Jesus Creed

Jesus Creed

Our Common Prayerbook: Psalm 6 – 2

posted by Scot McKnight

There is progress in Psalm 6 but the psalmist doesn’t spell out each step in the progress. Perhaps the psalmist has sinned; he doesn’t say so. He is opposed by enemies and they have driven David to his limit. He pleads with God to rescue him because, so the psalmist believes, God is faithful. 

He then makes another plea on his behalf: “For no one remembers you in the realm of death, In Sheol who gives you thanks?” That is, because this psalmist is a celebrator or thanker or praiser of God, he contends he should be spared. If he goes down into Sheol, well there’s no one who sings praises there. So, deliver me!

He returns to his pain in vv. 6-7 but this time he speaks from his pain and not from his fear of YHWH (as in v. 1).  All night long he weeps over his condition.

And again, he begins talking to his enemies: “Turn back from me, all you who behave wickedly, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping 6:9 The Lord has heard my appeal for mercy; the Lord has accepted my prayer.” He tells them to leave and he warns them that God is listening to him … he goes further… he says in fact that God has heard and accepted his pleas. Their wishes are over; God is with the psalmist.

Then he meditates to himself, pondering what God’s listening to him means: 

May all my enemies be humiliated and absolutely terrified!

May they turn back and be suddenly humiliated!

Our guide in the Psalms is John Goldingay (Psalms, Vol. 1: Psalms 1-41
).

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments, according to the sheminith style; a psalm of David.

6:1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger!

Do not discipline me in your raging fury!

6:2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am frail!

Heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking!

6:3 I am absolutely terrified,

and you, Lord - how long will this continue?

6:4 Relent, Lord, rescue me!

Deliver me because of your faithfulness!

6:5 For no one remembers you in the realm of death,

In Sheol who gives you thanks?

6:6 I am exhausted as I groan;

all night long I drench my bed in tears;

my tears saturate the cushion beneath me.

6:7 My eyes grow dim from suffering;

they grow weak because of all my enemies.

6:8 Turn back from me, all you who behave wickedly,

for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping!

6:9 The Lord has heard my appeal for mercy;

the Lord has accepted my prayer.

6:10 May all my enemies be humiliated and absolutely terrified!

May they turn back and be suddenly humiliated!



Leave a Comment »
Related Topics: Gospel
beliefnet
  list archives most recent most popular  
beliefnet
You Might Also Like...
Previous Posts

More Blogs To Enjoy!!!
Thank you for visiting Jesus Creed. This blog is no longer being updated. Please enjoy the archives. Here are some other blogs you may also enjoy: Red Letters with Tom Davis Recent prayer post on Prayables Most Recent Inspiration blog post Happy Reading!  

posted 11:15:58am Aug. 16, 2012 | read full post »

Our Common Prayerbook 30 - 3
Psalm 30 thanks God (vv. 1-3, 11-12) and exhorts others to thank God (vv. 4-5). Both emerge from the concrete reality of David's own experience. Here is what that experience looks like:Step one: David was set on high and was flourishing at the hand of God's bounty (v. 7a).Step two: David became too

posted 12:15:30pm Aug. 31, 2010 | read full post »

Theology After Darwin 1 (RJS)
One of the more important and more difficult pieces of the puzzle as we feel our way forward at the interface of science and faith is the theological implications of discoveries in modern science. A comment on my post Evolution in the Key of D: Deity or Deism noted: ...this reminds me of why I get a

posted 6:01:52am Aug. 31, 2010 | read full post »

Almost Christian 4
Who does well when it comes to passing on the faith to the youth? Studies show two groups do really well: conservative Protestants and Mormons; two groups that don't do well are mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics. Kenda Dean's new book is called Almost Christian: What the Faith of Ou

posted 12:01:53am Aug. 31, 2010 | read full post »

Let's Get Neanderthal!
The Cave Man Diet, or Paleo Diet, is getting attention. (Nothing is said about Culver's at all.) The big omission, I have to admit, is that those folks were hunters -- using spears or smacking some rabbit upside the conk or grabbing a fish or two with their hands ... but that's what makes this diet

posted 2:05:48pm Aug. 30, 2010 | read full post »

Advertisement
Comments read comments(3)
post a comment
Dennis Edwards

posted April 15, 2010 at 3:44 pm


Scot,
thanks for this. I’m starting a spring sermon series in the Psalms and this is a good one to reflect upon. I like the spirit of asking God to “payback” enemies so the psalmist doesn’t have to take matters into his own hands — something most of us would prefer to do!
peace to you in your travels and speaking.



report abuse
 

Peter

posted April 16, 2010 at 7:24 am


I’m hitting a very busy time during which I do not have time to join in on all the wonderful conversations here at Jesus Creed, but I do come to meditate on the psalms with you. I was thinking: more than just feeding my soul, I sense my larder being stocked for the day of drought. Thanks.



report abuse
 

Ann F-R

posted April 17, 2010 at 4:42 pm


I wonder how often it is true that the very pain & desperation in our grief and agony drives us to God, opens our ears and hearts to the voice of the Spirit, and then, only then, are we able to “hear” the very lack of God’s condemnation of us. Then, only then, are we able to “hear” that it is our enemies’ voices clamoring for our destruction, and not Godself.



report abuse
 

Post a Comment

By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.




Related Topics: Gospel
beliefnet
  list archives most recent most popular  
beliefnet

Report as Inappropriate

You are reporting this content because it violates the Terms of Service.

All reported content is logged for investigation.