Psalm 17: David’s Defense
"'Hear a just cause, O Lord, attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips." (Psalm 17:1) The Arabic calls it "A prayer of a perfect man, of Christ Himself, or of any one redeemed by Him.”
David prays to Jehovah: “‘Hear a just cause.’ My primary mission in life is to glorify You. “The primary reference is to David, as the representative of all believers. These, though claiming no justifying righteousness, except that of Messiah, yet can appeal to the Heart-Searcher to test their sincerity of aim. This personal righteousness consists in a life mainly striving after holiness (1 John 3:6; 1 John 3:9-10), though deeply conscious of sinfulness cleaving to it (Psalms 19:13; 143:2; 1 John 1:8). It springs out of a sense of pardoned sin, which pre-supposes the renouncing of self-righteousness. Righteousness of life is the offspring of righteousness of faith. Without this sincere aim after righteousness, prayer will not be accepted (Psalms 66:18; John 9:31; Job 27:8-9); with it, prayer obtains all it asks (1 John 3:22).” (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown)
“’Give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.’ My supplication is sincere: and the desire of my heart accompanies the words of my lips.” (Adam Clarke) "Compare John 1:47-48, concerning Nathanael... under the fig tree, ‘without guile;’ (Ps 32:1-2)” (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown) Consider the 144,000 at the end of time. "These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God." (Rev 14:4-5) In contrast, the enemies of God "pray from 'lips of deceit'"
2 Let my vindication come from Your presence; let Your eyes look on the things that are upright. 3 You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. 4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. 5 Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip. 6 I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. 7 Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them. 8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings, 9 from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me.
“‘Let my sentence’ — Hebrew, משׁפשׂי, mishpati, my judgment, that is, judgment in my cause, or on my behalf: ‘come forth from Thy presence’ — From Thee, and from Thy tribunal, to which I bring my cause. Do not suspend or delay it, but speedily examine my cause, and give sentence in it. ‘Behold the things that are equal’ — Or right: for though I need and desire Thy mercy and favour in many other respects, yet I beg only the interposition of Thy justice in this cause between me and them.” (Coke)
I know from the forgiveness of my sins that You will find nothing. Yet: “Not David, but Christ alone could truly say, ‘Thou hast proved my heart; Thou hast visited me in the night; Thou hast tried me. Thou findest nothing.’ By the Word of God He had walked and was kept from the paths of the destroyer.” (Arno Gaebelein) But upon enlisting in His cause it can be pleaded by His children, who once new nothing of Him— but now have a new song as the last two stanzas of the old hymn so perfectly describe:
“Jehovah Tsidkenu! my treasure and boast, Jehovah Tsidkenu! I ne’er can be lost; In Thee I shall conquer by flood and by field, My Cable, my Anchor, my Breast-plate and Shield!
Even treading the valley, the shadow of death, This watchword shall rally my faltering breath; For while from life’s fever my God sets me free,Jehovah Tsidkenu, my death song shall be.” (Robert M. McCheyne)
“’Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip.’
As by Thy Word and grace Thou hast hitherto kept me from the paths of evil men, and led me into Thy paths; so, I pray thee, enable me by the same means to persevere in Thy ways, and in mine abhorrency of wicked courses, that I may not fall into that sin of revenging myself upon my enemies, to which I may be more and more tempted; nor into any other sin, whereby Thou mayst be provoked, or men may be offended, and religion disgraced.” (Matthew Poole)
“I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,”— even Jesus Christ Your only begotten Son— ‘O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them’ —->
“Keep me as the apple of Your eye;’— Hebrew. ‘As the black of the apple of the eye,’… The apple of the eye, that little man in the eye…, is the tenderest piece of the tenderest part, the eye; which is kept most diligently, and strongly guarded by nature with tunicles. David therefore fitly prayeth to be so kept.” (John Trapp)
"'Hide me under the shadow of thy wing'— Another excellent similitude taken from fowls, which either cover their young with their wings from the scorching heat of the sunbeams, as doth the eagle; or keep them thereby from the cold, or from the kite, as hens do. God’s love to and care of his poor people is hereby shadowed out; as it was likewise by the outspread wings of the cherubims in the sanctuary…— ‘from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me.” (John Trapp)
10 They have closed up their fat hearts; with their mouths they speak proudly. 11 They have now surrounded us in our steps; they have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth, 12 as a lion is eager to tear his prey, and like a young lion lurking in secret places. 13 Arise, O Lord, confront him, cast him down; deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword, 14 with Your hand from men, O Lord, from men of the world who have their portion in this life, and whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children, and leave the rest of their possession for their babes. 15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.
David’s portion, as the Levite's, was Jehovah his God. “‘As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.’ This is language which would be employed only by one who believed in the resurrection of the dead, and who was accustomed to speak of death as a ‘sleep’ - a calm repose in the hope of awaking to a new life… He sought repose from those troubles [noted above]; he looked for consolation when surrounded by bitter and unrelenting enemies. He was oppressed and crushed with these many sorrows… The obvious interpretation of the passage, therefore, so far as its sense can be determined from the connection, is to refer it to the awaking in the morning of the resurrection; and there is nothing in the language itself, or in the known sentiments of the psalmist, to forbid this interpretation. The word rendered ‘awake’ - קוץ qûts - used only in Hiphil, ‘means to awake;’ to awake from sleep, Psalm 3:5; Psalm 139:18; or from death, 2 Kings 4:31; Jeremiah 51:39; Isaiah 26:19; Job 14:12; Daniel 12:2.— ‘with thy likeness’— Or, in Thy likeness; that is, resembling Thee.” (Albert Barnes)
David knew that the time of His Coming was future, as John did. Thus in essence, he said: “Now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2-23)