Psalm 5

1Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
2Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
3My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
4For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
5The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
7But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
8Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
9For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
10Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
11But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
12For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

Key Verse:
4For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

Key Outline:
1. v. 1-3 Offered prayer to be heard
2. v. 4-6 God has no place for wicked
3. v. 7-8 Prayer for victory over wicked
4. v. 9-11 Protect righteous from wicked

Key Observation:
The wicked will not escape destruction; it is those made righteous who will be blessed.

Memory Verse:
3My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Devotion:
David pleas with God to hear his prayer, certain that he will. It is repeated three times, a common device for Hebrew poetry, and being repeated like this adds to the certainty in the mind of the writer. Again David is returning to an already familiar theme of the Psalms: the sanctification of the righteous. The righteous in Psalms are frequently spoken of as those who follow his law; the new testament shows us that this is better understood as those who have faith in God, and following the law was the preeminent sign of such faith. It fits well with the concept of James who says show me your faith and replies I will show you my faith by my works. The righteous are those who try to observe his law because of their trust.

God is faithful to both the righteous and the wicked. With the former, he will bless and give them reasons for “shouting with joy”. To the wicked, he will bring them just judgment and condemnation “for they have rebelled against thee”. Both may be regarded as sanctification, or a setting apart. One group is set apart to life; the other is set apart to condemnation.

J. Vernon McGee tells us of Samuel Johnson: “It was Samuel Johnson who said, “Every man knows that of himself which he dares not tell his dearest friend.” I think of the character in the story of Langston Hughes who famously said, “There are things I did which I would not tell God, if He did not already know.” I have my many secret sins, and my not-so-secret sins that many of my friends read all too easily through their associations with me. I am not only wicked, I am deeply wicked and beyond all hope. I need to remember, but for the grace of God in his redemption, that I would certainly face a judgment for my wickedness that would bring eternal condemnation. My faith in Christ had marked my debt paid in full, and I may rest assured forever that I will not be held accountable for my sins. I am not numbered with the wicked here in Psalms; I am counted with the righteous, but not because of my actions, but because of the unmerited grace of Jesus. Therefore, as David says, the Lord will bless me and compass me with his favor.