A Study by Scott Sperling Psalm 28 A psalm of David.   1 To You I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if You remain silent, I shall be like those who have gone down to the pit. 2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to You for help, as I lift up my hands towards Your Most Holy Place.   3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, Who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts. 4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve. 5 Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD and what His hands have done, He will tear them down and never build them up again.   6 Praise be to the LORD, for He has heard my cry for mercy. 7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. 8 The LORD is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His anointed one. 9 Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.   This psalm is a prayer, a passionate prayer, by David in a time of trouble. As in so many of David's prayers, he begins the prayer feeling desparate, and ends the prayer in confidence. This is one of the blessings of passionate prayer. God speaks to our hearts even as we pray, giving us confidence that He is at work in the situation, sometimes even during the prayer itself, showing us His plan to resolve the situation. David Expresses His Need for God   1 To You I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if You remain silent, I shall be like those who have gone down to the pit. 2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to You for help, as I lift up my hands towards Your Most Holy Place. David begins his prayer: "To You I call, O LORD my Rock" (vs. 1). In this statement, David expresses why he prays to God: because God is a "Rock". God is immovable in His faithfulness, His righteousness, His love, His sovereignty. "While others are troubling their fellow-creatures with unavailing complaints; believers should, under distresses, cry the more earnestly to `the Rock of their salvation.'"[Footnote #6] Why would we seek help anywhere else? As David asks elsewhere: "For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?" (Ps. 18:31). For countless generations of believers, the Lord has proven through answered prayer that He is a Rock. "Does it not clearly prove prayer efficacious, that the practice is kept up and commended by the pious of each successive generation? Would this be done, if they had not power with God? If He never answered, would they always call on Him?"[Footnote #7] David continues by expressing his utter dependence on God in times of trouble: "Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if You remain silent, I shall be like those who have gone down to the pit" (vs. 1). It is help to prayer that we realize our helplessness before God. "Boasted ability does nothing, while humility, relying on infinite strength, does wonders."[Footnote #8] David realizes that he will be in dire straits if God "remains silent". For the child of God, the silence of God can be devastating. "God's voice is often so terrible that it shakes the wilderness; but His silence is equally full of awe to an eager suppliant."[Footnote #9] David's next petition demonstrates the ardor of his prayer: "Hear my cry for mercy as I call to You for help, as I lift up my hands towards Your Most Holy Place" (vs. 2). Just as every sacrifice in the Old Testament was offered with fire, so David when he prayed, prayed fervently. Here, he "cries for mercy", while lifting up hands toward heaven. This is a passionate prayer with the whole body and spirit involved. Passionate, heart-felt prayer--offered with the whole body, hands lifted up, eyes to the sky--is a good way to break the silence of God.     Prayers Concerning the Wicked  3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, Who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts. 4 Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve. 5 Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD and what His hands have done, He will tear them down and never build them up again.   In his time of trouble, David continues his prayer: "Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts" (vs. 3). David knew that the wicked would eventually be punished. He knew of God's justice. So, he prays not to be gathered with the wicked into the punishment that is awaiting them. The image he uses, "do not drag", is from fishing, as dragging a fishing net. David does not want to be "dragged" away in the same fishing net that "the wicked" are. David defines the wicked with two traits: contempt for God's law, and hypocrisy. The wicked are "those who do evil". God's law defines good and evil, so "those who do evil" are those who ignore the requirements of God's law. The wicked are further described as those "who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts." David specifically singles out hypocrites as deserving of judgment. Certainly, hypocrites do much more harm than those who are openly evil. One can steer clear of those who are openly evil, but it is easy to be ensnared by the trap of those "speak cordially...but harbor malice in their hearts." David then prays concerning the punishment of the wicked: "Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve"  (vs. 4). David is praying consistent with the law of sowing and reaping. There seems to be a universal law that is pertinent to both the physical and spiritual realms: whatever is sowed, shall be reaped. In the physical realm, if a man sows corn seeds, corn stalks will grow, and so he will reap corn. If a man sows apple seeds, apple trees will grow, and so he will reap apples. If a man plants poison ivy seeds, watermelon plants will not grow. No, he will get a yard full of poison ivy. No one will deny that the law of sowing and reaping applies in the physical world. No one can deny it because there are too many examples of its application. It turns out that the law of sowing and reaping applies also to the spiritual realm. This law is spelled out many times in the Bible. Paul summarizes it: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life" (Gal. 6:7- 8).[Footnote #10] In the Bible, there are many examples of those who reap what they have sown: "The Egyptians killed the Hebrew male children, and God smote the firstborn of Egypt. Sisera, who thought to destroy Israel with his iron chariots, was himself killed with an iron nail, stuck through his temples (Judges 4). Adoni-bezek [cut off the fingers and toes of seventy kings, and suffered the same fate] (Judges 1:5-7). Gideon slew forty elders of Succoth, and his sons were murdered by Abimelech. Abimelech slew seventy sons of Gideon upon one stone, and his own head was broken by a piece of millstone thrown by a woman (Judges 9). Samson fell by the `lust of the eye,' and before death the Philistines put out his eyes (Judges 16). Agag [made many mothers childless, and so his mother was made childless] (I Sam. 15:33). Saul slew the Gibeonites, and seven of his sons were hung up before the Lord (II Sam. 21:1-9). Ahab, after coveting Naboth's vineyard [was repayed in the same] (I Kings 21:19, fulfilled II Kings 9:24-26). Jeroboam, the same hand that was stretched forth against the altar was withered (I Kings 13:1-6). . . Daniel's accusers thrown into the lions' den meant for Daniel (Daniel 6). Haman hung upon the gallows designed for Mordecai (Esther 8). Judas purchased the field of blood, and then went and hanged himself (Matt. 27)."[Footnote #11] By faith, David foresees the ultimate fate of the wicked: "Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD and what His hands have done, He will tear them down and never build them up again" (Ps. 28:5). Note the reason that David ascribes the Lord's "tearing" the wicked down: "Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD". God has made His existence clear through the works of His hands: the wonderful design and construction of the universe. Men have no excuse for failing to regard these works, and for failing to ascribe them to a Creator. Paul teaches: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--His eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:20). The root cause of wickedness is the willful denial of the existence of God, willful because God's existence is evident from His works. Denying God's existence opens one up to all sorts of wickedness because the denial of God is also the denial of a moral standard and moral accountability. "Not to have regard to God's judgments is the sure way to incur them; for once that a man loses sight of them, he has no fear or scruple in rushing into sin."[Footnote #12] The Prayer Answered 6 Praise be to the LORD, for He has heard my cry for mercy. 7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. 8 The LORD is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His anointed one. 9 Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.The Prayer Answered   Here, David's prayer for mercy (vs. 2) and his request that God not turn a deaf ear to his requests (vs. 1) are answered: "Praise be to the LORD, for He has heard my cry for mercy" (vs. 6). God's answered prayer makes David stronger, more able to face future trouble and affliction: "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped" (vs. 7). David responds appropriately to the answered prayer through praise and worship: "My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." David extrapolates God's answering of his prayer to all of God's people: "The LORD is the strength of His people" (vs. 8). We also should make such an extrapolation. The events in the Bible were not written