Psalm 5

unto the end

for she who inherits 

a psalm for David

Lord, hear my words

understand my cry

turn your attention to the sound of my petition

my king and my God

since I pray to you, Lord

in the morning you will hear my voice

in the morning I will stand by you and I will see

for you are not a God who desires wickedness

neither will an evil person stay beside you

nor will a wicked person live before your eyes 

Lord, you hate all who do evil

you will destroy all those who tell lies

the Lord abhors a person who commits bloodshed or deceit

but, in the totality of your mercy 

I will enter into your house

I will worship at your holy temple, fearing you

Lord, lead me by your justice because of my enemies

make my road straight in your sight

for there is no truth in their mouth

their heart is useless

their throat is an open grave

they deceive with their tongues

God, judge them

let them fall by their own scheming

drive them out because of the totality of their ungodliness

for, Lord, they have embittered you

but may all who hope in you be glad in you

they will be utterly joyful forever

and you will dwell with them

and everyone who loves your name will glory in you

for you will bless the righteous person

Lord, you have crowned us,

as with a shield of good will

unto the end, for she who inherits, a psalm for David

The title of the psalm is for she who inherits. This is the Church, which inherits everlasting life through our Lord Jesus Christ.  The Church possesses no less than this: God himself, and binds herself to him. In this the Church is blessed, as Christ said, “blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matt 5:4). What is meant by the earth?; as the psalmist says, “you are my hope, my share in the land of the living.” (Ps 142(141): 5). He say this even more clearly, “the Lord is my share of the inheritance, and my cup” (Ps 16(15):5). This is turned from a receiving to a giving in the second psalm, “ask me, and I will give you the nations for an inheritance” (Ps 2:8).

It is God is who feeds and sustains us, he is our inheritance and we are also God’s inheritance. So this psalm calls the Church into her inheritance in order that she can become God’s inheritance.

Lord, hear my words

Having been called, the Church now calls to the Lord. She calls as she passes through this wicked world since he is her helper and her destination.

understand my cry

Here the psalmist speaks about that cry that comes from the depths, from within the chamber of the heart.  The body makes no physical sound, but a sound does leave the body and reaches God. This sound is spiritual since God does not hear with an ear of flesh, but as the sound enters his majestic presence everywhere.

turn your attention to the voice of my petition

That is, God, pay attention to the voice which creates the petition. This means the same as the previous line: understand my cry.

my king and my God

The Son is God and the Father is God. Together the Son and the Father are the one God. You may ask ‘what about the Holy Spirit?’; there is only one possible answer: he is also God. Whenever we read in scripture the Father and the Son mentioned in the same lines, this must only be taken to refer to the one God. However, the title of king generally belongs to the Son, and since Jesus said, “No-one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn14:6) the psalmist has written first my king and then my God.

He also writes turn your attention to. In the Greek language this is spoken to only one listener, not to many of them. The Christian faith universally teaches that there are not two or three gods. No - God is a trinity and God is one. Sabellius was wrong in thinking that God is sometimes the Father and at other times either the Son or the Holy Spirit. No; the Father is never anything other than the Father, the Son is no-one other than the Son, and the Holy Spirit is always the Holy Spirit. This trinity is one God which is why the apostle said, “everything is from him, everything is through him, everything is for him” (Rom 11:36). We believe that Paul was writing about the trinity. And when completed this sentence by saying “to him be the glory” not “to them be glory”.

since I pray to you, Lord, in the morning, you will hear my voice

It may appear that when he had called our to God to hear his petition that he had made a request to be heard immediately. So, why does he now say that God will hear him in the morning? He did not say pay attention to me and I will pray to you. He does not say I pray to you and I will see in the morning when I stand by you. He does not say I stand by you and see. Perhaps the earlier request was the actual call of the prayer, and now he waits in the dark storms in this world; he only understands that he cannot see the result of his petition. He is waiting in hope since “hope that is seen is not hope” (Rom 8:24). However, he understands why he cannot see since the night is not yet over; this is the darkness we receive as the payment for our sin. This is why he says since I pray to you, Lord: we can say in the morning, you will hear my voice because the Lord is so powerful that we can send our petition to him..

The psalmist is saying to God: you are not one who can be seen by those who are still in the dark night of sin, however when this night is over, when my error is past and the darkness has gone, which had been caused by my sins, then, Lord, you will hear my voice.

Why did he say earlier turn your attention and not you will turn your attention? Is this because although the Church had cried out turn your attention yet she was not then heard? Or, perhaps she knew that she had been heard in heaven, but had not yet grasped that she had been heard because she could not yet see the Lord who she is speaking to?, so then she adds in the morning, you will hear my voice. Did she imagine that she will only grasp the fact that she was heard afterwards, when the morning comes?

