Psalm 6 Devotional Bible Study by Steve Wilson

Psalm 6

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith.^[b] A psalm of David.

¹ Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your wrath.
² Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;
    heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
³ My soul is in deep anguish.
    How long, Lord, how long?

 

⁴ Turn, Lord, and deliver me;
    save me because of your unfailing love.
⁵ Among the dead no one proclaims your name.
    Who praises you from the grave?

 

⁶ I am worn out from my groaning.

 

All night long I flood my bed with weeping
    and drench my couch with tears.
⁷ My eyes grow weak with sorrow;
    they fail because of all my foes.

 

⁸ Away from me, all you who do evil,
    for the Lord has heard my weeping.
⁹ The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;
    the Lord accepts my prayer.
¹⁰ All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;
    they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

 

Footnotes

1. Psalm 6:1 In Hebrew texts 6:1-10 is numbered 6:2-11.
2. Psalm 6:1 Title: Probably a musical term

 

 

At the beginning of this psalm, David asks the Lord not to rebuke him in His anger or discipline him in His wrath. What have you done recently that deserves God’s rebuke and discipline?

 

 

David felt so much sorrow over his sin that he was faint, and his bones hurt. His soul was in deep anguish. Have you repented so deeply? Have you felt so much sorrow over your sin?

 

 

But rather than expecting God’s anger and wrath, David asks the Lord to heal him, deliver him, save him – all out of God’s love for him. David counts on the Lord’s mercy and unfailing love! As you repent of any sins the Lord has brought to mind, ask the Spirit to remind you of God’s love. It’s unfailing! He’s merciful to you.

 

 

Why does David ask to be saved? Because no one praises God from the grave. Though David sometimes spoke prophetically, he was living before the resurrection of Christ. He didn’t know God would one day defeat death for us. He didn’t know about an “afterlife.” In David’s mind, he had only this mortal life. David wanted to continue singing the Lord’s praises, and to do that, he had to keep living. Knowing that the Lord has been merciful to you, is the motivation of your life to praise Him?

 

 

After David speaks about his repentance, he reveals another concern: Enemies are coming against him. David had sinned, and the consequence was people punishing him. The Lord often used other nations to punish Israel and put pressure on them to make them turn back and cry out to Him for help. Like David in this psalm, when Israel did repent of their sin and cry out to God, He always delivered them from their enemies. Are you feeling strife with anyone right now? How would your own repentance in some area alleviate that strife?

 

 

David begins this psalm “in deep anguish” and “worn out from groaning,” but he ends in the assurance of faith. With David, I invite you to affirm:

 

“The Lord has heard my weeping.
The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;
the Lord accepts my prayer.”