Psalm 5 is a morning psalm followed by an evening psalm in Psalm 6. So from Psalms 3-6, we have the pattern of morning and evening, and morning and evening. This illustrates the importance of prayer encompassing our entire day.
“Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night. Devotion should be both the morning…and the evening star." -Charles Spurgeon
Psalm 5 illustrates with clarity the tension which characterizes certain dimensions of the life of prayer. On the one side, there is God: on the other, evil human beings. And the thought of the Psalmist alternates between these two poles. He begins by asking God to hear him, but recalls that evil persons have no place in God’s presence. He turns back to God again, expressing his desire to worship and his need of guidance, but then is reminded of the human evils of the tongue. Eventually, he concludes in confidence, praying for protection and blessing. -Craigie
This Psalm can be divided into three parts:
1. An appeal to God to be heard (verses 1-3)
2. An expression of confidence in which the psalmist declares his acceptance by a righteous God, a God who hates wickedness and those who persist in it. (verses 4-7)
3. A prayer for divine guidance, judgment on the wicked, and protection for those who love the Lord (verses 8-12)
We will look at these divisions in further detail below.
1. An appeal to God to be heard
Notice the passion and emotion David has in his appeal:
· Give ear to my words
· Consider my groaning
· Give attention to the sound of my cry
David is praying with urgency! And he is confident that God will answer, for he says, “you hear my voice.” And notice the expectation in the word “watch”.
There seem to be three types of “prayers” mentioned in these verses: words, groaning, and sound (of my cry). The amazing thing is that God hears all three! And he has given us his Spirit. so that when we do not know how to pray, “the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” (Romans 8:26)
David address God as LORD two times as well as “my King” and “my God”. Here is the covenant relationship.
The covenant relationship expressed by the repeated my…gives the prayer a firm footing. Kidner
2. An expression of confidence in which the psalmist declares his acceptance by a righteous God, a God who hates wickedness and those who persist in it. (verses 4-7)
In verses 4-6, David turns his attention to the wicked, and he views them from his understanding of who God is: a holy God, the only One who can stem the tide of sin. Notice the progression:
· You are not a God who delights in wickedness
· You hate all evildoers
· You destroy those who speak lies
· You abhor the bloody and deceitful man
The phrase, “Evil may not dwell with you” means that sin cannot dwell – even temporarily – with the Lord.
This is man in the presence of a holy God. God does not tolerate him.
So now we have a better understanding of David’s statement in verse 7. He recognizes that he can only come into the presence of God because of God’s steadfast love. The righteous is accepted in God’s house. They can enter with confidence but also with awe and humility because they recognize who God is.
The Psalmists’ entrance into God’s house would be based only upon ‘the abundance of your steadfast love’; that is to say, it was only God’s grace and covenant love toward this people which made entrance into his presence possible. Craigie
3. A prayer for divine guidance, judgment on the wicked, and protection for those who love the Lord (verses 8-12)
David asks the Lord to lead him in righteousness (the first request in the psalm), to give him divine guidance because he is facing deceivers.
The reason for his request is based on the intent of his enemies –
· There is nothing trustworthy in their mouth
· They desire to destroy wicked
· What they say will ruin people
· They speak deceit
So David asks God to judge them. (This happens to be the Psalter’s first imprecatory prayer.) This request was within the will of God since he was not asking God to do something he was not already planning to do.
The prayer ends on a note of peace and joy as David asks God to spread his protection over the righteous that they may rejoice. In contrast to the wicked, the righteous can take refuge in their God and find joy and protection. They have the blessing of the Lord with his favor upon them.
“The righteous are the beneficiaries of God’s love. Therefore, when the wicked try to destroy them, they know their King hates and destroys the wicked. This is their confidence.” -Allen Ross
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