Psa 143:10 | KingComments | STEP | From that security, the taking refuge in God in , there is the desire to be taught by Him so that He may do His will ( ). As an additional motive, the psalmist says to God that He is his God. He is in a personal relationship with that God through the covenant. This is the basis of the psalmist’s prayer in . This prayer begins with the acknowledgment that the LORD is his God and ends with the acknowledgment that he is the LORD’s servant. From his living covenant relationship with God, he asks Him for leading for his life by His “good Spirit” (cf. ). God’s Spirit is a good Spirit and therefore His teaching is good and He leads in the right path. That good way runs “on level ground”, ground without pits to fall into and without stones to trip over. Because the psalmist feels that his life has been crushed to the ground ( ) and he is like those who go down in the pit ( ), he asks the LORD to revive him ( ). Thereby he appeals to the “Name” of the LORD. To save his soul from distress he appeals to the “righteousness” of the LORD, not his own, for he does not possess it. The honor of the Name of the LORD is at stake. That Name is made great when the LORD answers the psalmist’s prayer. That includes staying alive and his soul brought out of trouble; that also includes the enemies cut off in accordance with the covenant ( ). For this, the psalmist appeals to the “lovingkindness” or covenant faithfulness of the LORD. To the righteous, the destruction of enemies is evidence of God’s lovingkindness toward him. Finally, he points out to the LORD that he is His servant as a motive for the LORD to destroy all those who afflict his soul. That he is the servant of the LORD means that the LORD is his Owner and the Commander. When the enemies are destroyed, he is again in a position to serve God, which is now made impossible for him by his enemies.

‏ Psalms 143:10

Request for Teaching and Leading

From that security, the taking refuge in God in Psa 143:9, there is the desire to be taught by Him so that He may do His will (Psa 143:10). As an additional motive, the psalmist says to God that He is his God. He is in a personal relationship with that God through the covenant. This is the basis of the psalmist’s prayer in Psa 143:10-12. This prayer begins with the acknowledgment that the LORD is his God and ends with the acknowledgment that he is the LORD’s servant.

From his living covenant relationship with God, he asks Him for leading for his life by His “good Spirit” (cf. Neh 9:20). God’s Spirit is a good Spirit and therefore His teaching is good and He leads in the right path. That good way runs “on level ground”, ground without pits to fall into and without stones to trip over.

Because the psalmist feels that his life has been crushed to the ground (Psa 143:3) and he is like those who go down in the pit (Psa 143:7), he asks the LORD to revive him (Psa 143:11). Thereby he appeals to the “Name” of the LORD. To save his soul from distress he appeals to the “righteousness” of the LORD, not his own, for he does not possess it.

The honor of the Name of the LORD is at stake. That Name is made great when the LORD answers the psalmist’s prayer. That includes staying alive and his soul brought out of trouble; that also includes the enemies cut off in accordance with the covenant (Psa 143:12).

For this, the psalmist appeals to the “lovingkindness” or covenant faithfulness of the LORD. To the righteous, the destruction of enemies is evidence of God’s lovingkindness toward him. Finally, he points out to the LORD that he is His servant as a motive for the LORD to destroy all those who afflict his soul. That he is the servant of the LORD means that the LORD is his Owner and the Commander. When the enemies are destroyed, he is again in a position to serve God, which is now made impossible for him by his enemies.