Psalm 140
Today’s psalm reads like one of David’s laments and seems particularly out of place, having just recently seen the happiness and joy of all the “songs of ascents”. But in today’s psalm David explains his situation (Ps. 140:1-5), makes his plea for God’s help (Ps. 140:6-8), then suggests to God the retribution needed for these wicked men (Ps. 140:9-11) before closing with his customary confidence in the Lord’s deliverance (Ps. 140:12-13).
As with many laments, I have a hard time relating to enemies or to evil/violent men. I read the news about them – globally, as in Putin’s continuing war against Ukraine or locally, when we read about the latest murder spree. I feel evil most complete when I read about someone doing evil against a young child, as in a recent story of a FedEx driver’s kidnapping and murder of a 7-year-old girl. Horrible! One asks, what kind of evil is this, what kind of man could do that…??!! There is much evil “out there” and we need to pray against it. (I am not dismissing, however, our own “evil within”.)
My Study Bible makes an interesting observation – the physiological nature of David’s choice of words: heart, tongue, lips, hands, feet. Just that, interesting.