Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

PSALM 6: DO NOT REBUKE ME IN YOUR ANGER The Power of Tears

This psalm begins with strong petitions, passes through a moment of despair and weeping, and ends with total confidence that the Lord hears and answers our prayers. As a worshiper David reasons that death would end his ability to praise God and pleads for more time to live his life for the Lord’s glory. Jesus is foreshadowed as the one who shed strong tears on behalf of our salvation. The three sections are:

I SAVE ME - The Compassion of God - 1-5 II SOBBING - Crying Before God- 6,7 III TURN BACK IN SHAME - Confirming Our Faith - 8-10

INTRODUCTION:

“ For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by an eight-stringed instrument. (…with stringed instruments; according to the sheminith.)

”Many of the meanings of the words in the psalm introductions have been lost to history. Hebrew is an ancient language and the word ‘sheminith’ just didn’t survive the centuries in a clear translation. The best understanding of this direction is ‘a psalm to be played upon the stringed instruments.’ That would put it under the direction of Jeduthan, the director of the singers who played upon stringed in- struments: “ Jeduthan had six sons…who proclaimed God’s messages to the accompaniment of the harp, offering thanks and praise to the Lord.”(1 Chronicles 25:3) The sheminith refers to the lower oc- tave instruments similar to the cello and string bass 1 . Imagine this somber plea being sung to the low sounding string section of the orchestra, the power of its petitions being carried to the throne upon the deep vibrations of the bass instruments!

I SAVE ME - The Compassion of God- 1-5

1. “ O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger…

2. “ …or discipline me in your rage.”(1)

David has done something that has aroused the anger and rage of the Lord. We do not know the occasion of this psalm, but it is a situation we all can identify with and echo his prayer. Rebuke me, but not angrily; discipline me but not with rage. It also teaches us to administer rebuke and discipline with compassion and reasonableness. “ My child, don’t ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don’t be discouraged when he corrects you. For the lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children… (Heb. 12:5) Jesus now stands before the throne on our behalf and he has taken the wrath and anger of God upon himself. While we do receive discipline and needed correction, we will never suffer the rage that God poured out upon his sacrificial son on the cross. This thought brings peace to our relationship with God. 3. “ Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak. ” God looks upon us not with anger and rage but with very tender mercy. Our sins have merited and earned his judgment but because of Jesus we now have forgiveness and compassion extended to us. “ For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his son while we were still his ene- mies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life.” (Romans 5:10 4. “Heal me, Lord, for my body is in agony.” (2) David was looking forward to the New Covenant where healing of the soul and body was an inte- gral part of the Messiah’s ministry. Today we pray from the ‘other side of the cross’, looking back to what Jesus provided through his life, his suffering and his triumph. “ …and he healed all the sick. This fulfilled

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