Psalm 31

To the chief musician,

A Psalm of David.

1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust;

let me never be ashamed;

deliver me in thy righteousness.

2 Bow down thine ear to me;

deliver me speedily;

be thou my strong rock,

for an house of defence to save me.

3 For thou art my rock and my fortress;

therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.

4 Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me;

for thou art my strength.

5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit;

thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities;

but I trust in the LORD.

7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy;

for thou hast considered my trouble;

thou hast known my soul in adversities;

8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy;

thou hast set my feet in a large room.

9 Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble;

mine eye is consumed with grief,

yea, my soul and my belly.

10 For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing;

my strength faileth because of mine iniquity,

and my bones are consumed.

11 I was a reproach among all mine enemies,

but especially among my neighbours,

and a fear to mine acquaintance;

they that did see me without fled from me.

12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind;

I am like a broken vessel.

13 For I have heard the slander of many;

fear was on every side;

while they took counsel together against me,

they devised to take away my life.

14 But I trusted in thee, O LORD;

I said, "Thou art my God."

15 My times are in thy hand;

deliver me from the hand of mine enemies,

and from them that persecute me.

16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant;

save me for thy mercies' sake.

17 Let me not be ashamed, O LORD;

for I have called upon thee;

let the wicked be ashamed,

and let them be silent in the grave.

18 Let the lying lips be put to silence;

which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously

against the righteous.

19 Oh how great is thy goodness,

which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee;

which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee

before the sons of men!

20 Thou shalt hide me in the secret of thy presence

from the pride of man;

thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion

from the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the LORD;

for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.

22 For I said in my haste, "I am cut off from before thine eyes";

nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications

when I cried to thee.

23 O love the LORD, all ye his saints;

for the LORD preserveth the faithful,

and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart,

all ye that hope in the LORD.

JW: David professes his confidence in God, intermixing prayer to him, ver. 1-8; complains to God and prays for deliverance, ver. 9-18; concludes with giving glory to God, and encouraging others to trust him, ver. 19-24.

1: 'Ashamed' - Of my confidence in thy promise. 'Deliver me' - According to thy faithfulness and goodness.

5: 'My spirit' - My soul or life; to preserve it from the malice of mine enemies. 'For' - thou hast delivered me formerly, and therefore I commit myself to thee for the future. 'O LORD God of truth' - Who hast shewed thyself so, in making good thy promise.

7: 'Known' - Loved me and cared for me.

8: 'Room' - Made way for me to escape, when I was encompassed by them.

9: 'Grief' - With continual weeping.

12: 'Broken vessel' - Which is irreparable and useless, and therefore despised by all.

20: 'The secret' - Or, as in the secret of thy presence: either, As if they were in thy presence chamber, where thine own eye and hand girdeth them from all the assaults of their enemies; called his secret, partly, because the greatest part of the world are strangers to God and his presence; and partly, because it is a safe and secure place, such as secret and unknown places are. Or, as if they were in the secret of God's tabernacle, as it is called, Psalm 27.5, the place of God's special presence, where none might enter save the high-priest. With thy secret favour and providence, which saves them by hidden and unknown methods.

'From' - From their vainglorious boasting and threats, and from their bad and insolent attempts.

22: 'Haste' - When my passion took away my consideration and weakened my faith. 'Cut off' - Cast out of thy sight , and out of the care of thy gracious providence.

I'm quite surprised Wesley didn't notice or at least point out the statement of verse 5 ("Into thine hand I commit my spirit") and its correlation to the last statement of Jesus from the cross (see Luke 23.46). It's very interesting that I'm coming across this Psalm today because this statement at the cross has implications on the issue I raised in the post a couple of days ago and that Matt O'Reilly and Isaac Hopper have also been streaming recently related to the activity and unity of the Persons of the Godhead at the cross. I've come across some additional stuff from Tertullian that may shed some new light on this issue that I'll elaborate upon in my next post. So stay tuned...

As for the remainder of this Psalm, however, it seems to be right in line with much of Psalm 22, which incidentally also has implications/fulfillment in the crucifixion of Jesus. There is at least one mention of the 'iniquity' (v. 10) of the psalmist, so in that sense it is distinguishable from Psalm 22. Still, the overarching spirit of this Psalm is of one who is experiencing grief, human enmity, isolation, and faces dying alone, seemingly more than he deserves. So the psalmist is pleading for God to come through and not allow him to be put to shame. Yet throughout, the psalmist is confident in God's deliverance, that he will make good on his promise to "strengthen the heart" of those who hope in God.

One final note that is worth mentioning: Wesley has a long comment on "the secret" in verse 20. I emboldened the last portion of that comment because I think it speaks a truth that we must remember we engage in seeking understanding of the saving significance of Jesus' death. On the one hand, we are made participants in the death of Christ. St. Paul speaks of knowing Christ by partaking in his sufferings. He also speaks of being crucified with Christ. But since Christ is our High Priest (as the author of Hebrews frequently reminds us), Wesley adds "...with thy secret favour and providence, which saves them by hidden and unknown methods." I constantly try to remind myself, since I am researching the doctrine, that Christ's atonement is not a puzzle or mathematical problem/conundrum. I think that's where atonement theology can easily get off track: with questions like "If Christ died for all sins and if all aren't saved in the end, then doesn't that make part of Christ's death ineffectual?" When it comes to describing the grand work of God in reconciling us to himself through Christ, we need to proceed with the awareness that we won't be able to exhaust all the answers. Christ's atonement evokes our awe and worship as we express gratitude for the work that Christ has done for us; and participate by becoming disciples of a crucified (now risen) Lord, who invites us to take up our cross, too.