A Study by Scott Sperling Psalm 31 For the director of music. A psalm of David. 1 In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in Your righteousness. 2 Turn Your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since You are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me. 4 Free me from the trap that is set for me, for You are my refuge. 5 Into Your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. 6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD.   7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your love, for You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place. 9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. 10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; My strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. 11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends -- those who see me on the street flee from me. 12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. 13 For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; They conspire against me and plot to take my life.   14 But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." 15 My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. 16 Let Your face shine on Your servant; save me in Your unfailing love. 17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to You; But let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave. 18 Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt They speak arrogantly against the righteous.   19 How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You. 20 In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from the intrigues of men; In Your dwelling You keep them safe from accusing tongues. 21 Praise be to the LORD, for He showed His wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city. 22 In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from Your sight!" Yet You heard my cry for mercy when I called to You for help. 23 Love the LORD, all His saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. 24 Be strong and take heart, all You who hope in the LORD.     This is a psalm about trusting in the Lord. Though David speaks of great affliction and anguish, he does so against a backdrop of trust that the Lord will preserve him. David begins by describing the Lord as his refuge and fortress (vss. 1-6); then, he brings his petitions before the Lord concerning his dire situation (vss. 7-13); next, David affirms his trust in the Lord, that He will deliver him from his affliction (vss. 14-18); finally, David speaks of the goodness of God, and consequently, our obligation to praise Him (vss. 19-24).   Psalm 31:1-6 - The Lord as David’s Refuge 1 In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in Your righteousness. 2 Turn Your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since You are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me. 4 Free me from the trap that is set for me, for You are my refuge. 5 Into Your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. 6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD. David begins this psalm of trust in the Lord, by stating: "In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge" (vs. 1). Interestingly, in this prayer, David begins with the solution to all his problems (that is, taking refuge in the Lord). With the Creator of the Universe as a fortress, there is sure victory. Who could break down His walls of protection? In the subsequent verses, David goes on to describe how this is a solution to his problems. In verses 1 through 5, each petition is assumed to be answered, as long as the Lord is his refuge. In verse 1, David says: "In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge", and because of this, "let me never be put to shame; deliver me in Your righteousness." Since David has taken refuge in the Lord, he expects to be delivered from shame. In verse 2, David expects to be rescued in his battle, as long as the Lord is his refuge: "Turn Your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me." In verse 3, David expects guidance from the Lord, as long as the Lord is his refuge: "Since You are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me." In verse 4, David expects deliverance from future attacks of his enemies, because the Lord is his refuge: "Free me from the trap that is set for me, for You are my refuge."  Finally, in verse 5, David expects redemption from sin because the Lord is his refuge: "Into Your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth." It is important that, before we pray for our specific situation, we acknowledge our desire that the Lord be our refuge. We should pray as David: "Into Your hands I commit my spirit" (vs. 5). Though these words are used often by Christians on their death-beds (Jesus Himself left this world with these words, see Luke 23:46), we must also commit our spirits to the Lord while we are still alive. To do so is the first step to effective prayer. Many times, affliction is used by God to draw us nearer to Him. If you are unwilling to "commit [your] spirit" to Him, He cannot free you from such afflictions. David concludes this section by contrasting himself and those of the world: "I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD" (vs. 6). Those of the world take refuge in "worthless idols", choosing not to "trust in the LORD". Many in this day and age think that idolatry is a thing of the past in modern civilization. However, David here implies that an idol is anything that a person puts his trust in, to the exclusion of trusting in the Lord. Given this definition, we realize that idolatry is alive and well. There are many who put their trust in their bank accounts, or their college education, or their status in their profession, or their beautiful physique, etc. These are all"worthless idols", worthless because they have no real power to save. By the way, David uses a very strong word for his regard for idolaters. He says: "I hate." Certainly, the sin of idolatry should be hated, just as it is hated by God. But given our Lord's commandment to us to "love [our] enemies"(Matt. 5:44), I would not say that I hate idolaters. Rather, I pity them for putting their trust in worthlessness, and ignoring our faithful and loving God.   Psalm 31:7-13 - David’s Specific Petitions 7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your love, for You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place. 9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. 10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; My strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. 11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends -- those who see me on the street flee from me. 12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. 