Psa 86:1 | KingComments | STEP | The remnant of the ten tribes is back in Israel (Psalm 84). Inner restoration has taken place (Psalm 85). Psalm 86 shows us what takes place in their hearts during this tribulation, just as with Hezekiah in Isaiah 38. The psalm begins in and ends in with the distress of this remnant. In between is the desire of the remnant to know better the ways of the LORD ( ) and their thanksgiving ( ). That is, in fact, the focal point of this psalm. Their distress is caused by Assyria which is used as a disciplinary rod ( ) to test Israel. It has to answer the question of Psalm 121: “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come?” ( ). For “a Prayer of David” ( ) see at Psalm 17:1. This psalm is the only psalm of David in the third book of Psalms. David, the man after God’s heart, is a type of the remnant of Israel which is now being tested. David has sinned and is disciplined for it, but he repents and is restored. Psalm 85 is about the inner restoration of the people as a whole; in Psalm 86 we find an individual testing resulting in personal restoration. Indeed, the confidence of faith must be present in each believer personally. He or she must be able to say: the LORD is my Shepherd ( ; cf. ). David is in great distress, he is “afflicted and needy” ( ; cf. ). “Afflicted and needy” is an expression that refers both to the condition of the Lord Jesus on earth and to the condition of the remnant in the end time, with whom the Lord identifies Himself (cf. ; ). The Lord Jesus speaks at length about this condition in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). David is physically afflicted and lacks spiritual strength. In such a situation a person can do no better than turn to God. That is what David does. In his prayer, he turns to the “LORD”, Yahweh. With this he appeals to the faithfulness of God to His covenant with him. He asks Him to incline His ear. That is an appeal to His benevolence to listen to him. He also asks Him to hear him. That is an appeal to His saving, redeeming power to deliver him from his distress. His prayer is marked by great insistence, but not by compulsion. He is a supplicant, not a claimant. This is the proper mind for drawing near to God. He asks for the preservation of his soul, that is of his life. His pleading ground is who he is before God: His “godly man” ( ). “Godly man” in Hebrew is chasid , which means one who is faithful to the covenant, which is the new covenant. It is one who takes refuge in the blood of the new covenant, the blood of Christ, and on that basis trusts in the LORD ( ). That is the pleading ground of the psalmist. This is how David approaches God and asks for His protection. It is not about merit, but about what is the basis of the relationship. The awareness of God’s favor does not make him haughty, but humble and little. He knows that the almighty God is his God and that he is His “servant” (cf. ). He does not serve God by force, but willingly. Those who realize that they are in God’s favor will want to serve Him out of gratitude. In his service for God, David trusts in the LORD. To Him David asks that He redeems or saves him. This is the meaning of the name Jesus: ”the LORD saves”. The remnant of Israel here takes the title “servant” of the LORD ( ). To understand this, it is necessary to see that this title is used in three ways in the book of Isaiah. Firstly, in Isaiah 40-48 we find Israel as the failing servant of the LORD. Secondly, in Isaiah 42 and Isaiah 49-61 we find Christ as the perfect Servant of the LORD. Finally, in Isaiah 62-66 we find the remnant as the servants of the LORD, connected with the perfect Servant. Here in Psalm 86 we find the remnant as the servants of the LORD, putting their trust in the Lord, Adonai, the sovereign Ruler. Then in Psalm 87 we hear what the LORD says about the remnant. David asks the “Lord”, Adonai, to be “gracious” to him ( ). He addresses God seven times in his prayer with Adonai ( ). This word is contrasted with “servant”. A servant serves his master and commander (Adonai), while also being able to count on the protection of his master. The Lord, Adonai, is good to His servants. God, Elohim , is good toward His creatures. The LORD, Yahweh, the God of the covenant and faithfulness to it, is good toward His godly ones. The name Adonai emphasizes the incomparable greatness of God. David is deeply aware that only that great Ruler can deliver him from his distress. He is also aware that God is not obligated to do so. Therefore he asks God to be gracious to him. He does not stop asking Him, he cries out to Him “all day long”. This also shows the trust that he has in God’s response. When that Lord, Adonai, delivers him, He will thereby make glad his soul ( ). Once more David calls himself “Your servant”. He serves God with joy. At the same time he indicates how much he knows himself to be dependent on Him. God is the Lord and he is His servant. That is why he lifts up his soul to Him. Only He can help and make him happy. David knows the sovereign Ruler – whom he again addresses as such (Adonai) – as One Who is “good” ( ). It is useless to call upon a God who is not ‘good’. God is not an impassive ruler who stands far above worldly events and certainly above puny human beings. No, He is “good”. That is His Being toward His creation and people and especially toward His servants who call upon Him. Up to this point the psalmist has prayed on the basis of his condition – afflicted and needy ( ) – because he was a godly man ( ), because he trusted in the LORD as a servant ( ), because he calls out to the LORD all day long ( ). In he gives a reason beyond himself: he prays on the basis of Who the LORD Himself is, namely that He is abundant in lovingkindness (Adonai = covenant faithfulness). He is “ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon” Him (cf. ). These attributes of the sovereign Ruler cannot fail to evoke admiration in the heart of the believer. So much tenderness and overwhelming readiness to bless is expressed here. God is not a hard, demanding God, but a forgiving and giving God. And that He is “to all who call upon” Him. Whoever is in need and calls upon Him, will come to know Him in this way. When David has said this, he renews his prayer, turning again to the “LORD”, Yahweh ( ). He asks him to “give ear” to his “prayer”. He does not whisper this prayer, but he lets hear “the voice of” his “supplications”. Surely God cannot keep His ears closed to these loud pleas? Surely He will pay attention to it? “In the day of my trouble”, that is now, and every time there is such a day, he calls upon the LORD ( ). It is a habit. God is his only refuge. All that surrounds him and all that is in him is distress, oppression. He can only cry out to God, because no one else can help him. Then suddenly his soul seems to come to rest. He says to God: “For You will answer me.” This assurance is the basis of his crying out. It is the confidence that God is listening to his prayer. Otherwise, what sense does it make to cry out to God (cf. )? This confidence is based on the fact that the psalmist knows the LORD, he knows His abundant lovingkindness ( ). Therefore, he knows that God will most certainly answer his prayer. It is also God’s intention in our lives that days of trouble become days of prayer (cf. ).

