Continuing a chronological Bible study:
(1 Samuel 22:1) David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave Adullam, and when his brethren and all his father's house heard, they went down there to him.
David departed from Gath when he had acted mad before the king of Gath, and the king threw him out. He escaped to a cave called Adullam. When his brothers and all his family heard he was there, they went to him.
(1 Chronicles 12:16) And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold to David.
According to the chronological order I am following that was arranged by Skip Andrews, 1 Chronicles 12 tells of the same time. There came many people from David's tribe and from the tribe of Judah to him. Mr. Andrews suggested that David might have written the following psalm at that time:
(Psalm 141:1) (A Psalm of David) Lord, I cry to You; make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry to You!
David cried out to the Lord. He pleaded with the Lord to hurry as his need was urgent. God's timing is always the best, but David usually received speedy answers from God because his faith and trust in Him was so great. He desired a speedy answer now and asked God to hear his cry. Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, pointed out how it seemed that so many of David's psalms began with complaints. For one thing, he very often was in trouble, but also David's psalms were not formal writings, but actual meditations of his heart. He spoke to God about whatever was going on in his heart and his mind. He didn't guard his words; he was an open book who spoke to his Father and closest friend candidly.
(2) Let my prayer be set before you as incense, the lifting up of my hands the evening sacrifice.
This is a very beautiful illustration of prayer. David desired that his prayer ascend up to the Lord as incense and that it be as acceptable. As David lifted up his hands to heaven, he desired that God look upon those as favorably as He would the lifting up of the evening sacrifice. Actually, David offered his body as a living sacrifice to do what God would have him do. As Paul said in Romans 12:1, we should present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.
(3) Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
David asked that the Lord guard his mouth, that he not speak anything rash and ill advised, but rather he would speak what the Lord would have him speak.
(4) Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies.
David prayed that the Lord keep his heart from being inclined to do anything evil. Actually, as we are all fallen sinners, born into sin, without God we would be inclined to do evil. David prayed that God keep him from that and from wicked men. He prayed that he not be drawn to them by their temptations they set before him as delicacies.
(5) Let the righteous strike me, a kindness, and let him reprove me, an excellent oil which shall not break my head, for yet my prayer also is in their calamities.
David preferred the harsh reproval of righteous men to the deceitful delicacies of the wicked. He considered the reprimand of righteous men a kindness like an excellent oil that would not harm him but help him. He would never resent such loving counsel and would always be there for them to pray for them in their troubles, as they had been there for him.
(6) When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words, for they are sweet.
This verse is a little difficult. Who exactly was David talking about? I tend to think it referred to the righteous who rebuked David. When their leaders fell, when they found themselves in their calamities, they would hear the sweet words of David's prayers as he would be there for them. Many commentators thought it referred to David's enemies, but I don't think that is in context with the verses before and after this one.
(7) Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth as when one cuts and cleaves wood upon the earth.
David used a plural pronoun. Does he refer to those with him or to all people who were at death's door, those who were scattered and disregarded, because Satan ruled the world? Peter said in 1 Peter 5:8 that our adversary, the devil, roamed about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he might devour.
(8) But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord, in You is my trust; do not leave my soul destitute.
However, David's eyes were always on the Lord, and in Him alone he put his full trust and confidence. He asked that the Lord never leave his soul destitute and defenseless but let his soul continually be surrounded and protected by Him.
(9) Keep me from snares they have laid for me and the gins of the workers of iniquity.
David prayed that the Lord protect and keep him from the snares his enemies had laid for him and from the traps of wicked men.
(10) Let the wicked fall into their own nets while I escape.
He prayed that the wicked would fall into their own traps, that their schemes would entrap and expose them as David was able to escape.
In this psalm of David's, he desired that his request be acceptable to the Lord. Yes, he desired protection from his enemies, but he also wished to be pure and to resist temptations to sin. He wished to be reproved by righteous men who would help keep him on the right righteous path. He would never resent them, but always be with them, as they were all of them prey to the evil one.
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