She reads in an earlier psalm the words “rise up, Lord” (Ps 3:7), which means make me rise up. However, this text refers to the resurrection of Christ, so it is not about us. On the other hand there is another scripture that says “the Lord our God tests you, that he may know if you love him” (Deut 13:3). This passage has a single meaning, that this happens in order that he can know us intimately, and to make it clear to us just how far we have progressed in His love.

in the morning I will stand by you and I will see

He says I will stand which means I will not lie down. To lie down is to take a rest on the earth (ground), that is to seek your happiness in the pleasures of this world. He says I will stand and I will see. If we aim to see God then we cannot rest in this world’s pleasures since he can only be seen by those with a clean heart.

for you are not a God who desires wickedness, neither will an evil person stay beside you, nor will a wicked person live before your eyes. Lord, you hate all who do evil, you will destroy all those who tell lies. The Lord abhors a person who commits bloodshed or deceit

Wickedness, evil, lies, bloody murder, deceit and everything else like these are the night (which has already spoken discussed). When these have passed then the morning dawns and God can be seen. Since you are not a God who desires wickedness the psalmist illustrates why he will stand by God when the morning comes. If God was a god who enjoys wickedness then the wicked could see him, and God would not be seen in the morning when the wickedness of the night is past.

neither will an evil person stay beside you since a person like this cannot see in order to get close to God. It also follows that nor will a wicked person live before your eyes since their eyes - which are the mind - are turned away from the light of truth due to the darkness of their sins. They spend so much of their life indulging in sin that they cannot stand the brightness of knowing the truth. Even some who can see occasionally, who understand what truth is, are unrighteous since they do not love truth, they turn to evil practices and turn themselves away from truth. They carry the night with them through their love for habitually sinning. If their night is to end they must stop sinning and throw away their love for this habitual practice, then morning will dawn for them and they will live in truth.

Lord, you hate all who do evil: this is a parallel to the fact that all sinners hate the truth, for truth hates everyone who hates the truth; this is God’s hatred. The opposite of truth is lies, so the psalmist repeats this as you will destroy all those who tell lies. However, we should never imagine that there is anything real or natural about lies, they are only the opposite of truth, for a lie is merely a statement of what cannot be. A lie does not state any factual reality, for if something is spoken about which is true, then it is real. On the other hand, if someone talks about some unreal false reality, then it is a lie. And so everyone who talks about unreality lies and he will be destroyed for he has turned away from reality towards unreality.

There are lies which are spoken in order to ensure safety or to otherwise benefit others. These have been spoken in kindness and not in order to cause hurt. For example, those the Hebrew midwives said to Pharaoh so as to save the Hebrew babies from death (Ex 1:19). Even here they are praised  for their intentions, not for lying. Those who lie like this will eventually be free from speaking even this kind of lies for there are no ‘perfect’ lies, not even the best example, instead “may your reply be ‘yes’ or ‘no’; anything further comes from the evil one” (Mt5:37). And this was also said for the same reason, “a lying tongue brings death to the soul” (Wis 1:11). So then, take care, don’t imagine that a perfect and spiritual perfect person can lie in order to save a life, for when his mortal body dies his soul does not die, nor does anyone else’s.

However, lying is not the same as not telling the truth. Saying something that is false is different from not saying something which is true. If it is essential that, in order to save someone’s life you say nothing or a partial truth, then you must be ready to hide the truth. This is entirely different from saying something which is not true. By this you can both save another person’s life and also save your own life. This still may be beyond you, if so then only lie where it is essential, but aim to eventually become free even from this. If only these lies remain then the Holy Spirit will give you the strength to face having to suffer gladly for the sake of truth.

In the end, there are two kinds of lies that are not as bad - but these are still bad. First, there are lies told for a laugh. Second, there are those spoken in order to secure a good outcome. The joke carries little harm since it is said without intending to deceive the hearer, as long as they know it is only a joke. The ‘good intention’ lie is less offensive since it is meant to be kind. Of course, to tell the truth, without any two-facedness, can never be a lie. As an example, say someone lends you a very sharp knife then you should return it when you are asked. But if the owner should should demand its return while in a fit of madness then you must not return it. He could go off and kill himself or someone else. Wait until he returns to sanity again, then return the knife. There is no duplicity on your part, for when you agreed to return it on request you could not have imagined that this would happen when the owner would be out of his head. Even the Lord concealed the truth when he spoke to his disciples when they lacked the necessary strength, “There are still more things I want to tell you, but you cannot deal with these yet” (Jn 16:12). The Apostle Paul also said, “however, I cannot yet talk to you as spiritual people, but as people of flesh, as babies in Christ” (1Cor 3:1).