for us to be merely accounts of historical episodes, but to show us how God treats His people. We can learn from God's answering David's heartfelt prayer that He will do the same for us. If the Lord is David's "strength" and "shield" (vs. 7), then He is also our "strength" (vs. 8). David closes the psalm by praying for all of God's people: "Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever" (vs. 9). It is good for us to pray for the church as a whole. Certainly, the church needs prayer. David's prayer is that God would be the "shepherd" of His people and "carry them forever". Oh, that the church would depend on God for everything, just as sheep depend upon their shepherd. Some fault religion as being a crutch that people lean on. I say, praise God that He is my crutch, my Good Shepherd, who will "carry [me] forever". Footnotes:   6. Scott, cited in Plumer, Studies in the Book of Psalms, pg. 365. 7. Plumer, loc. cit., pg. 365. 8. Ibid., pg. 366. 9. Spurgeon, A Treasury of David, Vol. II, pg. 20. 10. For other citations of the law of sowing and reaping, see Job 4:8; Prov. 6:14; Prov. 11:18; Prov. 22:8; Ps. 126:5-6; Hos. 8:7; Hos. 10:12. 11. G. S. Bowes, cited in Spurgeon, op. cit., pg. 26. 12. Jamieson, Fausset, Brown, A Commentary, Vol. II, pg. 161. ----------- Bibliography and Suggested Reading Alexander, Joseph Addison. The Psalms Translated and Explained.  Edinburgh: Andrew Elliot, 1864.  Anonymous.  A Plain Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Philadelphia:  Henry Hooker and Co., 1857. Barnes, Albert.  Notes on the Book of Psalms.  New York:  Harper & Brothers Publishing, 1871. Bonar, Andrew. Christ and His Church in the Book of Psalms.  New York:  Robert Carter & Brothers, 1860. Calvin, John.  A Commentary on the Book of Psalms.  3 Vols.  Oxford: D. A. Talboys, 1840. (Originally published in Latin in 1557).  Clarke, Adam. The Holy Bible with a Commentary and Critical Notes.  Vol. III.  London:  William Tegg & Co., 1854.  (Originally published in 1831).  Cowles, Henry.  The Psalms with Notes, Critical, Explanatory and Practical.  New York:  D. Appleton & Co., 1872. Darby, John Nelson.  Practical Reflections on the Psalms.  London:  Robert L. Allan, 1870. Delitzsch, Franz.  Biblical Commentary on the Psalms. Edinburgh:  T & T Clark, 1892. (Originally published in 1860). Dickson, David. An Explication of the Other Fifty Psalms, from Ps. 50 to Ps. 100. Cornhill, U.K.:  Ralph Smith, 1653.  Exell, Joseph S. and Henry Donald Spence-Jones, eds. The Pulpit Commentary. Vols. 17, 18, & 19. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1884.  Hengstenberg, F. W.  Commentary on the Psalms.  Edinburgh:  T & T Clark, 1864. Henry, Matthew.  An Exposition of All the Books of the Old and New Testament.  Vol. II.  London: W. Baynes, 1806. (Originally published in 1710). Horne, George. A Commentary on the Book of Psalms.  New York:  Robert Carter & Brothers, 1854. Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, A. R.; Brown, David.  A Commentary: Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments.  Glasgow:  William Collins, Queen’s Printer, 1863. Kidner, Derek. Psalms (in 2 Vols.). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008 (first published in 1975). Kirkpatrick, A. F. The Book of Psalms with Introduction and Notes – Books II and III (from The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges). Cambridge, UK: University Press, 1895. Lange, John Peter, ed. and Philip Schaff, trans.  A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical.  New York:  Charles Scribner & Co., 1865.  Maclaren, Alexander. The Psalms (in 3 Vols., from The Expositor’s Bible, ed. by W. R. Nicoll). New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son, 1901. Perowne, J. J. Stewart.  The Book of Psalms:  A New Translation with Explanatory Notes.  London:  George Bell & Sons, 1880. Plumer, William S.  Studies in the Book of Psalms.  Philadelphia:  J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1872. Scott, Thomas. Commentary on the Holy Bible, Vol. III. London: James Nisbet, 1866. Spurgeon, Charles.  The Treasury of David.  6 Vols.  London: Marshall Brothers, Ltd., 1885. Tholuck, Augustus.  A Translation and Commentary of the Book of Psalms.  Philadelphia:  Martien, 1858. Trapp, John.  A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments. Vol. II (Ezra to Psalms).  Edmonton, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books (www.PuritanDownloads.com). (Originally published c. 1660). VanGemeren, Willem A., (Gaebelein, Frank E., ed).  Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 5 – Psalms to Song of Songs.  Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1991. -------- Many of these books (those in public domain) can be downloaded free of charge from:  http://www.ClassicChristianLibrary.com