Psa 6:5 | KingComments | STEP | He calls on the LORD to return to him, to no longer turn away from him ( ). He longs for the rescue of his soul, for he is greatly dismayed, as he has just said in . There is nothing in himself that he could refer to as a ground for his rescue. When the LORD rescues and saves him, the only ground for that is His “lovingkindness”. The word “lovingkindness” is again the translation of the Hebrew word Adonai, which means that God is righteous and is faithful to His covenant for that very reason. That is why David appeals to it. His rescue and salvation will be a testimony of God’s goodness. For that He will be glorified. The latter will not happen if He does not rescue and save him, but allows him to perish ( ). When David dies, there is no testimony of God’s lovingkindness, no remembrance of Him and no thanksgiving to Him ( ; ). In death and in Sheol, deathly silence reigns ( ). Surely that is not God’s intention with David, is it? Surely He wants Him to be remembered and given thanks, isn’t it (cf. )? We see here the Old Testament believer’s limited knowledge of the state of the hereafter. Through the full revelation of Christ we know that a believer who dies is with the Lord Jesus in paradise ( ). He is at home with the Lord ( ) and enjoys His presence ( ). Man is fully aware of his situation after death ( ). It is a conscious state. The teaching of so-called “soul sleep” is contrary to what Scripture teaches. David is weary of his sighing, of his inner struggle ( ). He cannot sleep, for he can only cry, all night long. His sorrow is deep. His bed and his resting place, places where he should rest, are soaking wet with his tears. In Psalm 3, he can sleep peacefully while surrounded by numerous enemies ( ). Now that his conscience torments him because of his sins, he struggles and does not come to rest. His “eye has wasted away with grief” (cf. ) and “become old” because of all his adversaries ( ). His eyes, because of his deep sorrow, no longer have the sharp sight on God (cf. ). He grieves over his sins. He has become old in his gaze because of the opponents who painfully remind him of his sins. His conscience is overwhelmed by this. He has come to an end with himself. This is at the same time the turning point, as the last verses of this psalm show.

‏ Psalms 6:5

The Call to the LORD to Return

He calls on the LORD to return to him, to no longer turn away from him (Psa 6:4). He longs for the rescue of his soul, for he is greatly dismayed, as he has just said in Psa 6:3. There is nothing in himself that he could refer to as a ground for his rescue. When the LORD rescues and saves him, the only ground for that is His “lovingkindness”. The word “lovingkindness” is again the translation of the Hebrew word Adonai, which means that God is righteous and is faithful to His covenant for that very reason. That is why David appeals to it. His rescue and salvation will be a testimony of God’s goodness. For that He will be glorified.

The latter will not happen if He does not rescue and save him, but allows him to perish (Psa 6:5). When David dies, there is no testimony of God’s lovingkindness, no remembrance of Him and no thanksgiving to Him (Psa 30:9; Isa 38:18). In death and in Sheol, deathly silence reigns (Psa 115:17). Surely that is not God’s intention with David, is it? Surely He wants Him to be remembered and given thanks, isn’t it (cf. Isa 38:19-20)?

We see here the Old Testament believer’s limited knowledge of the state of the hereafter. Through the full revelation of Christ we know that a believer who dies is with the Lord Jesus in paradise (Lk 23:43). He is at home with the Lord (2Cor 5:8) and enjoys His presence (Phil 1:23). Man is fully aware of his situation after death (Lk 16:25). It is a conscious state. The teaching of so-called “soul sleep” is contrary to what Scripture teaches.

David is weary of his sighing, of his inner struggle (Psa 6:6). He cannot sleep, for he can only cry, all night long. His sorrow is deep. His bed and his resting place, places where he should rest, are soaking wet with his tears. In Psalm 3, he can sleep peacefully while surrounded by numerous enemies (Psa 3:5-6). Now that his conscience torments him because of his sins, he struggles and does not come to rest.

His “eye has wasted away with grief” (cf. Job 17:7) and “become old” because of all his adversaries (Psa 6:7). His eyes, because of his deep sorrow, no longer have the sharp sight on God (cf. Psa 38:10b). He grieves over his sins. He has become old in his gaze because of the opponents who painfully remind him of his sins. His conscience is overwhelmed by this. He has come to an end with himself. This is at the same time the turning point, as the last verses of this psalm show.