PSALM 6 Written by David. It’s a penitential psalm. Some believe this may have have been written during some serious disease with which David was afflicted after his transgression with Bath-sheba.
1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
3 My soul is in deep anguish.How long, Lord, how long?
4 Turn, Lord, and deliver me;save me because of your unfailing love.
5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name.Who praises you from the grave?
6 I am worn out from my groaning.All night long I flood my bed with weeping
and drench my couch with tears.
7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow;they fail because of all my foes.
8 Away from me, all you who do evil,for the Lord has heard my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;t hey will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
SECTIONS
I Asking God for mercy
II A description of his suffering
III Assurance God has hear his prayer & he will triumph
THEME: confessing our sin to God and trusting in his mercy and love
QUESTIONS
What does David ask God to do in the first stanza?
What question does he specifically ask in first stanza? What does he mean by that question?
Why do you David might feel such agony?
What words does David say in the last stanza that show he trusts God’s character?
Have you ever been in anguish?
Was there a time you felt God was punishing you when you experienced a lot of difficulties?
What is the difference betweens God’s judgment punishing (or punishing in wrath) and God’s discipine?
Have you prayed until you knew beyond a shadow of doubt that God heard your prayer?
ADDITIONAL VERSES Parallel verses)
Psalm 30:9-“What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?”
Isaiah 38:18-The grave cannot praise thee; death cannot celebrate thee; they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
Hebrews 12:5-7, And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
The Pulpit Commentary (smmarized)
David is aware his grievous sin deserves chastisement, and he does not ask to be spared from it, but he asks to chastised in love, not anger. Not only his body but his soul is affected. There’s intense mental suffering. God seems to have withdrawn himself and forsaken David. Nothing is so hard to endure as feeling God has deserted you.
Note the sudden change of tone, very characteristic of the David’s psalms. Having offered his prayer, he’s so certain of its acceptance that he at once reproaches his enemies. “Depart from me!”Your efforts are in vain.” For the Lord has heard my weeping. David speaks from inward conviction. He knows that he has prayed sincerely and fervently. He’s certain that his prayer is heard and accepted.
There is no prayer more powerful than that we pray when in trouble. In prosperity prayer can be vague, Our Lord teaches a lesson about prayer. (Read: Luke 11:5- and Luke 18:1)-It’s a parable showing at all they times we are to pray and not lose heart. Never lforget this truth in darkest trouble, for without this hope it will be dark indeed—meaningless, hopeless, comfortless. The Lord has heard your prayer, taking note of it—he knows more about it than you do yourself. Therefore he will answer, if not the exact answer you wish and expect, then something better. Observe: If we prayed more in peaceful prosperous days then we might not need to learn this in a school of pain and trial. The sharpest trials bring the most fervent prayer. At the same time, we’re permitted to cry to our Father to ask him to deal gently with us.
God is our Refuge and our Strength so be patient and trust and also be thankful. Things could be far worse. Be gentle and kind to others who suffer because some suffer even worse trials than we do. It’s those who have experienced the worse trials who can sympathize the best because of what they have gone throgh. As God comforted them, they can comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).
Barnes Commentary summary by me: Many commentaries differ on why this was written. David may have been very ill, feared he was dying or would be killed, maybe beyond point of exhaustion over his son, Absolom’s uprising. It may have been a combination of physical and mental anguish. David was crushed with the weight of grief.
Many times we Christians think God is punishing us when we get ill or when we experience many trials.This is a very natural reaction. David may have felt weak & tired from the constant attacks and he questioned himself to see if God was somehow trying to teach him a lesson because of something David did. David wanted to know how long would God let him suffer? How long before relief would come? When any of us suffer this is what we tend to cry out to God. And we can become so despairing that all we think of is dying and death. David was at this point.
Brent Kerchevill: David was praying for mercy. Mercy, generally speaking, is that we do not receive the full punishment due for the sin committed. My father had a general rule with me that my punishment would be less if I was honest about my transgression and admitted my guilt rather than be sneaky. This was the mercy of my father. Did this mean that I was not punished? No-but the punishment was less severe. This is the idea behind David’s request for mercy. Since he is coming with an honest and sorrowful heart to God, he’s asking for mercy in the punishment given. We have the right to ask God for mercy.
