Psalms 71 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Psalm 71

Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent

71:1   In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame!
2   In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
    incline your ear to me, and save me!
3   Be to me a rock of refuge,
    to which I may continually come;
  you have given the command to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.
4   Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
    from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
5   For you, O Lord, are my hope,
    my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
6   Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;
    you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.
  My praise is continually of you.
7   I have been as a portent to many,
    but you are my strong refuge.
8   My mouth is filled with your praise,
    and with your glory all the day.
9   Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
    forsake me not when my strength is spent.
10   For my enemies speak concerning me;
    those who watch for my life consult together
11   and say, “God has forsaken him;
    pursue and seize him,
    for there is none to deliver him.”
12   O God, be not far from me;
    O my God, make haste to help me!
13   May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
    with scorn and disgrace may they be covered
    who seek my hurt.
14   But I will hope continually
    and will praise you yet more and more.
15   My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
    of your deeds of salvation all the day,
    for their number is past my knowledge.
16   With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come;
    I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.
17   O God, from my youth you have taught me,
    and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18   So even to old age and gray hairs,
    O God, do not forsake me,
  until I proclaim your might to another generation,
    your power to all those to come.
19   Your righteousness, O God,
    reaches the high heavens.
  You who have done great things,
    O God, who is like you?
20   You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
    will revive me again;
  from the depths of the earth
    you will bring me up again.
21   You will increase my greatness
    and comfort me again.
22   I will also praise you with the harp
    for your faithfulness, O my God;
  I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
    O Holy One of Israel.
23   My lips will shout for joy,
    when I sing praises to you;
    my soul also, which you have redeemed.
24   And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,
  for they have been put to shame and disappointed
    who sought to do me hurt.

Commentary

A Psalm in old age, looking back on God's faithfulness, and looking forward, confident in that same faithfulness. This is consistent with a title in Ps 70, 'To bring to remembrance.' (RAV)

Notice two themes;

adversity; v4,7,10-11,16; Ps 70.2-3;
rejoicing; v6,8,14,22; Ps 70.4.

v1-3: God's character is revealed by His works. I may resort to Him continually, for He is always there, always my strong habitation, my rock and my fortress. Our joy depends upon God, not our circumstances.

v4-6: David had been delivered before, and he continued to trust in God.

The reference to "evil and cruel men" may have been those who allied themselves with Absalom, of those who lived after the rebellion of Absalom, such as Joab and Shimei.

The Psalmist was conscious of being in God's hand throughout his life, "from my mother's womb," and onwards. God's care was continuous, therefore our praise should be continuous.

v7: Many were amazed at him, see Is 52.14.

v8: David delighted in God, in His praise, in His splendour (glory). This delight is expressed in v14-22; His righteousness, salvation, mighty acts, marvellous deeds, power and might; His character revealed in His wonderful works.

v9: David did not expect God to change His character.

v10-11: Enemies scheming together, attacking the godly, thinking that God had forsaken him, perhaps because of David's difficult circumstances.

v12-13: Since David's enemies had attacked him, he prayed to God; in v24, he testifies of the answer.

v14: David's commitment to praise God, for He is always God, and therefore we shall always have hope.

v15: An on going testimony to God's works. We speak of things we can never fully understand, but such is the glory of knowing God.

v16: "I will proclaim," His mighty acts and His righteousness; the theme of our lips should be God and His character and works.

v17: God had taught Him to look for and to find His works. This is not something natural, it is spiritual, for God reveals His works to His people.

v18: The testimony to God's greatness; no desire for personal glory, just that others might experience the same God.

v19: And God is unique, there is none like Him.

v20-21: God had sent many and bitter troubles, He remained faithful through those times. His hand is always upon His people.

v22-24: Response in praise to God, remembering God's faithfulness, the many and bitter troubles are now past.