Psalm 31 is a personal lament, bearing some resemblance to the confessions of Jeremiah and to Jonah 2. The poem is an anthology psalm, drawing on verses from other psalms and Jeremiah. It calls on the Lord for help and affirms the trust of the poet in the Lord. The theme is that of a person who has suffered from a prolonged illness, persecuted by enemies, and shunned by friends. The poet seeks God in the face of the threat of a violent death. It expresses quiet trust in the unfailing care of God, even if the poet takes a difficult journey toward it. The poet wonders if his life has meaning or value.
In Psalm 31:9-13, the poet unburdens himself, laying out his hurt before the Lord to alleviate his suffering. 9 Be gracious (or have mercy on) to me, O Lord, for I am in extreme distress (a crisis or dire straits); my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also. He recognizes the situation is causing pain in his psyche and body alike. 10 For I have spent my life in sorrow, and my years with sighing. Sorrow and sighing are in parallel with each other. My strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away. He is in misery and wasting away. Physical wasting away by illness or by metaphor for the distress of the poet. Psalm 6:3 and 8 uses similar phraseology. 11 I am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbors, an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. His distress has inspired a reaction among a variety of people who know of it, increasing his shame. 12 I have passed out of mind like one who is dead, referring to fainting; I have become like a broken vessel. Such a vessel is not useful for anything. Reflecting the fact that ancient Israel was a shame culture, scorn or shame is a concern of Psalm 22:6, where the poet is a reproach to others and despised by others, as well as Job 19:19, where his friends abhor him, and Jeremiah 23:40, where the Lord will bring shame and reproach to Jerusalem. It can seem precarious to trust in the Lord, especially when the culture shames us. Shame suggests that who you are does not measure up to the standards of those who shame you. You have not just done something the other dislikes, but who you are is not sufficient to be included in their group. Such moments disclose our priorities. Have we made an idol out of the group so that acceptance by the group becomes our all-consuming concern? 13 For I hear the whispering of many—terror all around!— a phrase reminiscent of Jeremiah 20:10. Further, as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life. He might be paranoid, but it is also quite possible such plots are real, given the harsh era in which he lived.
In Psalm 31:14-18, he shows the way to the Lord, contrasting sharply with his lament in verses 9-13. 14 However, I (emphatic in Hebrew) trust (batah) in you, O Lord. This affirmation contrasts with his enemies, who pay regard to worthless idols (verse 6). He strongly contrasts his trust in the Lord with his troubled condition. Such trust makes people feel safe and secure, as they place themselves confidently into God’s caring hands, relying assuredly on him in threatening times. Hope in the prayers of the psalms is always in the Lord, and thus rests on faith in the Lord. He wants deliverance from enemies and persecutors.[1] I say, “You are my God.” The poet was the object of the thoughts or actions of others, but here he expresses his own beliefs. 15 My times (destiny, future, fate, every moment of life) are in your hand. The lonely one has discovered God and refuge. The author is not speaking about the length of his life, but about what will be happening in his life, which depends on God. The author trustingly places his precarious life (due to his persecuting enemies and snubbing acquaintances) in God’s trustworthy, providential care. Therefore, deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. 16 Let your face shine upon your servant (Numbers 6:24-26, Psalm 4:6); save me in (because of or by) your steadfast love (hesed, loyal love, covenant-love, unfailing love, faithfulness, faithful care, faithful love, lovingkindness, and mercy). The Lord graciously, mercifully, and dependably displays persistent, protective, and caring loyal love for his people and for his servant.
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