Ephesians 2:4 says that God is rich in mercy and has great love for us. When we consider our continued violations of God’s law, it becomes easy for us to see God’s mercy toward us. In California they have a law called three strikes and you’re out. The idea is that if you commit three felony crimes, you are in jail for life. I believe that’s fair and merciful since everyone has three chances. But imagine if God had a three strikes rule for us. Would any of us be here today? Thank Him for His mercy and realize that we need and can request his mercy. When we sin, this is the time for us to turn to the Lord and not run from him. When we turn to him, he’s always there to take us back. It doesn’t matter what sins have been committed, the Lord welcomes us home with open arms.
Sermoncentral.com by Wade M. Hughes, Sr.
David had spiritual failures to the point of hopelessness and despair. But he refused to let his failures define his prayer life. He could have let guilt and sin stop his prayer life but he didn’t. He stood on the God’s promises. Prayer is a great privilege. And your failures must never stop your daily prayer life. Ever heard of Michael Jordon? Here are life lessons he’s learned: Michael was cut from his varsity team. “I have missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost over 300 games. 26 times I have been trusted to take the game winning shot and I missed it. I have failed over and over and over again in my life-and that is why I have succeeded. Don’t give up. We must stir up prayer life.
**VIDEO**-Wonderful youtube video
Many people think they are “good enough” or much better than other “wicked” people they see around them. So someone asks “If God is just, then why is there eternal punishment of hell for temporal sin?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb5fEK99BIk
Gotquestions.org Question: “How could David be considered a man after God’s own heart?”
Answer: To understand why David was a man after God’s own heart, we need to see what characteristics he had to qualify for such an exalted description. ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do’” (Acts 13:22). The answer to why David was considered a man after God’s own heart is found right in the verse: David did whatever God wanted him to do. An obvious question is how could God still call David a man after His own heart when David committed such terrible sins, including adultery and murder?
We learn much of David’s character in the book of Psalms as he opened up his life for all to examine. David’s life was a portrait of success and failure, and the biblical record highlights the fact that David was far from perfect. But what made David a cut above the rest was that his heart was pointed toward God. He had a deep desire to follow God’s will and do “everything” God wanted him to do. He was a man after God’s own heart. Let’s look at some characteristics of David’s life to discover what that entails.
Part of why David is called a man after God’s own heart is that he had absolute faith in God. Nowhere in Scripture is this point better illustrated than in 1 Samuel 17 where David as a young shepherd boy fearlessly slew the Philistine, Goliath. Shortly before the duel, we see direct evidence of David’s faith when David says, “‘The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’ And Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the LORD be with you!’” (verse 37). David was fully aware that God was in control of his life, and he had faith that God would deliver him from impending danger. How else would one venture into a potentially fatal situation with such calm and confidence? David knew early on in life that God was to be trusted and obeyed. As we see in Scripture, David’s faith pleased God, and God rewards David for his faithfulness.
Another reason David was a man after God’s own heart is that he absolutely loved God’s Law. Of the 150 psalms in the Bible, David is credited for writing over half of them. Writing at various and often troubling times in his life, David repeatedly mentioned how much he loved God’s perfect Word. We find a beautiful example of this in Psalm 119:47–48: “For I delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.” It is not hard to see his complete adoration for God’s Word. Also notice how David “meditates” on God’s statutes. God granted David understanding and wisdom through daily meditation. We would do well to not only read God’s Word but also think about it throughout the day, for God loves us to think about Him. “Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways” (Psalm 119:2–3).
David was a man after God’s own heart in that he was truly thankful. “I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O LORD, proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds” (Psalm 26:6–7). David’s life was marked by seasons of great peace and prosperity as well as times of fear and despair. But through all of the seasons in his life, he never forgot to thank the Lord for everything that he had. It is truly one of David’s finest characteristics. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” (Psalm 100:4, ESV). As followers of Jesus Christ, we should follow David’s lead and offer praise and thanksgiving to our Lord.
After he sinned, David was truly repentant. David’s sin with Bathsheba is recorded in 2 Samuel 11:2–5. The mighty fall hard, and David’s fall included adultery, lying, and murder. He had sinned against God, and he admits it in 2 Samuel 12:13: “David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the LORD.’ And Nathan said to David, ‘The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.’” But admitting our sin and asking for forgiveness is only half of the equation. The other half is repentance, and David did that as well. Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of repentance to God: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” (Psalm 51:1–2).
In conclusion, David was a man after God’s own heart because he demonstrated his faith and was committed to following the Lord. Yes, his faith was tested on a grand scale, and he failed at times. But after his sin he sought and received the Lord’s forgiveness. In the final analysis, David loved God’s Law and sought to follow it exactly. As a man after God’s own heart, David is a role model for all of us.
