Psalms 140

Psalms 140:1

Psalm 140: From the Hands of the Wicked140:1-3 David begins with a prayer for deliverance from the defamation of the foe. Evil men were slandering him and violent men were hatching horrendous plans against him. They weren’t happy unless they were stirring up war. They had honed their tongues to a fine edge, and deadly poison came shooting out from under their lips. 140:4, 5 But the psalmist also needed protection from the snares of the enemy. These wicked men were masters in the art of trapping. They planted devices to trip him up. They put hidden booby-traps in his path. They spread a net to get him all fouled up. They dangled baits and lures all along the way. 140:6-8 And then too, he needed protection from their murderous scheming. So he draws near to God. In commitment"You are my God.“In petition"Hear the voice of my supplications.“In dependence"O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation.“In gratitude"You have covered my head” (as with a helmet) “in the day of battle.“In supplication"Do not grant, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; do not further his wicked scheme.“This last supplication means, “Do not let him do the things he wants to do against me. Do not seem to be an accomplice to his evil plot by even allowing it.” We know that God would never aid and abet any wickedness, but the thought here is that the mere toleration of it might seem to indicate His approval. 140:9-11 Next the psalmist prays that the tables will be turned on the wicked, that the dire things they had mapped out for him might come crashing down on their own proud heads, that burning coals might rain upon them, that they might be cast into dungeons without any means of escape. He asks that a slanderer might never get a foothold in the land, and that disaster will track down the violent man without delay. 140:12, 13 The Psalm closes with quiet confidence in the righteous Lord. Whatever happens, David knows that right will prevailthat the LORD is on the side of the afflicted and the poor. And the righteous shall always have reason to thank the Lord for His help. The upright shall dwell in His presence forever, and that makes all the sufferings of this life seem like pin-pricks.