Gleanings in the Psalms

'Do you see yonder wicket Gate?' Evangelist pointing Christian in Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress to the way of salvation

Gleanings in the Psalms
Psalm 6

This Psalm is commonly know as the first of The PENITENTIAL PSALMS, and certainly its language well becomes the lip of a penitent, for it expresses at once: -

The sorrow (Verses 3, 6, 7),
The humiliation (Verses 2,4),
The hatred of sin (Verse 8),

These are the unfailing marks of a contrite spirit when it turns to God.

DIVISION
You will observe that the psalm is readily divided into two parts. First, there is the Psalmist's plea in his great distress, reaching from the first to the end of the seventh verse. Then, you have from the eighth to the end quite a different theme. The psalmist has changed his note. He leaves the minor key and betakes himself to sublimer strains. He tunes his note to the high key of confidence, and declares that God hath heard his prayer, and hath delivered him out of all his troubles.

C. H. Spurgeon

Verse 1. "O Lord, Rebuke me not in thine anger, NEITHER CHASTEN ME IN THY HOT DISPLEASURE".

O keep up life and peace within,
If I must feel thy chastening rod!
Yet kill not me, but kill my sin,
And let me know Thou art my God.

Richard Baxter

Verse 4. "Return, O Lord, deliver my soul; Oh save me for thy mercies' sake."

This is "The Prayer of the Deserted Saint". (1) HIS STATE: his soul is evidently in bondage and danger … "Return, O Lord, DELIVER MY SOUL". (2) HIS HOPE: it is in the Lord's return to him …"Return, O Lord". (3) HIS PLEA: it is mercy only …"Oh same me FOR THY MERCIES'S SAKE".

Hints for the Village Preacher

Verse 5. "For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?"

The only time to spread the praise of God, by making mention of Him before them that know Him not, is the time of this life: "For in death there is no remembrance of thee". The Christian's love of life should proceed from the love of honouring God in this life, and should be preferred to our own contentment for a time in heaven, so long as God pleases to take service of us for a time here. For this is the force of the prophet's reasoning: "in the grave who shall give thee thanks?"

David Dickson

Verses 6-7. "I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies."

But alas, where can we find penitents that weep as David did? Whose couch is watered with their tears; whose eyes are consumed because of grief, and whose grief, as far as it is caused by their enemies, arises from the thought that they are enemies of God? Must we not here apply to our own times the words of Paul to the Philippians: "All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's". We cannot, as the apostle would have us, surrender all private feelings, and make them subservient to the love of our Saviour. We cannot, as David teaches us, for surely we may thus interpret his words against his enemies, displace from our hearts all personal enmity, and hate only that which is at enmity with God.

Charles Girdlestone

Verse 6. "I am weary with my groanings …"

It may seem a marvellous change in David, being a man of such magnitude of mind, to be thus dejected and cast down. Prevailed he not against Goliath, against the lion and the bear …? But now he is sobbing, sighing, weeping as a child! The answer is easy; the different persons with whom he contested occasioned the same. When men and beasts are his opposites, then he is more than a conqueror; but when he hath to do with God against whom he sinned, then he is less than nothing.

Archibald Symson

Verse 7. "… because of mine enemies".

The pirates seeing an empty bark, pass by it; but if she be loaded with precious wares, then they will assault her. So, if a man hath no grace within him, Satan passeth by him, as not a convenient prey; but being loaded with graces, such as the love of God, His fear, and such other spiritual virtues, let that man be persuaded that, according as he knows what stuff is in him, so the devil will not fail to rob him of them if he can.

Archibald Symson

Verse 8. "Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping".

A penitent tear is an undeniable ambassador, and never returns from the throne of grace unsatisfied.

Spencer's "Things New and Old"

Verses 9. "The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer".

On one occasion, Martin Luther, having spent many hours in prayer, came bounding out of his study, crying: "We have conquered, we have prevailed with God". The Lord HAS heard our prayers in the past; HE WILL hear our prayers in the future.

This Page Title – Gleanings in the Psalms — Psalm 6
The Wicket Gate Magazine "A Continuing Witness".
Internet Edition number 41 – placed on line March 2003
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