13 For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; They conspire against me and plot to take my life. Now David comes to the specific petitions which have prompted this prayer. It appears that David here is praying concerning an on-going struggle, for he first shows his appreciation for the fact that, to this point, God has blessed him and kept his enemies at bay: "I will be glad and rejoice in Your love, for You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place"(vs. 7-8). The tense that David uses here is interesting. He says: "I will be glad and rejoice". This tense shows David's faith that he will be delivered; yet it also shows the depth of his current anguish, for he cannot bring himself (it appears) to rejoice at the present time. David is speaking with the mind of faith, but he has not yet convinced his emotions to react to this faith. He can boldly say: "I will rejoice", but he cannot yet say (in the midst of his struggle): "I am rejoicing." The strength of David's mind of faith came from his evaluation of the fact that God has always delivered him in the past. Even in his current situation, David remembers God's hand of deliverance: "You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place"  (vs. 7-8). Next, David presents his first petitions concerning his present situaton. These first petitions relate to the state of his emotions--his mental anguish and distress: "Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak" (vss. 9-10). Then, David goes on to describe the physical situation which caused his mental anguish: "Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends--those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life" (vss. 11-13). It seems from this passage that the occasion for praying this prayer was the one descibed in II Sam. 15. In that chapter, Absalom (David's son) slandered David to try and turn the people away from him. Absalom largely succeeded in this, as evidenced by the fact that Ahithophel (formerly a counselor of David) joined Absalom's camp. David, as a result of increasing disfavor among the people, was forced to flee Jerusalem. It is sad that, in spite of David's great accomplishments and all he had done for the nation of Israel, the people were so ready to believe Absalom's slander and turn against David. We see this attitude today, also. So many people are willing to believe gossip and slander, and so few are willing to seek after the truth. Psalm 31:14-18 - A Reiteration of David’s Trust 14 But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." 15 My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. 16 Let Your face shine on Your servant; save me in Your unfailing love. 17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to You; But let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave. 18 Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt They speak arrogantly against the righteous. Despite his emotional anguish, David's mind of faith still trusts the Lord: "But I trust in You, O LORD" (vs. 14). At times our emotions take control and put us in a state of panic. During these times, we must, like David, sit down, remember the past deliverances of the Lord, allow our minds of faith to overcome our distressed emotions, and say with David: "But I trust in You, O LORD." David realized that the Lord was in control: "I say, `You are my God.' My times are in Your hands" (vss. 14-15). So-called "fate" has nothing to do with our destiny. Our "times" are in the hands of God. Everything works to His purpose. Nothing is random. If we feel pain, it is by His approval. If we experience gladness, it comes from Him. "The Sovereign arbiter of destiny holds in His own power all the issues of our life; we are not waifs and strays upon the ocean of fate, but are steered by infinite wisdom towards our desired haven."[Footnote #2] Agnosticism is ludicrous, an excuse for non-commitment. If there is a God, He would certainly be involved in His creation. "We might as well believe there is no God, as believe that He neither sees, nor hears, nor cares, nor acts in human affairs."[Footnote #3] With his bold attitude of trust, and the realization that God is in complete control, David continues with specific petitions: "[D]eliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let Your face shine on Your servant; save me in Your unfailing love. Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to You; but let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave. Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous" (vss. 15-18).   Psalm 31:19-24 - The Goodness of God 19 How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You. 20 In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from the intrigues of men; In Your dwelling You keep them safe from accusing tongues. 21 Praise be to the LORD, for He showed His wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city. 22 In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from Your sight!" Yet You heard my cry for mercy when I called to You for help. 23 Love the LORD, all His saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. 24 Be strong and take heart, all You who hope in the LORD. Through the act of praying, David's trust in God takes control of his emotions as well as his mind. He declares: "How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You" (vs. 19). This declaration is emanating from David's heart. One can sense in it that his anguish has disappeared. He realizes that, in the refuge of God, he is perfectly safe: "In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from the intrigues of men; in Your dwelling You keep them safe from accusing tongues"  (vs. 20). David ends the psalm with praise: "Praise be to the LORD, for He showed His wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city" (vs. 21). Answered prayer must need be always followed by praise to the Lord. Remember this! David recalls his anguish, and attributes his newfound peace of mind to answered prayer: "In my alarm I said, `I am cut off from Your sight!' Yet You heard my cry for mercy when I called to You for help" (vs. 22). Many times we pray something, and then, when the prayer is answered, attribute it to luck. We downplay God's role in the deliverance. Beware of this! Give glory to God for His work in your life! David concludes with an exhortation to those who feel anguish, who are distressed, who are facing affliction: "Be strong and take heart, all You who hope in the LORD" (vs. 24). This comes from a man who was constantly bombarded with trials, a man who was no stranger to being attacked by enemies. Take his lead! Trust in the Lord! Then, through your trust, you will gain strength so that you will be able to "be strong and take heart", even in the midst of affliction. Footnote: 2. C. H. Spurgeon, A Treasuy of David, Vol. II, pg. 62. 3. William Plumer, Studies in the Book of Psalms, pg. 395. ----------- 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