And so it is clear that there are occasions when it is okay not to speak the truth. However, for those who are perfect there is no allowance for telling lies.

The Lord abhors a person who commits bloodshed or deceit

This statement follows after the psalmist ahs said Lord, you hate all who do evil and you will destroy all those who tell lies. These two phrases contain the same idea. The person who commits bloodshed is a person who does evil, and the person who commits deceit is a person who tells lies. It is deceit to tell a lie. Also, to be abhorred is quite literally turned way from; in this case it applies to those who will be disinherited.

but, in the totality of your mercy I will enter into your house

This psalm is written for she who inherits, which is, the Church. We now hear her speaking in exuberant and overwhelming joy. The psalmist speak about the totality of your mercy, which is the total number of those who are blessed and made perfect. They shall live in the new Jerusalem. There appear to be so few of us today despite the Church’s sincere efforts. The total number of people who are blessed and made perfect are the totality of mercy. Can anyone deny this when scripture says, “what is a man that you think about him, or a son of man that you visit him” (Ps 8:4 LXX).

I will enter into your house may mean in the way that a stone is entered into a building since the house of God is the temple of God, as we read, “do you not understand that you are the temple of God and the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Cor 3:16). Christ is the corner stone, the wisdom and the power of God, and the one who shares eternity with the Father.

I will worship at your holy temple, fearing you

In saying at your holy temple he means close to the temple. He does not say in the temple, but  at your holy temple. And so he is nearing perfection but is not yet there. However, when he said I will enter into your house, this shall be perfection. But, first he must worship at your holy temple since he adds fearing you. This fear is a very important defence for us as we advance towards salvation. When we reach salvation, then we will have also reached our destination, as it is written, “perfect love drives out fear” (1Jn 4:18). Once He is your friend you can no longer be afraid of him since has has said, “I have called you friends” (Jn 15:15). This is the promise that we we reach for as we travel safely through.

Lord, lead me by your justice because of my enemies

It is clear as day that the psalmist is heading onwards on his way, making progress towards perfection. But he is not yet perfect so he asks for God’s protection and direction. He also wants to travel by your justice rather than by using human justice, not giving back evil for evil as some people say is right. This is not the justice of the Man who said, “God makes his sun rise on the good and the evil” (Mt 5:45). Even when God punishes sinners he does not do them evil, he merely abandons them to their evil: “he went into labour with evil, he conceived trouble, he gave birth to sin. He started a ditch, dug it out, then fell into the hole. His birth pains fell on his own head” (Ps 7:14-16).

When God punishes he does so as a judge dealing with criminals. He does not himself bring them evil, he simply drives them on down the road they have chosen to travel, and then their misery is complete. Further, should someone do evil, he does so with evil intentions. This is itself evil, even if it is an attempt to get even with evil done to us.

make my road straight in your sight

As he continues on on his journey, who can see him? The way he is taking is not seen like a road through this world. This path goes through the deserts in the heart. He asks God to make the way straight in His sight (literally: before His face). No-one else can see this route, so no-one else can advise the traveller through praise or correction. Others cannot judge your conscience as this is God’s Way that must be walked, alone.

for there is no truth in their mouth

We cannot put our trust in the judgement of others. Instead we must run to God’s presence in our inner conscience.

their heart is useless

The heart is both deceived and punished by sin, so how could their mouth speak the truth? These people are confronted by these words, “why do you love useless things and chase after lies?” (Ps 4:2). 

their throat is an open grave

This could be written about their greed since people will often lie  and use flattery in order to get what they want. The psalmist speaks clearly about an open grave as greed has a gaping mouth - even a grave receives its corpse and is then filled in. The passage may also refer to those who use lies and flattery in order to lure others to them and into sin. They then devour those who join with them in their lifestyle. And what happens then?: they die of their sin. This is why these lying flatterers are compared to graves for they are also dead, having neither life nor truth. They consume the dead, the people they brought to themselves and who they killed by their lying mouths and their useless hearts.

they deceive with their tongue

The psalmist says that their tongues are evil. They use their tongue; since they are evil they have an evil tongue and so they speak evil. The Lord says to them, “since you are evil, how could you speak good” (Mt 12:34).

