5-Day Commentary Challenge - The Book Of PsalmsSample

   

PSALM 71

The clue that Psalm 71 is the prayer of an old man comes from verse 9. Since God has been with him from birth (v. 6), he trusts that He will not forsake him now (v. 18). The prayer is comprised of elements of testimony, praise, complaint, and imprecation.

Following an initial declaration of trust, the psalm opens with a series of petitions. In general terms the psalmist prays to be spared shame and invokes God to bow His ear, deliver, rescue, and save him. He calls God his Rock, an epithet used over and over by Moses in Deuteronomy 32. Two characteristics of a rock are applicable to God. First, He is the foundation. And since this word indicates mountain-size rocks, the term implies protection. Notice that Jesus is the Rock in the New Testament (1 Cor. 10:4; cf. Dan. 2:45).

Verses 5–8 recollect the providential care God took of the psalmist from the womb (v. 6), through youth (v. 5), right up to old age (v. 9). Verse 7a can be taken two ways. Either in his affliction, like Job, the psalmist remained faithful and thus was a wonder, or he was always blessed and no harm ever befell him. That would also be a wonder. Nothing in the immediate context points to the first explanation, so the second seems better. Many of God’s people can relate amazing deliverances and near-miraculous exploits, while unbelievers show nothing but awe and ignorant wonder. The enemy can understand neither our faith nor the mercy of our God.

Now that the years have taken their toll on the psalmist, he pleads for continued grace (v. 9). Perhaps only now his enemies are forming a coalition against him, as verse 10 indicates. Their words are quoted in verse 11 while the answer of faith is in verse 12. Notice how the foe tries to bring God into his argument and so to sanction his wickedness. Rabshakeh displayed similar arrogance when he tried to convince King Hezekiah of Judah to surrender (Isa. 36:10). He was not the first and he will not be the last to do evil hypocritically in the name of righteousness, to work against God while claiming cooperation with God.

The shame from which he prayed to be spared (v. 1), the psalmist now invokes on his enemies (v. 13). This is the only imprecatory verse in the psalm and it immediately yields to more pleasant, positive praise in the succeeding verses.

A difficult phrase ends verse 15. The Jerusalem Bible (n. 71d.) takes it to be a scribe’s comment, “I have not known how to read the letters,” on the following word in verse 16. More traditional renderings take it to apply to the numerous righteous acts of God or the innumerable days one will enjoy God’s salvation. In this respect the phrase is like Psalm 40:5.

Verses 17–18 again quickly scan the writer’s life from youth to gray hairs. He makes the point that, since God has been faithful up to the present, He will continue to bless so that a testimony of His goodness may be passed on to other generations. Verse 20 is one of those rare references in the Old Testament to the resurrection of the dead. To be sure, one might say this is merely hyperbole for temporal troubles, but since the psalmist has described his life from youth to old age, what other deliverance could he anticipate except resurrection from the dead?

The fact that the psalmist speaks of accompanying himself with two varieties of stringed instruments does not prove that he was an accomplished musician or a professional functionary at the temple. The poet is searching for noble terms with which to exalt God. Altogether he says he will do four things: “I . . . will praise . . . sing . . . shout . . . talk” (asv). Like many “trouble and trust” psalms, this one too ends as if the prayer of the earlier parts is already answered. The psalmist declares that those who sought his hurt have been put to shame. The enemy’s confounding (v. 24) may serve as a commentary on verse 7. While the righteous are redeemed and blessed, the wicked are ashamed and confounded.

 Note from the Publisher:  We hope that you have been encouraged by this 5-day commentary challenge from Robert L. Alden.  You can pick up a copy of  Psalm - Everyday Bible Commentary at moodypublishers.com