Psalm 17 “A Prayer Of David”

“Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry; give ear to my prayer.” (v.1)

Truly David was a man of prayer, and here is yet another example. In his opening words “hear the right”, David is making an appeal that God would vindicate him while asking to be heard on the basis of his righteousness. Here and elsewhere the psalmist assumes that right is on his side, and that he is being persecuted unjustly. Very bold to take this approach before a Holy God. Unless he had been convinced of this, he could not have called on God to vindicate him. 

Taking our text one step further he says, “attend unto my cry.” This shows the earnestness of David’s prayer and some feel through a loud piteous cry, like a child’s cry that goes straight to the parent’s heart. I know from personal experience a child has many types of cries and can communicate through them. Maybe David was doing the same thing here by crying out to God. Scripture tells us that God spoke of David as, “a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). Maybe it had something to do with how often he cried out, “Abba Father.”

Finally David says, “give ear to my prayer”, expressing his earnest desire to be heard and answered immediately. Like the repeated blow of a hammer hitting the same nail on the head, David keeps on knocking, he keeps on asking, and laying out his solemn appeal boldly before his God in prayer. What confidence and boldness we see in the remainder of David's prayer here in Psalm 17, along with an expectation of the agent to fulfill the work. 

May we take David's example to heart in our prayer life when we are under attack and boldly present our case before the LORD. And in so doing, touch the heart of our heavenly Father while stimulating faith within our own soul.

The Truth:  Jesus said, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:9-13)

Psalm 16 “A Michtam Of David”

Michtam means “golden” and/or “hidden.” Some have explained Psalm 16 as a song that leads to the deeper things of God, hidden from the wise, but are revealed to simple by the Spirit. Our text then could also be called, “A Psalm with a hidden or golden secret.” 

The Apostle Peter when quoting from it said, “David speaks concerning Him (Jesus)” (Acts 2:25), and Paul made reference to this Psalm in the book of Acts 13:35-38, expressly ascribing it to God’s authorship through David and affirming that it spoke of His (Jesus') Resurrection. 

The hidden treasure in this Psalm then is Jesus, whom the Father gave as a sacrafice for all, giving a future hope to all who believe through His resurrection and ascension (v.10). The Psalm goes on to promise His eventual glorious return, providing to all who are found in Him fulness of joy, and pleasures in heaven forevermore (v.11).  Why? Because we are His poem, His workmanship, His song, His treasure, His joy. 

The Truth: “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)