Thoughts On Psalm 70

In the title of the psalm, why does it say, “A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance” when the entire psalm is written in the present tense? When you remember something, aren’t you recalling something from the past? There is not really anything here that you would expect from a writing to bring to remembrance, such as a recollection of God’s past goodness, acts, works of healing or deliverance, etc. We don’t see David listing a litany of things God has done for him (though he certainly isn’t shy about doing so many times in other psalms). So why would David pray something in the present tense when it says that he is writing this to bring to remembrance? It could be that he is writing it down for posterity, to bring to his remembrance in the future. After all, this is a prayer of desperation for God to deliver and help him- the word “haste” is used twice in verse 1 and once in verse 5 (the last verse of the psalm.) “Haste” as defined by the Oxford Dictionary is: “excessive speed or urgency of movement or action; hurry.” In modern language, we would say, “Please hurry God.” It should be noted that it is biblical to ask God to hurry (haste appears over 20 times in the Psalms alone.)

Another possible way to explain why this is a psalm to bring to remembrance is the striking similarity between the 5 verses of this Psalm and the last 5 verses of Psalm 40 (verses 13- 17):

Psalm 70: Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord. Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt. Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help, and my deliverer; O Lord, make no tarrying.

Psalm 40: 13-17: Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me. Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified. But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help, and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

David is praying a prayer he has essentially used before. I think it is easy to forget that the Psalms are prayers, as well as poetry and songs of praise. We can overlook the fact that God heard these prayers and answered them in favor of the beauty of their poetry and the comfort they bring to us in times of distress. As some have said, the Psalter is the Bible’s hymnbook. But we need to remember that David and the other psalmists lived and breathed these words. David spent much of his life in troubles, persecutions, and afflictions. These aren’t just beautiful well-written words for the sake of writing. I can see David praying Psalm 70 one of two ways, since it is a prayer of desperation: Either reverently screaming at the top of his lungs (or at least with a loud voice) or whispering it. I don’t know about other people, but when I am desperate, I rarely keep a civil tone or speak in monotone. I think we should be able to pour out our hearts before the Lord but must remember to whom we are speaking, and not to allow our frustrations, doubts, fears, desperation, etc., rob us of a reverence for God. After all, He is always in control, knows everything, can do anything, and promised to be faithful to do what His word says.

Verse 17 in Psalm 40 was one that I read many times years ago during a prior affliction (and season of correction, though I didn’t know it.) Verse 5 in Psalm 70 is similar to Psalm 40:17. How comforting is it to meditate on the fact that God thinks upon me, even when I am poor and needy. As an American, I don’t fully grasp what it is to have a king or have a king to think upon me. But I would assume that a king rarely thinks upon the poor and needy (unless he is a righteous, compassionate king who isn’t selfish- how many earthly kings think the world only revolves around them and they live in self-absorption and only for their pleasure.) Yet here is the greatest king, the one true God, who has it all, deserves all praise, is perfect, good, holy, so high that He has to humble Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and upon earth (Psalm 113) and yet He thinks upon me. When I am frustrated and leaning toward complaining and tired of waiting on God, it is easy to forget that it is an amazing thing that God thinks upon me even once, let alone innumerable times a day (Psalm 139). Likewise, it is easy to neglect or not appreciate that I am allowed to approach Him even once and talk to Him, let alone pour out my heart before Him without fear as the grace and blood of His Son covers me.

I find it very interesting that David prays for God to hasten to help him and to make no tarrying. According to Merriam-Webster, “to tarry” can mean: 1a) to delay or be tardy in acting or doing; 1b) to linger in expectation (such as to wait); 2) to abide or stay in or at a place. David uses all 3 of these definitions in his prayer: Make haste, O God, to deliver me (in other words, don’t delay or be tardy in acting or doing, don’t wait to help me (verse 1); make haste unto me, O God (in other words, hurry to come unto me) (verse 5).

He is desperate for God to move, specifically to shame and confound his enemies that seek after his soul and desire his hurt (verse 2). He asks God to turn back those that laugh at him, for a “reward of their shame.” This is an interesting phrase, especially in light of the verse where he asks God to let his enemies be ashamed. Now in verse 3, he says that those who mock and laugh at him (those that say, “Aha, aha) are being shameful by laughing at him. Let’s contrast the focuses of the people David speaks of in verses 2-3 and verse 4. Those in verses 2 and 3 focus on seeking David’s soul (to hurt him,) they desire his hurt and find delight in being surprised when he is hurt (indicated by when they say, “Aha, aha”.) This is why David prays that they will be turned back for a reward of their shame. God is not pleased when we delight in or seek the hurt of others. Remember when David could have killed Saul twice but didn’t? He didn’t want to harm the man whom God had anointed to be king. David didn’t delight in seeking revenge or even get revenge when he could have. In verse 4, David describes the focus of those faithful to God: they seek God, not the hurt of others- he prays that all those that seek God would rejoice and be glad in Him. The faithful love God’s salvation and say continually, “Let God be magnified.” They don’t magnify themselves against other people by delighting in other people’s hurt and distress. Their delight is in God’s salvation and magnifying God. Which of these people will be ashamed? David said in Psalm 34, verse 5: “They looked unto him [God], and were lightened, and their faces were not ashamed.”

O Lord, help me to seek You and be glad in You no matter my circumstances. Indeed, make haste to help me and heal me but help me to love Your salvation and say continually, Let God be magnified. In Jesus Name I ask and thank You. Amen.