The Lord Has Heard the Voice of My Weeping! - Psalm 6

 

Psalm 6 – A Psalm of David     Commentary by Dennis Edwards

1 O LORD, rebuke me not in Your anger, neither chasten me in Your displeasure.

God’s word tells us specifically that when God chastens us, He does so in love. In Hebrews 12:5b-6 we read, “My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” Further on the Lord explains why He chastens us, “Now no chastening seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby,” Hebrews 12:11.

God has a purpose for whatever He is allowing in lives that is causing us problems, His “chastening.” It may seem hard while we are going through it. However, if we yield to Lord, and learn from the problem, whatever we need to learn, the “chastening” will bring out God’s goodness in our lives.

2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.

When we are going through an affliction, no matter what it is, we feel weak, and we become discouraged, our bones ache and we feel older. But God’s word says, “wherefore, lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,” Hebrews 12:12. In other words, the Lord is admonishing us to fight discouragement with praise and thanksgiving, and don’t give up! “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you,” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

3 My soul is also sore vexed: but You, O LORD, how long?

David is crying out to the Lord asking Him how long will he need to go through the valley of affliction. In Psalm 84:6, the valley is called Baca, which means weeping, in other words, the valley of weeping. In the psalm the man whose strength is in the Lord, makes the valley a well of water, “the rain also fills the pools,” or the Lord Himself sends His refreshment.

In Hebrews 12:13a we find, “And make straight paths for your feet,” in other words, “Enter in at the straight gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it,” Matthew 7:13-14. We need to stay on the straight and narrow road to salvation and usefulness to God. When God corrects us, we need to turn from our wayward paths, back to the path of God, “that shines more and more unto that perfect day,” Proverbs 4:18b.

The rest of the verse in Hebrews says, “lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed,” Hebrews 12:13b. God doesn’t want us to get discouraged in our testing or chastening. He wants us to find victory and healing through it, not discouragement, or a falling away, or bitterness.

4 Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh, save me for my enemies’ sake.

5 For in death there is no remembrance of You: in the grave who shall give You thanks?

In the Old Testament, various authors make mention of death as being the end. Solomon is Ecclesiastes 9:6 writes, “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.” Isaiah similarly transcribes, “For the grave cannot praise You, death cannot celebrate You: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Your truth. The living, the living, he shall praise You, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known Your truth,” Isaiah 38:18-19.

However, Apostle Paul explains death differently. He says, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain…For I am in a straight between two, having a desire to depart, and be with Christ; which is far better; nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you,” Philippians 2:21&23. We see Apostle Paul expecting to be with and see Jesus when he dies.

In 2 Corinthians 5:10, he writes, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that which he has done, whether it be good or bad.” Death for Apostle Paul is very active. In the book of Revelation, we have a similar view. We see the those who had arrived in heaven after the rapture are singing and praising God.

“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having harps of God. And they sang the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are thy ways, You King of saints. Who shall not fear you? O Lord, and glorify Your name? for You only are holy: for all nations shall come and worship before You; for Your judgments are made manifest,” Revelation 15:2-4. We see the saints in the heavenly realm giving thanks and glory to God. Even in death they shall sing, give thanks, and give praise unto God.

6 I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed to swim; I water my mouth with my tears.

The psalmist is mourning over a loss, perhaps the death of a loved one, a son or daughter, or wife. He is passing through that almost uncontrollable grief we can experience as a result of a sudden death of a loved one.

7 My eye is consumed because of grief; it waxes old because of my enemies.

Job had said something similar, “My eye also is dim by reason of my sorrow,” Job 17:7a. Earlier Job had said, “Oh that my grief was thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! For now, it would be heavier than the sand of the sea,” Job 6:1-2a. He implores God to finish him off rather than let him suffer any longer. “Oh, that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! Even that it would please God to destroy me; that He would let loose His hand, and cut me off!” Job 6:8-9.

Among other catastrophes, Job had lost his 10 children in one sudden disaster, Job 1:18-19. “While he was yet speaking, there came also another (messenger), and said, Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house, and, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness. And smote the four corners of the house. And it fell upon the young men (and women), and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell you.”

Jeremiah was also overwhelmed with grief over the difficulties he passed through in his life of warning Judah of her sins. He said in a moment of despair, “Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto you; making him very glad. And let that man be as the cities which the Lord overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me. Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?” Jeremiah 20:14-18.

A death in a family of a young child or adolescent, or even an adult, especially if it was caused by an accident or something preventable, can cause family members to accuse one another for their negligence. Family members can become as enemies to one another causing even greater grief. A prolonged sickness which seems to refuse to be healed like Parkinson or diabetes, a physical handicap like blindness or deftness, a negative prognostic that predicts medical intervention cannot help like a back problem or hip bone; these can cause us to spin into a cycle of despair and discouragement and lead to depression and even suicide.

8 Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; for the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.

David is commanding the “workers of iniquity,” the spiritual demonic forces which are not flesh and blood, the principalities, the powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, the spiritual wickedness in high places, to depart from him. Ephesians 6:12. Our warfare is not just in the physical realm, but much more so in the spiritual. David is rebuking the devil. When we rebuke the devil, he must flee. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you,” James 4:7b-8. David is fighting the fight of faith. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning,” Psalm 30:5. God answers our prayers and sends relief. “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them out of their destructions,” Psalm 107:20.  

9 The LORD has heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.

Apostle Paul tells us, that as we pour out our heart in prayer and in supplication with thanksgiving, God hears our prayers and responds. He sends us peace of heart and mind that passes all our understanding, Philippians 4:6-7. The Lord says, “Call upon Me, and I will answer you,” Jeremiah 33:3a. In the psalms we find, “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him,” Psalm 91:15ab.

In Habakkuk 2:4b, the Lord tells us that the answer will come, even if it’s slow in coming. “Though it tarries, wait for it: because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Hold on, the answer is coming! “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord,” Lamentations 3:26. “For the Lord will not cast off forever: but though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He does not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men,” Lamentations 3:31-33.

10 Let all my enemies be ashamed and sore vexed (troubled): let them return and be ashamed suddenly.

David finishes the psalm praying against his enemies. In contrast, we find Jesus at the cross saying, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do,” Luke 23:34. Some believe Jesus was talking specifically to the Roman soldiers who were only obeying orders. In Matthew 23:35, before His Passion, Jesus had condemned the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, and said, “That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom you slew between the temple and the altar.”

The Scribes and Pharisees knew better, therefore, to them was the greater condemnation. They were the false shepherds and hirelings which cared not for the flock, John 10:13. “To him that knows to do good and does it not, to him it is sin,” James 4:17. “When the lord therefore of the vineyard comes, what will he do unto those husbandmen? …. He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons…. Therefore, say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof,” Matthew 21:40-41&43. “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” Matthew 24:51b.

However, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ words are recorded as such: “You have heard that it has been said, You shall love your neighbour, and hate your enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you; that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven,” Matthew 5:43-45a. 

Let us therefore, pray against our enemies’ evil influence on us and upon the world, while at the same time demonstrating love and praying for their conversion to faith. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.