Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19951210.htm

PSALMS: DIARIES OF GODLY OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS
Psalm Six: Objective Self-Appraisal Under Unjust Persecution
(Psalm 6:1-10)
  1. Introduction
    1. If the believer must be confronted with persecution, and he discovers that the persecution is unjust, the temptation is to focus on the wickedness of the persecutor and automatically assume that he himself is without blame as a defensive maneuver!
    2. However, though we may be unjustly treated, we should always think objectively of our standing before the Lord who is impartial! Psalm six offers a lesson on objective self-appraisal under unjust persecution.
  2. Objective Self-Appraisal Under Unjust Persecution, Psalm 6:1-10.
    1. David laments to the Lord his request no longer to be painfully disciplined by God, Psalm 6:1-4a, 6-7.
      1. David was being painfully disciplined by the Lord, and he requested an end to the program, 6:1-2a.
      2. He described the intense discomfort of divine discipline upon him, Ps. 6:2b-5a:
        1. David felt weak, and his "bones," a picture of the entire physique in Hebrew, were in agony. In other words, he felt physically spent all over, Bib. Know. Com., O. T., p. 795. (Ps. 6:2b)
        2. His "soul," or nephesh was also in agony, Ps. 6:3-4a. This Hebrew word pictures the entirety of one's living existence, and synonymous to the body which has been mentioned in 6:2b, it means the inner man's emotions and mental capacities, T.W.O.T., v. II, p. 589.
        3. He had experience this great discomfort over a very long period of time, Ps. 6:3b!
        4. This suffering had produced David's responses of weariness, sighing, weeping and sheer fatigue, 6-7.
        5. Thus, David was long afflicted in mind, heart and resultingly his body due to this divine discipline!
      3. Accordingly, David requests that God remove this intense discipline, Ps. 6:4a!
    2. The basis of this request is twofold: David asks God to remember His loyal love (chesed, v. 4b) to restore David to His divine appointment of service, and asks God to recall that were David to die from the discipline, h e would not be able to praise God in the tabernacle for His deliverance, 6:4b-5!
    3. What is paradoxical about this psalm is David's address in it for his enemies to depart, showing that the enemies were VEHICLES of God's discipline upon David's sin, Ps. 6:8!
      1. David calls for his evil enemies to depart from him, Ps. 6:8a.
      2. The reason he makes this call is that God had heard David's voice of weeping, implying that the cause of his weeping in the psalm was the persecution David felt from these wicked enemies, Ps. 6:8b!
    4. God heard David's prayer and his confession, so he rested contented that his persecution would soon end as the persecuting enemies, the VEHICLE of God's discipline, would have to be turned back and ashamed in an instant, Ps. 6:9-10!
Lesson: Emotionally, mentally and even physically prolonged and painful mistreatment by wicked opponents MAY indicate DIVINE DISCIPLINE! Accordingly, we should not dismiss unjust mistreatment as a sign that we are in contrast to the errant opponen ts therefore innocent, for "When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him," Proverbs 16:7 KJV!

Application: (1) If we are suffering mistreatment from a sinful opponent, and the effect upon us is inclusively painful and prolonged, the FIRST subject we should examine for a possible solution is OURSELVES for SIN! This is not to say that being mistreated automatically implies guilt on the victim's part, for innocent, godly people suffer persecution as a way of life, cf. 2 Timothy 3:12. Howev er, NOT ALL who suffer mistreatment are AUTOMATICALLY innocent! (2) David was aware that he was GUILTY in this psalm, for he opens the psalm with his confession, Ps. 6:1. We can tell if God is disciplining us, for God always convicts us clearly in conn ection to our violating His Word, Rom. 5:13; 1 Jn. 3:4b. So, if we EXAMINE ourselves because we are being persecuted, and don't FIND any SIN, don't experience FALSE guilt! Rather, seek another route toward a solution!