Christian teaching

Listen to Psalm 70 –

“Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me!”

“Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire my hurt! Let them turn back because of their shame who say, ‘Aha, Aha!’”

“May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, ‘God is great!’”

“But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!”

This is a prayer to God from someone who really needs help. I like this Psalm. It’s short, it’s to the point and it’s honest. [It is actually found in another part of Scripture, almost word for word in Psalm 40:13-17.]

Alright, let’s begin with –

The opening plea

v. 1 – “Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me!’

The writer is waiting on God, a common theme in the Psalms, and a common experience for the people of God. He needs “deliverance” and “help.”

He is waiting on God for this, but he wants God to respond in a hurry. Notice the phrase “make haste” in the second sentence. (It is actually not found in the first sentence, but is supplied by the translators. Literally it says, “O God to deliver me.”) Also, notice in v. 5, “hasten to me,” and “do not delay.” No doubt the urgency of the request is connected to his particular circumstances.

So, let’s look at –

His situation

vs. 2-3 – “Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire my hurt! Let them turn back because of their shame who say, ‘Aha, Aha!’”

He is being attacked by enemies. He feels his life is threatened. His enemies are trying to hurt him. They say, “Aha” which is a taunt, and perhaps connected to unjustly accusing him of wrong.

From these same verses let’s look at –

His prayer concerning his enemies

• “Let them be put to shame and confusion . . .”
• “Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor . . .”
• “Let them turn back because of their shame . . .”

First of all, he wants their efforts to come to naught. He says, “let them be turned back” that is, ‘let their attack fail so that they turn back in retreat.’

Second, he wants his enemies to be shamed and dishonored for coming after him in the first place. He wants all to see that he has done no wrong and that the attack was unjustified. In other words he wants vindication.

This is pretty mild compared to how some of the Psalms pray for harm to come to their enemies. But as Christians, even here we would also need to pray for good to come to our enemies. Our Lord says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). He says, “bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” ( Luke 6:28).

Next, he offers up –

A prayer for the righteous

v. 4 – “May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, ‘God is great!’”

If the previous section focused on those who seek his harm, this one focuses on those who seek God. He prays that all who love God will be able to give thanks to God, because of how God delivers and saves them. He asks that there will be much praise of God for all that God has done to help his people.

But this isn’t where he is. And so he ends again with –

His plea

v. 5 – “But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!”

He is still waiting on God. He isn’t able to enter in to the rejoicing yet. He is “poor and needy.” This isn’t a statement his wealth or lack of it. It means that he is weak and fully dependent on God.

As we saw at the beginning, he is pressing God for a response.

The phrase, “You are my help and deliverer” is a statement of his faith in God. And he wants God to be this for him now.

Invitation

The Psalm ends with him still waiting. And because of this, it is an excellent prayer for us when we are going through trials and difficulties, waiting on God to come through for us.

Are you waiting on God? We saw the psalmist’s situation, what is yours? I would like for you to make this prayer your own this morning. I have given you a handout with the words of the Psalm, except the specific situation of the writer is left blank. Would you write in your concern in that place?

Then I will give you a chance to come to the front to be anointed with oil and to receive special prayer. You need not tell me anything, I will simply pray for you along the lines of the Psalm. God, who knows your concern, will hear and respond. Would you come this morning?

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Psalm 70 – Outline

 (To the choirmaster. Of David, For the memorial offering.)

A. Request for haste: Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me!

B. Regarding those who seek his life: Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire my hurt! Let them turn back because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!”

B. Regarding those who seek God: May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”

A. Request for haste: But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!

William Higgins