Psa 142:7 | KingComments | STEP | When David looks around, there is no one, he has said in . Then he looks up, and there is the LORD ( ). He is the Only One he has. To Him he calls, for He is his refuge. That makes the threat of death go away, because whoever has the LORD as his refuge, his is his “portion in the land of the living”. There is none among those living on earth to whom he can go. All living people are against him. Only the living God remains. This is also the experience of the Israel of God ( ; ). Paul also knows such experiences. He is abandoned. No one supported him in his defense before the emperor. But the Lord stood with him ( ; cf. ). This has given him the strength to persevere in his trust in Him. David has said that the LORD is his refuge. Therefore, he asks Him even more insistently to heed his cries, for he is “brought very low”, that is, he is at the end of his strength ( ). He is constantly on the run. This is wearing him down. He cannot stand against his persecutors, “for they are too strong for” him. David compares his situation to a prison ( ). It is similar to that of Hezekiah in Isaiah 36-37 and to that of the remnant in the future. He is a prisoner of the distress in which he is and asks the LORD to lead his soul out of it (cf. ). He asks this not primarily to be free again, but that he “may give thanks to Your Name”. His concern is the honor of God. That is always more important than our own happiness. In the circumstances in which he now finds himself, he can only cry out to the LORD in his great need and there is no question of giving thanks to His Name. The prayer of the remnant will begin with the words: “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name” ( ). The hallowing of the Father’s Name is most important. Similarly, the restoration of Joseph’s brothers begins with Judah not thinking of himself, but that he is thinking only of the feelings of his father Jacob. After that, and not before, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and their suffering is over. David mentions as a secondary consequence of his deliverance by the LORD that “the righteous will surround” him. They will take the place of his persecutors who now surround him. In his distress he is alone, with no one to care for him. When the LORD has redeemed him, the righteous will share in the redemption. They will join him in giving thanks to the LORD for His bountiful dealing with him personally by answering his cry for help. We also see this in Psalm 1, which begins with the walk of the individual, faithful believer and ends with the fellowship of the righteous ( ).

‏ Psalms 142:7

You Will Deal Bountifully With Me

When David looks around, there is no one, he has said in Psa 142:4. Then he looks up, and there is the LORD (Psa 142:5). He is the Only One he has. To Him he calls, for He is his refuge. That makes the threat of death go away, because whoever has the LORD as his refuge, his is his “portion in the land of the living”. There is none among those living on earth to whom he can go. All living people are against him. Only the living God remains.

This is also the experience of the Israel of God (Deu 32:36; Isa 49:16). Paul also knows such experiences. He is abandoned. No one supported him in his defense before the emperor. But the Lord stood with him (2Tim 4:16-17; cf. Acts 18:9 ; Acts 23:11). This has given him the strength to persevere in his trust in Him.

David has said that the LORD is his refuge. Therefore, he asks Him even more insistently to heed his cries, for he is “brought very low”, that is, he is at the end of his strength (Psa 142:6). He is constantly on the run. This is wearing him down. He cannot stand against his persecutors, “for they are too strong for” him.

David compares his situation to a prison (Psa 142:7). It is similar to that of Hezekiah in Isaiah 36-37 and to that of the remnant in the future. He is a prisoner of the distress in which he is and asks the LORD to lead his soul out of it (cf. Psa 25:17). He asks this not primarily to be free again, but that he “may give thanks to Your Name”. His concern is the honor of God. That is always more important than our own happiness. In the circumstances in which he now finds himself, he can only cry out to the LORD in his great need and there is no question of giving thanks to His Name.

The prayer of the remnant will begin with the words: “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name” (Mt 6:9). The hallowing of the Father’s Name is most important. Similarly, the restoration of Joseph’s brothers begins with Judah not thinking of himself, but that he is thinking only of the feelings of his father Jacob. After that, and not before, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and their suffering is over.

David mentions as a secondary consequence of his deliverance by the LORD that “the righteous will surround” him. They will take the place of his persecutors who now surround him. In his distress he is alone, with no one to care for him. When the LORD has redeemed him, the righteous will share in the redemption. They will join him in giving thanks to the LORD for His bountiful dealing with him personally by answering his cry for help. We also see this in Psalm 1, which begins with the walk of the individual, faithful believer and ends with the fellowship of the righteous (Psa 1:1 ; 5).