Psa 141:4 | KingComments | STEP | This psalm is primarily about uprightness of heart in the midst of trials and temptations. The desire of the God-fearing is to be close to God. This desire is not only for a safe place, for protection, but also for spiritual counsel and support. Prophetically, in Psalms 141-143 we find the people of Israel in distress. In Psalm 140 we see the threat of the enemy, now these enemies are on their way to Israel. In Psalm 141 we find the prayer of the remnant, in Psalm 142 it has become supplication and in Psalm 143 it is supplications (plural). The need increases as the enemy approaches. For “a Psalm of David” ( ) see at Psalm 3:1. It seems that David wrote this psalm during the time when he is being chased by Saul and his henchmen. He knows that only the LORD can help him. In any case, the distress he finds himself in, the opposition he experiences, is great, which is evident in the way he addresses the LORD. He calls upon Him, he begs Him to hasten to him, he asks Him to hear his voice as soon as he calls ( ). He asks not primarily for deliverance from his adversaries, but that his prayer will “be counted as incense” before God ( ; cf. ). Incense speaks of what is pleasing to the LORD. David, and this includes the remnant of which he is a type, is not himself pleasing to the LORD, nor is his prayer. Prayer becomes pleasant because incense is added to the prayers ( ). That incense speaks of the pleasantness of Christ before God. That is the reason that the prayer of the remnant received power and ascends to the LORD. For us too, our prayers are pleasing to God only because the prayer is sent up in the pleasing of the Lord Jesus. David asks that “the lifting up” of his hands may be counted “as the evening offering”. The lifting up of the hands is a prayer attitude ( ; ). The evening offering speaks of the work of the Lord Jesus. The evening offering is the evening burnt offering that was to be offered each day ( ). It was done at the ninth hour, which is three o’clock in the afternoon our time. At that hour, while offering that offering, Elijah received an answer to his prayer ( ). At that hour, centuries later, Daniel also received an answer to his prayer ( ). At the ninth hour, the hour of prayer and of the evening burnt offering, Cornelius received a visit from heaven in response to his prayer ( ). It is also the hour when the Lord Jesus received no answer when He cried out ( ). Therewith He laid the basis for God to accept every prayer as incense. He also longs that God, under the pressure of the evil in the midst of which he lives, will set a guard over his mouth and keep watch over the door of his lips ( ; cf. ). We can in principle be honest and upright in taking sides with the Lord, but an impatient or reproachful word spoils our testimony. As a result, the enemy gets a hold of us because we are no longer in right relationship with God. He who can restrain his tongue is a perfect man, “able to bridle the whole body as well” ( ). David doesn’t want to get along with wicked people when it comes to responding to something he doesn’t like. From that, in , he asks the LORD to keep him. In , his request is that he will be kept from joining with wicked people in their dealings, joining with them in “any evil thing”. He prays in accordance with what the Lord Jesus teaches His disciples to pray: “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” ( ). He recognizes the danger of this, the tendency toward it in his heart. David is a wise man, for he pays attention to what is in his heart (cf. ). An evil thing would bring him “to practice deeds of wickedness”, along “with men who do iniquity”. The pursuit of an evil thing brings one to act wrongly and in the company of wrong people. These men are men of influence. They have status in the community and can present evil very attractively, as “delicacies” (cf. ). David asks that God ensure that he will not “eat” of the delicacies of the wicked. Eating expresses fellowship. He does not want that (cf. ). What the wicked present to believers is like bait: it looks tempting, but it is directed against their lives (cf. ). The only means that keeps them from coming under their influence is not to be in their company ( ; cf. ).

‏ Psalms 141:4

Introduction

This psalm is primarily about uprightness of heart in the midst of trials and temptations. The desire of the God-fearing is to be close to God. This desire is not only for a safe place, for protection, but also for spiritual counsel and support.

Prophetically, in Psalms 141-143 we find the people of Israel in distress. In Psalm 140 we see the threat of the enemy, now these enemies are on their way to Israel. In Psalm 141 we find the prayer of the remnant, in Psalm 142 it has become supplication and in Psalm 143 it is supplications (plural). The need increases as the enemy approaches.

Prayer in Temptation

For “a Psalm of David” (Psa 141:1a) see at Psalm 3:1.

It seems that David wrote this psalm during the time when he is being chased by Saul and his henchmen. He knows that only the LORD can help him. In any case, the distress he finds himself in, the opposition he experiences, is great, which is evident in the way he addresses the LORD. He calls upon Him, he begs Him to hasten to him, he asks Him to hear his voice as soon as he calls (Psa 141:1b).

He asks not primarily for deliverance from his adversaries, but that his prayer will “be counted as incense” before God (Psa 141:2; cf. Rev 5:8 ; Rev 8:1-5). Incense speaks of what is pleasing to the LORD. David, and this includes the remnant of which he is a type, is not himself pleasing to the LORD, nor is his prayer.

Prayer becomes pleasant because incense is added to the prayers (Rev 8:3). That incense speaks of the pleasantness of Christ before God. That is the reason that the prayer of the remnant received power and ascends to the LORD. For us too, our prayers are pleasing to God only because the prayer is sent up in the pleasing of the Lord Jesus.

David asks that “the lifting up” of his hands may be counted “as the evening offering”. The lifting up of the hands is a prayer attitude (Psa 28:2 ; Psa 63:4 ; Psa 134:2; 1Tim 2:8). The evening offering speaks of the work of the Lord Jesus. The evening offering is the evening burnt offering that was to be offered each day (Exo 29:38-41). It was done at the ninth hour, which is three o’clock in the afternoon our time.

At that hour, while offering that offering, Elijah received an answer to his prayer (1Kgs 18:36-38). At that hour, centuries later, Daniel also received an answer to his prayer (Dan 9:21). At the ninth hour, the hour of prayer and of the evening burnt offering, Cornelius received a visit from heaven in response to his prayer (Acts 10:1-4). It is also the hour when the Lord Jesus received no answer when He cried out (Mt 27:46). Therewith He laid the basis for God to accept every prayer as incense.

He also longs that God, under the pressure of the evil in the midst of which he lives, will set a guard over his mouth and keep watch over the door of his lips (Psa 141:3; cf. Mic 7:5). We can in principle be honest and upright in taking sides with the Lord, but an impatient or reproachful word spoils our testimony. As a result, the enemy gets a hold of us because we are no longer in right relationship with God. He who can restrain his tongue is a perfect man, “able to bridle the whole body as well” (Jam 3:2).

David doesn’t want to get along with wicked people when it comes to responding to something he doesn’t like. From that, in Psa 141:3, he asks the LORD to keep him. In Psa 141:4, his request is that he will be kept from joining with wicked people in their dealings, joining with them in “any evil thing”. He prays in accordance with what the Lord Jesus teaches His disciples to pray: “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Mt 6:13).

He recognizes the danger of this, the tendency toward it in his heart. David is a wise man, for he pays attention to what is in his heart (cf. Pro 4:23). An evil thing would bring him “to practice deeds of wickedness”, along “with men who do iniquity”. The pursuit of an evil thing brings one to act wrongly and in the company of wrong people.

These men are men of influence. They have status in the community and can present evil very attractively, as “delicacies” (cf. Pro 4:17). David asks that God ensure that he will not “eat” of the delicacies of the wicked. Eating expresses fellowship. He does not want that (cf. 2Cor 6:14).

What the wicked present to believers is like bait: it looks tempting, but it is directed against their lives (cf. Pro 1:10-19). The only means that keeps them from coming under their influence is not to be in their company (1Cor 15:33; cf. Psa 1:1).