‏ Psalms 86:1

Introduction

The remnant of the ten tribes is back in Israel (Psalm 84). Inner restoration has taken place (Psalm 85). Psalm 86 shows us what takes place in their hearts during this tribulation, just as with Hezekiah in Isaiah 38.

The psalm begins in Psa 86:1-7 and ends in Psa 86:14-17 with the distress of this remnant. In between is the desire of the remnant to know better the ways of the LORD (Psa 86:11) and their thanksgiving (Psa 86:12). That is, in fact, the focal point of this psalm.

Their distress is caused by Assyria which is used as a disciplinary rod (Isa 10:5) to test Israel. It has to answer the question of Psalm 121: “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come?” (Psa 121:1).

Prayer in Trouble

For “a Prayer of David” (Psa 86:1a) see at Psalm 17:1.

This psalm is the only psalm of David in the third book of Psalms. David, the man after God’s heart, is a type of the remnant of Israel which is now being tested. David has sinned and is disciplined for it, but he repents and is restored.

Psalm 85 is about the inner restoration of the people as a whole; in Psalm 86 we find an individual testing resulting in personal restoration. Indeed, the confidence of faith must be present in each believer personally. He or she must be able to say: the LORD is my Shepherd (Psa 23:1; cf. Gal 2:20).

David is in great distress, he is “afflicted and needy” (Psa 86:1b; cf. Isa 38:14). “Afflicted and needy” is an expression that refers both to the condition of the Lord Jesus on earth and to the condition of the remnant in the end time, with whom the Lord identifies Himself (cf. Psa 69:29 ; Psa 109:22; Zep 3:12). The Lord Jesus speaks at length about this condition in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).

David is physically afflicted and lacks spiritual strength. In such a situation a person can do no better than turn to God. That is what David does. In his prayer, he turns to the “LORD”, Yahweh. With this he appeals to the faithfulness of God to His covenant with him.

He asks Him to incline His ear. That is an appeal to His benevolence to listen to him. He also asks Him to hear him. That is an appeal to His saving, redeeming power to deliver him from his distress. His prayer is marked by great insistence, but not by compulsion. He is a supplicant, not a claimant. This is the proper mind for drawing near to God.

He asks for the preservation of his soul, that is of his life. His pleading ground is who he is before God: His “godly man” (Psa 86:2a). “Godly man” in Hebrew is chasid, which means one who is faithful to the covenant, which is the new covenant. It is one who takes refuge in the blood of the new covenant, the blood of Christ, and on that basis trusts in the LORD (Psa 86:2b). That is the pleading ground of the psalmist. This is how David approaches God and asks for His protection. It is not about merit, but about what is the basis of the relationship.

