Friday 24th April
Read Psalm 5:8-10
Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies— make your way straight before me. 9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies. 10 Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you
David now reflects again on the wickedness of the people who he reigns over. Although he has implicitly denied acting in the wicked ways of verses 4–6 he recognises that there is still a need to live a life that is a ‘straight path’, a life of the righteousness. To this end he needs help because the wicked cannot be trusted in what is said and in their attitudes toward himself and to God. They try and lead David astray from the Lord with words that lead to death because they point to what the Lord hates; they represent the way that brings judgement and David asks that they be declared guilty. The passage reminds me of Romans 3:9-17 ‘For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.”“The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”“Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes. Like David we all need to recognise that righteousness comes from the Lord, it is again a reminder that as we pray, we will be heard because of God’s grace shown to us in Jesus not our good deeds.
Geoff Hinch
