Psalm 141
Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. (v. 5a) (NOTE: In the second half of this verse, in “their evil deeds” David is referring back to the wicked men that he mentioned in verse 4.) Most of us (certainly, me) do not take reproof or correction easily. But David tells us in this verse that reproof from a righteous man should be seen as a kindness, not as anything hurtful. Note also that it is not easy being that righteous man who is offering correction, knowing full well that your “advice” can easily be misconstrued. So for both, the person offering and the person receiving reproof, caution is urged. Maybe a lot of prayer before saying anything…!!
I was also intrigued by how evil lurks. In Ps. 140:4 we see evil men offering “delicacies”, while in Ps. 140:9,10 evil is setting traps to ensnare the unwary. Again, caution urged!