The awareness of God’s favor does not make him haughty, but humble and little. He knows that the almighty God is his God and that he is His “servant” (cf. 2Sam 7:5). He does not serve God by force, but willingly. Those who realize that they are in God’s favor will want to serve Him out of gratitude. In his service for God, David trusts in the LORD. To Him David asks that He redeems or saves him. This is the meaning of the name Jesus: ”the LORD saves”.

The remnant of Israel here takes the title “servant” of the LORD (Psa 86:2 ; 4 ; 16). To understand this, it is necessary to see that this title is used in three ways in the book of Isaiah.

Firstly, in Isaiah 40-48 we find Israel as the failing servant of the LORD.

Secondly, in Isaiah 42 and Isaiah 49-61 we find Christ as the perfect Servant of the LORD.

Finally, in Isaiah 62-66 we find the remnant as the servants of the LORD, connected with the perfect Servant.

Here in Psalm 86 we find the remnant as the servants of the LORD, putting their trust in the Lord, Adonai, the sovereign Ruler. Then in Psalm 87 we hear what the LORD says about the remnant.

David asks the “Lord”, Adonai, to be “gracious” to him (Psa 86:3). He addresses God seven times in his prayer with Adonai (Psa 86:3 ; 4 ; 5 ; 8 ; 9 ; 12 ; 15). This word is contrasted with “servant”. A servant serves his master and commander (Adonai), while also being able to count on the protection of his master. The Lord, Adonai, is good to His servants. God, Elohim, is good toward His creatures. The LORD, Yahweh, the God of the covenant and faithfulness to it, is good toward His godly ones.

The name Adonai emphasizes the incomparable greatness of God. David is deeply aware that only that great Ruler can deliver him from his distress. He is also aware that God is not obligated to do so. Therefore he asks God to be gracious to him. He does not stop asking Him, he cries out to Him “all day long”. This also shows the trust that he has in God’s response.

When that Lord, Adonai, delivers him, He will thereby make glad his soul (Psa 86:4). Once more David calls himself “Your servant”. He serves God with joy. At the same time he indicates how much he knows himself to be dependent on Him. God is the Lord and he is His servant. That is why he lifts up his soul to Him. Only He can help and make him happy.

David knows the sovereign Ruler – whom he again addresses as such (Adonai) – as One Who is “good” (Psa 86:5). It is useless to call upon a God who is not ‘good’. God is not an impassive ruler who stands far above worldly events and certainly above puny human beings. No, He is “good”. That is His Being toward His creation and people and especially toward His servants who call upon Him.

Up to this point the psalmist has prayed on the basis of his condition – afflicted and needy (Psa 86:1b) – because he was a godly man (Psa 86:2a), because he trusted in the LORD as a servant (Psa 86:2b), because he calls out to the LORD all day long (Psa 86:3). In Psa 86:5 he gives a reason beyond himself: he prays on the basis of Who the LORD Himself is, namely that He is abundant in lovingkindness (Adonai = covenant faithfulness).

He is “ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon” Him (cf. Exo 34:6). These attributes of the sovereign Ruler cannot fail to evoke admiration in the heart of the believer. So much tenderness and overwhelming readiness to bless is expressed here. God is not a hard, demanding God, but a forgiving and giving God. And that He is “to all who call upon” Him. Whoever is in need and calls upon Him, will come to know Him in this way.

When David has said this, he renews his prayer, turning again to the “LORD”, Yahweh (Psa 86:6). He asks him to “give ear” to his “prayer”. He does not whisper this prayer, but he lets hear “the voice of” his “supplications”. Surely God cannot keep His ears closed to these loud pleas? Surely He will pay attention to it?

“In the day of my trouble”, that is now, and every time there is such a day, he calls upon the LORD (Psa 86:7). It is a habit. God is his only refuge. All that surrounds him and all that is in him is distress, oppression. He can only cry out to God, because no one else can help him.

Then suddenly his soul seems to come to rest. He says to God: “For You will answer me.” This assurance is the basis of his crying out. It is the confidence that God is listening to his prayer. Otherwise, what sense does it make to cry out to God (cf. Jam 1:6-7)? This confidence is based on the fact that the psalmist knows the LORD, he knows His abundant lovingkindness (Psa 86:5). Therefore, he knows that God will most certainly answer his prayer. It is also God’s intention in our lives that days of trouble become days of prayer (cf. Psa 50:15).