Examination....

Psalm 7:1-17

[A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.]

O Lord my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
[2] or they will tear me like a lion
and rip me to pieces with no-one to rescue me.

[3] O Lord my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands—
[4] if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me
or without cause have robbed my foe—
[5] then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground
and make me sleep in the dust.
Selah

[6] Arise, O Lord, in your anger;
rise up against the rage of my enemies.
Awake, my God; decree justice.
[7] Let the assembled peoples gather round you.
Rule over them from on high;
[8] let the Lord judge the peoples.
Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity, O Most High.
[9] O righteous God,
who searches minds and hearts,
bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure.

[10] My shield is God Most High,
who saves the upright in heart.
[11] God is a righteous judge,
a God who expresses his wrath every day.
[12] If he does not relent,
he will sharpen his sword;
he will bend and string his bow.
[13] He has prepared his deadly weapons;
he makes ready his flaming arrows.

[14] He who is pregnant with evil
and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment.
[15] He who digs a hole and scoops it out
falls into the pit he has made.
[16] The trouble he causes recoils on himself;
his violence comes down on his own head.

[17] I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness
and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.


I must admit that I frequently finish reading a Psalm like this with a little bit of trepidation. Like much of the Old Testament writings there is a strong sense of justice running through this poem. God stands up for those who are oppressed, those who are downtrodden, those who are in trouble. His thoughts are turned against those who are wicked, those who scheme, those who are violent.

David seems to take comfort from his own righteousness before God. If he isn’t then he deserves to be thrown to the dogs (3-5). It is an extraordinary piece of self examination. I wonder if we would be able to subject ourselves to the same.

And that’s my worry. I want to be able to say that I side with the poor, the hungry, the persecuted and the weak. I want to be able to identify with them and stand befre the Lord and say I was on their side. But I’m scared that maybe I’ll find that I actually stand with the wicked. Maybe it’s time for us to examine ourselves, to let God look deep in our hearts and minds, to find out what is really there.