The five Psalms that I read give a very clear picture of the differences between the righteous and the wicked. The message of these Psalms is clear: Trust in God no matter how bleak the situation might appear to be and God will respond in His own way, at the right moment!
Psalms 11 and 12
In these two psalms we again see David appealing to God for His mercy and attention.
David is imploring God to listen to his prayers and do the needful regarding his enemies but the tone of his pleas is different in Psalms 11 and 12. Here David appears to be very disturbed about the behavior of the people he thought to be his friends. He is upset about their hypocrisy.
David is heartbroken as he has received advise from those around him to flee from the distressful situation that his enemies, in the guise of friends, are causing. He is told that the righteous people have no place on this earth; they should run away from the troublemakers and hide in a peaceful place. Yet again we see David’s unfaltering faith in God. He says that the best refuge is in God! Where else can he run to except God? David says that he knows that the wicked people are out to get him because he is righteous and the evil cannot tolerate righteousness but he would rather wait for God to help him as He has always been doing in the past.
David is addressing the people who are righteous but find themselves over burdened with distress and despair that the wicked people cause. He justifies why we should trust in God; he says that God is watching us and knows what we are doing; He even knows our intentions, however, He tests the faith of the people who claim to be righteous and sends trials their way so that He may know if their faith will falter or they will remain steadfast in trusting God. God completely disregards the wicked and their actions. David says that as God is righteous, He loves those who are strong in their faith and abstain from sin; He is always with those who are good and a day will come when the righteous will meet God, face to face.
Davis says that we should trust in God even if the whole world goes astray as He is the only power that can deliver us. Even as David says this, he is extremely disturbed by the people around him who pose as his friends but are out to harm him. He says that humans are untrustworthy, disloyal, sinful, and use flattery to entice you. David prays to God to finish these people so that the world is rid of the wicked.
Davis says that God is the only one that can be truly trusted as He always keeps His promises and never goes back on His world. God’s Word will live forever in world that is full of deceitful hypocrites.
Psalm 13:
David is going through a difficult time and is waiting for God’s help, however, God is not responding to his prayers. David knows that without God’s help the situation will not improve and his anguish will continue, but God is quiet all through his hardships. David feels that he has been abandoned by God as He is not sending him His blessings!
David is extremely disappointed that his enemies are receiving “worldly rewards” while he awaits God’s help. He is perplexed that God is letting the wicked prosper while he, who is an ardent believer, is being ignored by God. He wants to know when this trial will end as his patience is wearing out.
David says that if the situation continues much longer, he might die. But that will be the victory of his enemies who will rejoice in his demise. David says to God that his failure to deal with the hurdles that the enemies were throwing his way will only go to prove that the “God” David had full faith in, had abandoned him. Worse than that, they will mock David’s God and say that David’s faith was useless and did not hold true. Hence, if God did not intervene soon, it will be a blemish on both the honor of God and David.
David says that he has complete trust in his God and he knows that God will continue to bless him as He did in the past. He says that his faith in God will never diminish and soon he will be singing praises of God and rejoicing in His favors.
Psalms 14 & 15
These two Psalms describe those who believe in the utmost powers of God and those who deny him.
David says that people who are leading their lives in absolute denial of God are nothing but fools who will be judged by God quite severely. He says that the people who do not act upon the word of God and who do not follow His commandments are also only deceiving themselves as outwardly they pose to be faithful to God while their actions speak volumes of their unbelieving hearts and souls.
Davis says that God is watching the human race which nothing but disappoints Him in every way. He gives the examples of three instances: 1) the fall of Adam and Eve 2) the great flood and 3) the tower of babel. God has always found humans to be in a state of sin. No matter how good the deeds are, if God is not in the center of the deed, it will fetch no gain in the eyes of God. Wise is he who seeks God in everything, always!
He says that the ungodly ignore God and exploit the godly as they know no better. They are fools who believe that their own devices are not being watched by God and that they will never have to pay back or be punished for their deeds.
David beseeches God to deliver all believers of the sinful ways of the ungodly and to bless them with His utmost love.
Psalm 14 describes those who reject God and go about their wicked and sinful ways while Psalm 15 describes the godly who have God’s approval for their faithful ways and have been allowed by God to pray in His sanctuary.
I would like to elaborate upon Psalm 5 which elaborates between the godly and the ungodly
Main point of the passage
David rightfully says that the ways of the believers are true to God’s Word. They follow all commandments of God to the last word and only those who are righteous can be confident of receiving God’s favors.
Most Important Truth from the Text
David says that the ones who have the following ten qualities can proudly approach God’s throne and be confident that God will always protect them from the wicked:
Godly are those:
- Who are sin free and forever seek God’s will;
- Who live in accordance to the “Word of God”;
- Who believe the truth and act upon it;
- Who do no verbal harm unto others;
- Who are faithful to their friends;
- Who honor their neighbors;
- Who despise the wicked and love the faithful;
- Who never breaks their promises;
- Who lend money in God’s name, never seeking gain;
- Who honor the innocent and never forsake them for worldly rewards.
What is one area in your life from a practical perspective that the text pointed out
I absolutely agree with what David says here and I will even go to say that I have personally observed that people who follow God’s Word have a certain “light” and a certain “purity” on their faces and in their eyes; they are humble and caring; they are clear of heart and pure of intentions. Following God’s Word leaves a “print” on one’s life that shines bright. While those who follow the wicked ways have evil faces, their eyes are shifty and shrewd and their whole demeanor is nothing but wicked.
God blesses the righteous in ways too many and as David says, God is dependable and ever loving. I personally believe that the only solace and comfort that you find in this sinful world is in God’s word and knowing that He is right there by your side if you place your full trust in Him and His decisions.
