Psalm 6: How Long?

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to the Sheminith.

A Psalm of David.

O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath.

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled.

But you, O Lord - how long?

Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;
save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
For in death there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who will give you praise?

I am weary with my moaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
My eye wastes away because of grief;
it grows weak because of all my foes.

Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
The Lord has heard my plea;
the Lord accepts my prayer.

All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

Psalms 6:1-10 (ESV)

What Do You Think?

David speaks of "enemies" as if they were people. How might "enemies" refer to things other than human?

Can you share with the others a time when you were emotionally crushed and physically wasting away? Looking back, how was God a part of, or perhaps even the cause of, your painful experience?

This psalm seems to include hints to all the grand themes of God's Plan of Redemption: human sin and divine anger, repentance and worship, hope and salvation. Compare this psalm with verses from the New Testament that tell the gospel. Which elements of salvation can you find in both passages?

What is David's belief regarding death, and how is his belief the same, or different, than your belief?

David prays as if he were guilty of sin, and he pleads for God's mercy as if it were something he did not deserve. Yet he makes no mention of offering a sacrifice. On what basis does David expect deliverance from God's wrath? In your experience, has God forgiven you of sin based only upon your asking for forgiveness?

Digging Deeper

THE SHEMINITH: sheminit "shem-ee-NEETH" (probably an eight-stringed lyre); from shemini (eight)

LANGUISHING: umlal "oom-LAL" (sick); from amal (to droop, to be sick, to mourn)

SHEOL: sheol "sheh-OLE" (hades or the world of the dead, as if a subterranean retreat); from shaal (to inquire, to request or demand)

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