Psa 38:12 | KingComments | STEP | David can only do one thing in this hopeless situation and that is to go to Him Who brought this suffering upon him. And that is exactly God’s intention with suffering that He brings upon us. All the pain and trouble does not alienate David from God, but drives him out to Him. He addresses God as “Lord”, that is Adonai, the sovereign Ruler of the universe ( ), and tells Him that all his desire is open before Him, it goes out to Him. As all his iniquities are manifest before God ( ), so does God see, hear, and understand his sighing. Sighing is an expression of distress without words. The distress is so great that David can no longer put it into words; he can only sigh (cf. ). In his desire for God, he now speaks not of his iniquities, but of his powerlessness ( ). His heart is filled with fear and trembling and knows no rest. It throbs, so that he has no strength to do anything. He can’t see anything anymore either, he has no view and doesn’t know how to continue living. It is as if he has no eyes, for he sees no light. He has lost sight of God as the God of the covenant and walks in darkness. So far David has spoken of his own physical and spiritual condition. Beginning in , he speaks of his surroundings. The illness and the thought of possible sin behind it create a deep rift between David and others. Even his loved ones, his closest relatives, and friends are distant. This makes the pain and misery all the more poignant. From his loved ones and friends he doesn’t have to expect help ( ; ). Those, with whom he has had a good relationship, his kinsmen, stand afar off. This is the case both literally and figuratively. They literally stand at a distance watching, and figuratively there is distance because they do not want to share in his suffering. They want nothing to do with him and avoid him. This is a bitter pain, even more bitter than the physical pains. Even his closest relatives do not come near him to relieve his pains, but keep a safe distance. While his friends and family stand at a distance, his enemies come closer and closer ( ). He has spoken of his sin in the foregoing. Now he is going to speak about his enemies surrounding him. These enemies will also be spoken of by the believing remnant in the end time. His enemies “seek” his life, they “lay snares” for him. They are treacherously, maliciously out to kill him. They seek “to injure” him and therefore they “have threatened destruction”, that is, words intended to harm him. And it does not stop there. While he goes in black all day long because he is so miserable, they “devise treachery” against him “all day long”. They are constantly thinking about how to get him out of the way. Instead of protesting about so much injustice, David keeps himself “like a deaf man” ( ). He closes his ears to it and does not hear. He cannot defend himself, for he is defenseless, and he does not want to defend himself, for he knows that he deserves this misery through his sin (cf. ). Therefore, he is “like a mute man who does not open his mouth”. This is similar to something said of the Lord Jesus ( ). But there is a big difference. The Lord was not “like a mute man” because He was powerless, nor because He was aware of any sin of His own, but because He went through the agony to the cross trusting in God. At the same time, however, the Lord was also aware that He would suffer vicariously for the sins of others ( ). In , David says again in different words the same thing as in , emphasizing it a bit stronger (cf. ; ). Whatever is said to him, he pays no attention to it and pretends not to hear it. Nor does he respond and keeps his mouth shut. He has no arguments. Through all the suffering, God does His purifying work with him ( ). David does not reproach God about it, but keeps silent. He regards his inner suffering because of his sin as God’s work; he also regards what the enemies do to him as God’s work (cf. ). Therefore, in the next verse he does not address his enemies, but his God.

‏ Psalms 38:12

Desire

David can only do one thing in this hopeless situation and that is to go to Him Who brought this suffering upon him. And that is exactly God’s intention with suffering that He brings upon us. All the pain and trouble does not alienate David from God, but drives him out to Him.

He addresses God as “Lord”, that is Adonai, the sovereign Ruler of the universe (Psa 38:9), and tells Him that all his desire is open before Him, it goes out to Him. As all his iniquities are manifest before God (Psa 38:4), so does God see, hear, and understand his sighing. Sighing is an expression of distress without words. The distress is so great that David can no longer put it into words; he can only sigh (cf. Rom 8:26).

In his desire for God, he now speaks not of his iniquities, but of his powerlessness (Psa 38:10). His heart is filled with fear and trembling and knows no rest. It throbs, so that he has no strength to do anything. He can’t see anything anymore either, he has no view and doesn’t know how to continue living. It is as if he has no eyes, for he sees no light. He has lost sight of God as the God of the covenant and walks in darkness.

So far David has spoken of his own physical and spiritual condition. Beginning in Psa 38:11, he speaks of his surroundings. The illness and the thought of possible sin behind it create a deep rift between David and others. Even his loved ones, his closest relatives, and friends are distant. This makes the pain and misery all the more poignant. From his loved ones and friends he doesn’t have to expect help (Psa 38:11; Job 19:13-14). Those, with whom he has had a good relationship, his kinsmen, stand afar off.

This is the case both literally and figuratively. They literally stand at a distance watching, and figuratively there is distance because they do not want to share in his suffering. They want nothing to do with him and avoid him. This is a bitter pain, even more bitter than the physical pains. Even his closest relatives do not come near him to relieve his pains, but keep a safe distance.

While his friends and family stand at a distance, his enemies come closer and closer (Psa 38:12). He has spoken of his sin in the foregoing. Now he is going to speak about his enemies surrounding him. These enemies will also be spoken of by the believing remnant in the end time. His enemies “seek” his life, they “lay snares” for him. They are treacherously, maliciously out to kill him.

They seek “to injure” him and therefore they “have threatened destruction”, that is, words intended to harm him. And it does not stop there. While he goes in black all day long because he is so miserable, they “devise treachery” against him “all day long”. They are constantly thinking about how to get him out of the way.

Instead of protesting about so much injustice, David keeps himself “like a deaf man” (Psa 38:13). He closes his ears to it and does not hear. He cannot defend himself, for he is defenseless, and he does not want to defend himself, for he knows that he deserves this misery through his sin (cf. 2Sam 16:10-13). Therefore, he is “like a mute man who does not open his mouth”.

This is similar to something said of the Lord Jesus (Isa 53:7). But there is a big difference. The Lord was not “like a mute man” because He was powerless, nor because He was aware of any sin of His own, but because He went through the agony to the cross trusting in God. At the same time, however, the Lord was also aware that He would suffer vicariously for the sins of others (Psa 69:4).

In Psa 38:14, David says again in different words the same thing as in Psa 38:13, emphasizing it a bit stronger (cf. Isa 53:7; 1Pet 2:23). Whatever is said to him, he pays no attention to it and pretends not to hear it. Nor does he respond and keeps his mouth shut. He has no arguments.

Through all the suffering, God does His purifying work with him (Mal 3:3). David does not reproach God about it, but keeps silent. He regards his inner suffering because of his sin as God’s work; he also regards what the enemies do to him as God’s work (cf. Isa 10:5). Therefore, in the next verse he does not address his enemies, but his God.