Theme: Confidence in God
In this week’s lessons we see how David dealt with the anguish of being unjustly accused, and learn the need to leave our own mistreatment with the Lord, trusting him to act justly.
Scripture: Psalm 7:1-17
The second half of Psalm 7 is an expression of David’s deep confidence in God, a section not much different from what he has said in the preceding psalms and will say many more times in what follows (vv. 10-17).
David says that: 1) God will protect him, being his shield against foes; 2) God is righteous, expressing his wrath against evil every day; 3) God will judge his accusers, if they do not repent; and 4) God has arranged things so that evil eventually brings judgment on itself. For this latter assertion he employs a bold image later used by the apostle James, saying that the wicked conceive trouble, become pregnant with evil and eventually give birth to disillusionment (v. 14; cf. James 1:15). He adds that the wicked dig a hole to trap others but eventually fall into it themselves.
The psalm’s last words say, “I will give thanks to the LORD because of his [that is, God’s, not David’s] righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High” (v. 17).
The seventh psalm is a great testimony. Yet here is the striking thing: It is uttered at a time when, so far as we know, David had not yet obtained the earthly justice from God that he was seeking. He had come to God with his problem, which was the right and wise thing to do. He has provided us with an example of what we can do in similar circumstances. Yet we do not know if he was truly vindicated in this life. Craigie says, “We do not know from the psalm whether the falsely accused was finally vindicated or his name was cleared; we know only that he came into such a knowledge of God that he could accept his lot…” Yet, since he did accept it, we learn from this that “it is better to maintain integrity and continue to suffer injustice, than to sell out to evil and form ranks with the unrighteous.”6
Cry justice? Yes. But above all, continue to live righteously. This is because goodness and integrity are their own rewards.
Study Questions:
What four things does David confess to be true about God?
In what practical ways is David an example to you?
Application: Because of the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on your behalf, you can approach God in prayer with confidence that he does all things well, and praise him for the fact that he is achieving his holy purposes for you, even in the midst of injustice.
For Further Study: To see how the early church acted righteously as they were suffering unjustly, download and listen for free to James Boice’s message, “Suffering Disgrace for the Name.” (Discount will be applied at checkout.)
And for a limited time, the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is offering James Boice’s three-volume commentary set on the Psalms at 40% off and free shipping. This is a great resource for personal and family devotions, as well as for smaller group studies.
6Peter C. Craigie, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 19, Psalms 1-50 (Waco, TX: Word, 1983), p. 104.
