Praying Psalm 7

"Judged Righteous!"

What is the title of this Psalm 7?

 A Shiggaion (lament?) of David, which he sang to YHWH  concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.

We don’t really know the historical context here – A tribe of Benjamin gave David trouble (2 Sam. 20) It's no big deal that we don't know the exact context. Most of the time it is educated guesses, anyway. These prayers speak greater truths about God's Word, rather than only in a single historical situation.

Read Psalm 7:1-2

¹YHWH my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,
²lest like a lion they tear my soul/nephesh apart, rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.

What is the problem?

Pursuers are seeking David's life. Notice the image, they are like lions - SCARY!! It is a graphic fear that David paints, here.

Read Psalm 7:3-5

³YHWH my God, if I have done this, if there is (exists) wrong/injustice/evil in my hands,
⁴if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause/ in vain,
⁵let the enemy pursue my soul/nephesh and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah

What does David pray concerning himself?

If I’ve sinned – let me be overtaken. If I deserve it, give it to me
Let JUSTICE be done to me. It's amazing that he love YHWH's justice more than his own life...

Read 7:6-8

⁶ Arise, YHWH, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; awake for me; you have commanded a judgment.
⁷Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you; over it return on high.

⁸YHWH judges the peoples; judge me, YHWH, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in/on/over me. 

David calls YHWH to what action?

Arise = Act.
Judge – enemies and even ME.
Here he goes again, David is assuming his righteousness with confidence! How could he possibly be so sure that he has righteousness and integrity in him?? (Hint: David knows where his righteousness resides...not in himself...)

Read Psalm 7:9-11

⁹Behold/I pray, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous—you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God!

¹⁰My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart/straight mind.
¹¹God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.

Why is the Psalmist confident of his righteousness?
Is David sinless? No, he trusts GOD his shield – the one who saves. He can be completely confident in this outside source of righteousness!!

**TANGENT...How did John the Baptist “make straight” the path in the wilderness? He lead the people of God in REPENTANCE. When they were completely crushed and sorry, only then could they receive Christ - the one who did it all. Here is the beauty of law and gospel.
The Psalmist is not confident because he is great sinless guy, It's all YHWH.

Read Psalm 7:12 - 16
¹²If he does not repent, he will whet his sword; he has bent and readied/fixed his bow;
¹³he has prepared for him his deadly weapons/utensil of death, making his arrows fiery shafts.
¹⁴Behold, he conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies.
¹⁵He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made.
¹⁶His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.

How does judgment look for the wicked?
He does NOT REPENT. (hmmm... John the baptist? Repentance leads to total dependence, or NOT)
Their own wickedness happen to THEM. This is justice for the evil one.

**HE is who? Some English translations insert "God" as the subject in 12b & 13. However, it flows better to continue the subject as the evildoer. He continues to be evil, if he does not repent.

Read Psalm 7:17
¹⁷I will praise YHWH according to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of YHWH, the Most High.

How does this psalm end?
Praise - But according to YHWH’s righteousness. Remember how much David loved God's righteousness through this psalm? HIS justice is what is praised... (this includes what is done to the wicked)

**The NAME of YHWH is praised.The name is God's history of action. In the OT he recalled all of his wonderful works when He gave His name. He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - A very specific history for a specific people.
The NAME of YHWH continues to be praised among us as we tell more of the story. We recall Father, Son, Holy Spirit who all have done specific things for a specific people. Same God of history, but different name with more history.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?

What is the purpose of this Psalm/prayer?
Call for God's judgment - both on the wicked AND on the righteous. We get more of a description of the wicked's judgement.

**Read Bonhoeffer, Psalms The Prayer Book of the Bible, "The Enemies". Despite our tendency to default to forgiveness, we learn that our prayers for God's judgment on the wicked IS, in fact, God pleasing.

How did Christ fulfill this psalm?
John the Baptist made the way straight – REPENT. He prepared people to trust in Christ’s righteous integrity – TRUE righteousness. St. Paul reminds us, no one is righteous (Rom 3:10-26) we are justified by Christ.

How can we pray this?

Call for judgement – know we are saved/upright in heart THROUGH CHRIST

WE PRAY:
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

What does this mean? The good and gracious will of God is done indeed without our prayer; but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also.

How is this done? When God breaks and hinders every evil counsel and will which would not let us hallow the name of God nor let His kingdom come, such as the will of the devil, the world, and our flesh; but strengthens and keeps us steadfast in His Word and in faith unto our end. This is His gracious and good will.