EXPOSITION OF PSALM 31 (2)
Verses 1-4

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This psalm may be divided into six divisions: 1. prayer for help (vv.1-4); 2. encouragement to self (vv.5-8); 3. causes of trouble (vv.9-13); 4. another prayer for help (vv.14-18); 5. praise to God (vv.19-22); 6. exhortation to fellow-saints (vv.23f). We here will consider the first.

I. Prayer for help (vv.1-4). The psalmist was in trouble (v.9). His enemies had plotted against him (v.20), schemed to take his life (v.13b), and secretly laid a net in which to entangle him (v.4). They had reproached him (v.11a), slandered him (v.13a), and spread falsehood against him (v.18). He had become exhausted (vv.9b-10). He was forgotten and forsaken by even his friends (vv.11b-12). That which was true of the psalmist in the physical realm is true of all saints in the spiritual realm, "because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). This cunning serpent of old and his impious minions (John 8:44) have plotted and schemed to take our lives, and secretly lays nets in which to ensnare us (as in Genesis 3:1-5; 2 Corinthians 11:3ff; Luke 22:31), especially through "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:16). They reproach us, slander us, and spread falsehood against us, for he is "the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night" (Revelation 12:10; Job 1:9 & 2:4f; Zechariah 3:1; Romans 8:33). We therefore would pray the psalmist's prayer. In it he identifies the One to whom he prays (v.1a), then makes five (or six) specific requests to Him (vv1b-2), and expresses his confidence in Him (vv.3f).

31:1 "In You, O LORD, I put my trust; ..." The Hebrew Old Testament text employs several distinct words translated "trust" in our English text: aman means "to believe" (as in Job 15:15, 31); batach means "to confide in or lean upon"; chacah means "to flee for refuge". David in this psalm employs all three words. He writes in verse 31 that "the LORD preserves the faithful [aman]", those who believe in Him. He writes in verses 6 and 14, "I trust [batach] in the LORD," meaning that he confides in and leans upon Him. Here in verse 1 he writes, "In You, O LORD, I put my trust [chacah]," meaning "I have fled to Jehovah for refuge!" And judging from the many times he uses this expression (e.g., 7:1; 11:1; 16:1; 25:20; 57:1; 64:10; 71:1; 141:8; 144:2), his life was one of constantly doing so. Let the same be true of us also. Let us not be such fools as to think we in and of ourselves do not need a refuge, or think we may find refuge in any one or thing other than Christ.

"... Let me never be ashamed; ..." This idea is expanded in verse 17: "Do not let me be ashamed, O LORD, for I have called upon You; let the wicked be ashamed" (cp. 25:2). The meaning is two-fold. First, "Let me never be ashamed for having fled to You for refuge." Second, "Let me never be ashamed by the success of my enemies over me." Furthermore, in saying "Let me never be ashamed" we pray that we may never be ashamed either in this present life or in the hereafter. Rather, "Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause" (25:3).

"... Deliver me in Your righteousness." The saints does not pray to be delivered in his own righteousness, for "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10). Rather, we must pray to be delivered in Jehovah's righteousness. In particular this is the righteousness of God wrought by Jesus Christ through His complete and perfect obedience to the law of God, both in His prescriptive (or active) and penal (or passive) obedience to it. In the former, He completely and perfectly obeyed every precept of God's law (1 Peter 2:22): "He committed no sin." In the latter, He obediently bore all the sanctions imposed by God's law against His people because of their transgressions (Isaiah 53). The righteousness wrought by Christ is imputed by God to all who forsake all works of self-righteousness and trust in Christ alone for salvation (see Isaiah 53:11; Romans 3:21ff). All who flee to Him for refuge are delivered in His righteousness not only from the guilt and damning power of sin, but also from the curses and condemnation of God's law (Romans 7:6; Galatians 3:13), from all accusations made against them in this life by their adversary (Romans 8:33f), from the power of darkness in this present life (Colossians 1:13) and the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). All who flee to Christ for refuge are assured that their deliverance in Him is in the past, present, and future, for "God who raises the dead ... delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us" (2 Corinthians 1:9f).

31:2 "Bow down Your ear to me, ..." When a man is exhausted or dying, as in the present instance (vv.9f), and his strongest cry may be but a faint whisper, it is necessary for his helper to place his ears close to the needy man's lips. This speaks of the condescending grace of Jehovah, and distinguishes Him the idols of men. Idols have ears that do not hear (Psalm 115:6). And idolaters vainly bow down their ears to their idols in the never-realized hope of hearing them whisper. But Jehovah, even while sitting on His throne in heaven, bows down His ear to hear the whisper of those who trust in Him. And He can do so to each of His people even when all of them cry out to Him at the same time!

"... Deliver me speedily; ..." (Two separate Hebrew words are translated "deliver" in vv.1, 2, but the difference between them is not consequential.) Not only does the saint pray to be delivered in Jehovah's righteousness (v.1), he also prays to be delivered now! He who prays "You are my help and my deliverer" prays also "Do not delay, O my God" (40:17; cp. 70:1). This prayer will be answered, according to the promise of Christ in the parable of the widow who failed to obtain speedy deliverance from the earthly judge (Luke 18:1-8): "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily."

"... Be my rock of refuge, ..." Jehovah is a rock in the person of Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 10:4). He is "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense" to those who are "disobedient to the word" (Isaiah 8:14; 1 Peter 2:8; Romans 9:33), and will fall upon them to grind them to powder because of their disobedience (Matthew 21:44). But to those who flee to Him for refuge He will be their "Rock of Refuge" - and also their "Rock of Strength" (Psalm 62:7) and "Rock of Salvation" (Deuteronomy 32:15). They who will not flee to Christ as their Rock of Refuge in this present life will vainly try to hide in rocks from Him at the judgment day (Isaiah 2:19; Revelation 6:15f). Let us all be named Zuriel, "My Rock Is El" (Numbers 3:35), and Zurishaddai, "My Rock Is Shaddai" (Numbers 1:6).

"... A fortress of defense to save me." The Jewish fortress Masada derived its name from the Hebrew word here translated "fortress". Masada was so high and impregnable that a Jewish force of less than 1000, including women and children, withstood a Roman army of 15,000 soldiers for two years following the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Christ is a better Masada because, unlike that physical fortress of defense, He will never fail to "save me". The Hebrew word here translated "save" is part of the name of Jesus, which name means "Jehovah Is Salvation" – and Christ is so-named because "He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

31:3 "For You are my rock and my fortress; ..." Note that David is saying "Be my rock and fortress" (v.2) because "You are my rock and fortress" (v.3). Whatever Christ is to His people presently, He ever will be. Believe Him when He says, "I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob" (Malachi 3:6).

"... Therefore, for Your name's sake, / Lead me and guide me." Never let us think we can ever find our way apart from Christ directing us, for "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6). First, for salvation in Christ, let us pray, "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I" (61:2). Second, for service to Christ, let us pray that "He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake" (23:3). In praying for these "for Your name's sake", we pray for nothing on the ground of our own merit or worthiness, but rather that all God does for us will be for His own glory and honor.

31:4 "Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, ..." He who delivered me from the "snare of the devil" in which I was born (2 Timothy 2:25) surely can deliver me from the nets of temptation Satan places before me (1 Corinthians 10:13): "God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." How do I know this?

"... For You are my strength." My foes are no match for the divine omnipotence and immutability found in Christ!

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