Hwalibrary.com
After his incredible defeat of Goliath and the resulting adulation of all Israel, David became a member of Saul’s royal court. Still, he considered himself totally unworthy to marry the king’s daughter (I Sam. 18:18, 23-24). He knew God had blessed him, and he felt undeserving.
Later, after Saul had become David’s enemy because of jealousy (verse 29), David still esteemed himself as nothing more than a dead dog or a flea (I Sam. 24:14). He honestly felt that he was too insignificant to threaten Saul’s position.
Eventually, when David did become king, God made far-reaching promises to him, including the establishment of a perpetual throne, which Saul failed to qualify for. Yet David continued to reflect godly humility: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?” (II Sam. 7:18).
David felt he was not important. To him, only God’s plan and purpose mattered. He served God in humility, with the mind of Christ, with the attitude described in Philippians 2:3: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” Do you have this kind of humility?
Loyalty to God’s government-David displayed another quality that anyone being trained for rulership must possess. He had complete loyalty and respect for God’s government, and for the human instruments God places in the offices of that government.
God had begun to work through King Saul as His ruler over the people. Saul, caught up in a rebellious attitude, began to reject God’s directions. Saul, crazed with envy, tried to kill David at every opportunity. Even though David served him totally and refused to fight back, Saul persisted.
David had a deep, abiding respect for whomever God had established over him, even if that person in authority were a murderous maniac. Striving only to keep his life, David never talked against Saul or failed to acknowledge Saul’s authority as God’s anointed. Once, having given in to temptation to move against the king, David “cut off a corner of Saul’s robe” (I Sam. 24:4-5), an act that would have shamed the ruler. David felt guilty, and repented bitterly (verse 6). All this, while Saul was on a mission to murder David!
On another occasion, David rejected an easy opportunity to take Saul’s life, knowing that to do so would make him guilty of rebellion against God (I Sam. 26:9, 11). David understood the lesson Saul missed: “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king” (I Sam. 15:23).
My reflection on Psalm 6:
Wow, what a powerful psalm. There are such deep heart wrenching feelings coming from David. This is the same kind of emotion of anguish I felt when my daugher died. But this isn’t about grieving the death of someone you love. This grief is coming from some soul searching of a sin that David committed that deeply offended and grieved God!
At first I thought to myself that I had never experienced such deep emotion after I committed any sin. But then I remembered that I actually had, and not once but several times. I guess I don’t like to think about those times in my past. When I was in sin I may have felt badly, but it wasn’t until God’s spirit worked within me did the full realization of what I did hit me. Then I felt such remorse and agony over what I had done! Talk about a gnawing pain so deep you can feel it in your bones! I can’t even begin to share some of the events that led to that awful place. But I will share one time when God refused to let up on me until I realized my sin and confessed it.
My aunt who raised me had a small problem. She could get offended very easily and she could also dish out vehemence to others when angered! She said something once to a family member and hurt their feelings. I took that anger onto myself because this family member didn’t talk back to her which would infuriate her even more. But what she said was so hurtful that I was very angry. I walked into another room and wouldn’t even talk to her. I finally relented and did speak to her, but I harbored those angry feelings and let them simmer. That night I couldn’t sleep. All I could think of was “How could she say such horrible hurtful things. It was awful!” Then I got a powerful headache. It was like someone was hammering on my head it hurt so bad. This vice-like pain kept me up most of the night. I was exhausted by morning. But I realized what was causing it. It was the anger I wouldn’t let go. It was the same kind of anger I had when we hired a man to cut down all the unhealthy branches off my favorite tree. He cut the wrong branches off. These were the branches all our backyard birds loved to use. If a hawk would fly by the feeder below, they would just hop on these branches closest to the feeder and be protected. But he cut the healthy branches and not the diseased ones. By the time got done cutting off both healthy and diseased branches our tree looked more like a huge telephone pole than a tree. Again I had a sleepless night and my was agony with a headache that wouldn’t go away.
In both of these cases I was angry. Righteously so in my eyes. But God has a way of disciplining me. He wouldn’t give me rest until I let my anger go completly. Once I did, the headache disappeared. Pain is a big megaphone God uses to get my attention! And it works really well too. I can understand why David said “Do not rebuke me in anger or discipline me in wrath. You do not want to get on the bad side of God! Our Father loves us, but he uses discipline just for that very reason—because he loves us so much! He will not let us hold onto anger-not only for his sake but for ours.
SONG: I’m Trading My Sorrows, Jesus I Am Resting