God, judge them

This is a prophesy, it is not a curse. God does not want this to happen, but he can see that it will. This will not happen because God wants it to, it happens because it is outcome they deserve. This is also why we read later in this psalm and everyone who loves your name shall rejoice in you. This is prophesy since He knows we will rejoice. This is also when the psalmist writes elsewhere, “stir up your power, and come” (Ps 80(79):2).

let them fall by their own scheming

This could be read as a wish that they would fall away from their evil thoughts, and stop their scheming. However, this is immediately followed by drive them out and so cannot support this interpretation. Indeed, there is no way that this line can be interpreted favourably since it is God who drives them away. This must then be a prophesy and not the psalmist wishing bad things to happen. He says that the bad things will happen because they persist in sinning, as has been said earlier.  So, let them fall by their own scheming is to let them fall by their own self-condemning thoughts, “their own conscience bearing witness” (Rom 2:15). As the Apostle also says, “God will judge everyone's thought life” (Rom 2:16).

drive them out because of the totality of their ungodliness

This means: drive them out and send them far, far away, because they are totally ungodly. The ungodly are to be sent far away from the inheritance, which can only be possessed by those who know and see God. Like an infected eye being turned away from the light, a light that brings joy to some but only pain to others who cannot say in the morning I will stand by you and I will see.This is as great a punishment as when it is said, `’but it good to bind myself to God” (Ps 73(72):28) is, in contrast, a great reward. This contrast can also be seen in the two passages, “enter into the joy of your Lord” and “throw him out into the outermost darkness” (Mt 25:21,30).

for, Lord, they have embittered you

He said, “I am the bread of life which came down from heaven” (Jn 6:51) and “don’t work hard to earn food which rots” (Jn 6:27). The psalmist adds, “taste and see that the Lord is sweet” (Ps 34(33):8). However, to those in sin there is a bitter taste to the truth; they hate what comes by the mouth of a person who is speaking truth. These people have made God bitter. They have fallen ill through sinning, so much so that the real food which is delightful to someone with a healthy soul, instead tastes unbearably bitter - bitter as gall.

but may all who hope in you be glad in you

Who? Those who taste and see that the Lord is sweet.

they will be utterly joyful forever, and you will dwell with them

This will be real and endless joy when those called the justified become the temple of God, and He then moves in to live with them.

and everyone who loves your name will glory in you

In much the same way that we do when someone we love and whose company we enjoy is present. And the inheritors, who are the central people of this psalm, have now reached their inheritance in you, that is in God. They are also his inheritance for he shall dwell with them. And what of the rest? They are driven away from the good things by the totality of their ungodliness. 

for you will bless the righteous person

This blessing is to love God and to have him live within us; this is the holiness of the people who have been justified. However, this justification must go with these words: not on their own merit, but by the grace of God, “for everyone has sinned and are short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23) and “those he called, he justified, and those he justified he glorified” (Rom 8:30). For we were not called on merit but by God’s grace.

Lord, you have crowned us, as with a shield of good will

His good will goes before our good will, so he calls us to repentance.  These are the weapons of war that defeat the enemy: “who will bring charges against God’s elect?” (Rom 8:33), and “since God is on our side, who can be against us? He did not hold back his own son but handed him over for all of us” (Rom 8:31-32) and “for since, while we were enemies, Christ died for us. How much more will be saved from wrath by him” (Rom 5:10). This is our unconquerable shield which drives away the enemy, with all the tricks and temptations he uses in order to make us despair of our salvation.

The entire psalm can be summed up as a prayer from her, the Church, to be heard:

unto the end

for she who inherits 

a psalm for David

Lord, hear my words

understand my cry

turn your attention to the sound of my petition

my king and my God

This is followed by a catalogue of those things which get in the way of seeing God, that is, which stop her knowing that she has been heard:

since I pray to you, Lord

in the morning you will hear my voice

in the morning I will stand by you and I will see

for you are not a God who desires wickedness

neither will an evil person stay beside you

nor will a wicked person live before your eyes 

Lord, you hate all who do evil

you will destroy all those who tell lies

the Lord abhors a person who commits bloodshed or deceit

Next she hopes that, now that she will become the house of God, she can begin to draw near to him, albeit in fear, eventually to reach that perfect state which discards all fear:

but, in the totality of your mercy 

I will enter into your house

I will worship at your holy temple, fearing you

She is making progress and going forward, surrounded by the things that she feels are holding her back. She prays for inner help, far from what people can see, and from the evil which people say:

Lord, lead me by your justice because of my enemies

make my road straight in your sight

for there is no truth in their mouth

their heart is useless

they deceive with their tongues

Finally, there is a prophesy that the ungodly will face punishment, since the justified person will barely make it through to be saved. For there will be a reward for the justified person who came when they were called, bore the brunt of the battle, and made it to the end:

God, judge them

let them fall by their own scheming

drive them out because of the totality of their ungodliness

for, Lord, they have embittered you

but may all who hope in you be glad in you

they will be utterly joyful forever

and you will dwell with them

and everyone who loves your name will glory in you

for you will bless the righteous person

Lord, you have crowned us,

as with a shield of good will