CHAPTER 17

A PSALM OF DAVID: A PRAYER FOR PROTECTION

¹Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goes not out of feigned lips. (Even though uttered by David, it is a prayer more so of the Greater Son of David. If we lack understanding regarding His Incarnation, it will be difficult for us to understand His praying, as this Psalm proclaims. As He prays, He associates His People with Himself.)

²Let my sentence come forth from Your Presence: let Your Eyes behold the things that are equal (could be translated, Let sentence in my favor be pronounced by You, for Your Eyes discern upright actions).

³You have proved my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me, and shall find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress (Satan found no imperfection in Christ, and God found nothing but perfection in Him).

⁴Concerning the works of men, by the word of Your lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.

⁵Hold up my goings in Your Paths, that my footsteps slip not (the paths of the destroyer and the paths of Jehovah are contrasted in Verses 4 through 5, and the statement is made that preservation from the one and perseverance in the other alone are secured by allegiance to the Scriptures).

⁶I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God: incline Your ear unto me, and hear my speech (this is concentrated intercessory prayer, which is almost unheard of presently!).

⁷Show Your marvelous Lovingkindness, O You Who saves by Your right Hand them which put their trust in You from those who rise up against them (in Verses 7 through 14, the Son of David associates His People with Himself; we have the same enemies, and we have the same Deliverer).

⁸Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Your Wings (the apple of the eye is the pupil of the eye; it means that as God looks at His People, figuratively speaking, He can see only His People),

⁹From the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.

¹⁰They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.

¹¹They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth.

¹²Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places (Satan comes as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour [I Pet. 5:8]; he is the enemy of Christ and the enemy of every Child of God).

¹³Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is Your Sword (while this speaks of David, as well as every other Believer, it more pointedly speaks to the Antichrist; Israel must be delivered from him, and will be delivered).

¹⁴From men which are Your Hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly You fill with Your hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes (in Verse 13, the enemy is Satan, while in Verse 14, the enemy is men; they are those of the world who have no concern for Heavenly things, and they are full of children, meaning that scores seek to emulate them).

¹⁵As for me, I will behold Your Face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Your likeness (this statement expresses the highest joy of the spiritual nature; it is the one absorbing desire to see Gods Face, and to be like Him).