Old Testament Commentary - Psalms 142

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 142 David prays for preservation from his persecutors.
Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave.
1 I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication^a. 2 I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble^a. Prayer: The Soul's Sincere Desire Our Father who is in Heaven would have us pray and converse with Him concerning all that truely is of concern to us. He is such the loving parent that he desires to hear of our concerns and the events and circumstances in our lives just as any such loving parent is desireous to hear of what is happening in the lives of his children. Especially is he concerned with those areas wherein we are having difficulties. Only when these matters are brought to him from the sincere desires of our own hearts can and will He then be enable to respond to them in our behalf. So important is the matter of prayer. It is that link of communication between a parent and his child. That link is requesite upon us to establish, that our father might come to know and understand just what is upon our minds in conversation between he and us. We are to learn to speak to him not only daily but we are taught to pray always. That is to always have that link of communication open between us and Him.	1^a unto the LORD did I make my supplication We are to bring all that is of real concern unto us and lay it before the LORD. Only by bringing it unto the LORD in such an 'official' manner as by a prayer of supplication unto him is he so 'obligated' to consider the matter and to answer that apeal unto him concerning it. No matter how great the matter is in our lives, without that course of coming unto him and presenting it to him, there had been no communication with God concerning it. And God, though aware of all things, has then had no such requested of him for his help in our behalf. And without that specific request the laws and order of heaven is such that the Lord is not then either able or obligated to respond to our destress and circumstance. 2^a I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble How often when we have had a problem which we set before the LORD in prayer that we all too quickly state it in a manner which presumes that he knows all about it from just our own brief sentence of reference regarding it? Of course the LORD does know all about it and more so than we ourselves understand it. But in our communication with God we are expected to fully delineate before him the entire matter. As we do so, it forces us to completely review and consider the matter ourselves. Within that detailed rehersal of the matter often is to be found many of the answers concerning it rather than just quickly in one short sentence so abreviatedly stating it. It tends to lay the whole of the matter before both the LORD and oneself. When one has so fully reviewd through the matter that the whole of it is fresh within one's own mind, then the LORD is more able to so inspire the mind just what and where in such solutions and answers regarding it may be found. If something is of so little interest to us that we skim past it in a digested condensation of just a few words, then what does that represent unto the LORD of the degree of concern you really are perplexed by the matter? If it does not mean that much to you to fully state the matter before the LORD, then why should the LORD take any real length of time to aid in obtaining a solution to it for us?
3 When my spirit was ^aoverwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a ^bsnare for me. 4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man ^acared for my soul.
5 I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. 6 Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. 7 Bring my ^asoul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.