Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 3-126 Sunday 20 Jul 2003

Psalms on Sundays Reading: Psalm 17 – THE GOD WHO RESCUES

‘If God is for us, who can be against us?'(Rom 8:31) What an amazing and liberating statement!

This is a prayer for deliverance: the prayer of someone falsely accused, who cries out to God to vindicate his innocence and rescue him from his accusers.

In verses 1-5, the psalmist makes a bold protestation of his innocence. At the heart of this is his claim that he has heeded God’s words and so has walked in God’s ways, not those of violent men (vs 4,5). He is therefore not afraid to call on God to examine him (v 3).

It is important not to misunderstand all this. These are not the words of a self-righteous person claiming absolute innocence. What he is claiming is that he is innocent of the crime of which his enemies were accusing him. Moreover, his plea for deliverance rests less on his own state than on the nature of God (vs 6-8).

The language of verses 6-8 echoes two old Testament songs celebrating God’s deliverance of Israel at the exodus. Verse 7 echoes part of the Song of the Sea,(Exod 15:11-13) and verse 8 uses imagery from the Song of Moses.(Deut 32:10-11) Remembering the exodus assures the psalmist that it is God’s nature to hear and answer the prayers of the oppressed. To this Christians can add the act of remembrance that is the Lord’s supper.

Deliverance of oppressed innocents usually means punishment for the oppressors. Having vividly described his oppressors as remorseless hunters (vs 10,11) and hungry lions (v 12), the psalmist uses equally vivid language in calling for God to deal with them (vs 13,14). Because of his grasp of the nature of God he ends with a statement of confidence in God’s love and care for his people in general, and himself in particular.

Pray for Christians who today are facing false accusations and oppression because of their faithfulness to God. Ask God to give them confidence in his love and care for them.

– Ernest Lucas

Copyright Scripture Union, 2003, Encounter with God

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