalm cannot be David since the Holy Temple was built by his son Solomon after his death. But in the original Hebrew word, the word ‘temple’ also includes the meaning of ‘tabernacle’. C. TELL IT LIKE IS Psalm 5:9-10 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; Their inward part is destruction; Their throat is an open tomb; They flatter with their tongue. 10 Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, For they have rebelled against You. David was attacked constantly, physically, verbally and emotionally by his enemies. But through this situation, his prayer became more fervent than ever before. Flattery is something people do in front of you without their hearts in it. But gossip is something they do behind your back with their hearts in it. D. SHOUTS FOR JOY Psalm 5:11-12 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. 12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield. The psalm closes with a note of encouragement that God blesses and protects those who love Him. Singing is a natural way to praise the Lord. Scripture makes it very clear that God will take vengeance. Romans 12:17-21 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. E. APPLICATION 1) When we pray to the Lord, we need to communicate with Him, not with ourselves or those who are around us. 2) Before we pray, we should direct our prayer to the Lord. After we pray, we look up with expectancy to heaven, really believing that God will answer. 3) The righteous aren’t made righteous by their words. The righteous are those who trust the Lord and love His name. Psalm 6 - Confidence in God’s mercy Psalm 6 is known as the first of seven penitential psalms – songs of confession and humility before God. It was a custom in the early church to sing these psalms on Ash Wednesday, the Wednesday before Easter. The man in this psalm has looked all about him and has seen the wickedness on every hand. He has also looked in his own heart and recognized that he is not perfect before God at all. If the previous psalms and prayers had to do with morning and evening, this psalm has to do with the darkest night. A. HAVE MERCY ON ME Psalm 6:1-3 To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. On an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David. O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure. 2 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. 3 My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O Lord--how long? We don’t know what the occasion of sin was, but David knew that he was under the rebuke of God because of it. We know that God’s chastening hand is not primarily a mark of His displeasure, but it is a mark of adoption and love. Hebrews 12:7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? Living before the finished work of Jesus on the cross, David couldn’t be sure about his standing with God. On this side of the cross we know that all the anger God has towards us was poured out on Jesus at the cross. God chastens the believer out of correcting love and not out of anger. Like any other difficulties of the trials and tests that drive us to our knees, David also prayed to the Lord fervently. There is a place for humble resignation to chastisement, but he still knew he should ask God to shorten the trial. And I don’t blame him for that. B. OUT OF DEEP DESPAIR Psalm 6:4-7 Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake! 5 For in death there is no remembrance of You; In the grave who will give You thanks? 6 I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. 7 My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies. One of the reasons why we love the Book of Psalms is that we can relate our own feelings with what the Psalmists say - shouts of joy, deep cries for mercy, groans that come from the bottom of a person’s heart and sheer excitement in God. It is all in there. This is a cry for mercy out of the very depths of despair. Only the mercy of God can save us from this kind of situation. We are told over and over again in the Old and New Testament that God is rich in mercy. Lamentations 3:22-23 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. C. CONFIDENCE IN GOD’S MERCY Psalm 6:8-10 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. 9 The Lord has heard my supplication; The Lord will receive my prayer. 10 Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly. David ends the Psalm on a note of confidence. He made his agonized cry to God, and God heard him. Weeping has a voice before God. It isn’t that God is impressed by emotional displays, but a passionate heart impresses Him. David wasn’t afraid to cry before the LORD, and God honored the voice of his weeping. It is absolutely wonderful that our Lord can understand exactly what we need to pray to Him. Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. D. APPLICATIONS Let us never forget our obligation as creatures made in God’s image, and our greater obligation as followers of Jesus being renewed in this image through Christ. 1) We must remember that God chastens the believer out of correcting love and not out of anger. 2) We must remember that God is not impressed with our flowery prayer language, but our sincere hearts. If you want to contact the webservant of Calvary Chapel of Sahuarita, please send an e-mail.