Psalm 017
Psalm 17 Open Gate Christian Fellowship
Psalm 17 is the first psalm explicitly called a prayer! In it, David argues his case before the Lord in prayer in order that his request might be granted. This is a good way to pray. When I present my case to the Father in prayer by saying, “Here’s what You said in Your Word…” or, “Here’s what I know to be true about You…” it’s not that I’m trying to persuade a reluctant Father but that I’m stimulating faith within my own soul. Here, David argues his case, and in so doing, I know his own faith is being stimulated, just as yours will be.
Psalm 17:1
1A Prayer of David.
Hear a just cause, O Lord, Attend to my cry; Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.
“Lord,” David prays, “Listen to me. Hear my plea. My prayer is not empty words, but from my heart.”
Psalm 17:2, 3 (a)
2Let my vindication come from Your presence; Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.
3(a)You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night;…
“In the dark times, Lord, You’ve tested me,” David prays. “You’ve come my way.”
When you wake up in the middle of the night or can’t get to sleep at all, you have a choice to make. You can either say, “Hmmm. Must be time for some cherry pie,” or you can say, “Maybe the Lord is visiting me right now.” If you slip out of your bed, go into another room, and talk to the Lord, you’ll be absolutely amazed at how He’ll bless, encourage, and minister to you. The Lord is a night-time visitor. But if you choose to watch television instead of responding to His call, you are the one that will miss out!
Psalm 17:3 (b)
3(b) … You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
“You’ve tried me, Lord, and You’ll find no fault in me. Listen to me because I’m righteous,” David prays.
Wait a minute, David. Even at this point you’re already guilty of lying. You jeopardized the life of your own wife, Michal, when you snuck out the window and allowed her to lie for you (1 Samuel 19). And what about Ahimelech? Your lies to him resulted not only in his death, but in the deaths of eighty-five other priests (1 Samuel 21, 22).
There are glaring inconsistencies in David’s life, so how could he have the audacity to say he was faultless? I suggest the solution is quite simple. That is, although David had problems and failures, he was nonetheless a man after God’s own heart. He loved God passionately. He pursued God’s heart, not so much to get something from His hand, but to look into His face. And because David sought the face of the Lord, like Noah, he found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8).
What is grace? Unmerited, undeserved, unearned favor. I believe David had a firm grasp on where he stood positionally because he understood grace. Therefore, he made his arguments not upon a denial of his present sins but upon a realization of his positional standing.
1 John 2:2 (1 Jn 2:1 … Jesus is our Advocate)…
2And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
Psalm 17:4
4Concerning the works of men, By the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.
The old adage is true: This Book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this Book. The Word of God is powerful. Jesus showed this to be true when He beat back the temptations of the devil. Quoting Scripture concerning each temptation that came His way, Jesus unsheathed the Sword, used the Word, and Satan, the destroyer, fled (Matthew 4).
Psalm 17:5–8 (a)
5Uphold my steps in Your paths, That my footsteps may not slip.
6I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
7Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them.
8(a)Keep me as the apple of Your eye;…
(Deuteronomy 32:9-10)
9For the Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance.
10“He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.
Here, David asks that Jacob’s protection be extended to him. The apple of the eye is the pupil. We are told that the reflex that covers the eye is the quickest reflex in the body. When there’s danger coming toward your face, your eye will close in 1/10,000th of a second. And the speed with which your eyelid closes to protect your eye is the speed with which the Lord protects His children.
Psalm 17:8 (b)
8 (b)…hide me under the shadow of your wings,
Exodus 19:4
4‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.
Matthew 23:37
37“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
David is saying… Lord, I am willing!!!
Psalm 17:9-12
9From the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me.
10They have closed up their fat hearts; With their mouths they speak proudly.
11They have now surrounded us in our steps; They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth,
12As a lion is eager to tear his prey, And like a young lion lurking in secret places.
“I’m under attack,” David says, “like prey stalked by a lion” or, as Peter would tell us, by the devil who seeks to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
Psalm 17:13
13Arise, O Lord, Confront him, cast him down; Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword,
The sword, of course, is a reference to the Word (Hebrews 4:12 “living & powerful”). The key is to be in the Word and in touch with the Lord because it is as we hear what He says and make His Word the basis for our prayer that our soul is delivered.
Psalm 17:14
14With Your hand from men, O Lord, From men of the world who have their portion in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children, And leave the rest of their possession for their babes.
“Deliver me, Lord, from the evil men who appear to be prospering, from worldly men who would seek to seduce me with all of their riches and success stories.”
David experienced apposition from enemies trying to outright kill him… He wrestled against those around him trying to seduce him!!! Like David, you and I have a world system that is against us!!! Reminds me of a little story…
A little boy struggled to uproot a huge weed. Finally, with a mighty tug, he was victorious.
“That was a mighty big tug,” said a man, observing the scene.
“Yeah,” said the little boy. “It’s pretty tough when the whole world is pulling against you.”
That’s what happens with us. There’s a whole world pulling against us. The world system pulls against us. The enemy goes about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour us. Our sin nature continually plagues us.
Psalm 17:15
15As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.
When will we be free of this struggle? When will we be truly satisfied? Not until we awake in the likeness of the Lord.
“When we see Him, we shall be like Him,” John tells us (see 1 John 3:2).
“When I see You, I’ll be satisfied,” David says. “In the meantime, Lord, protect me. Keep me as the apple of Your eye. Hide me under the shadow of Your wings. See me through.”