Psalm 13 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
Verse 1 How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
King David begins this Psalm indicating that he is feeling estranged from the LORD, so much so that he wonders if the LORD will ever be back in his life. He does not indicate what was happening to him at the time of this writing for him to feel so alienated from the One with whom he had been walking during most his life and during times of tribulation. Guesses abound such as perhaps this was a time he was being pursued by King Saul. Let it be clearly stated that nobody knows what the circumstances were in David’s life or why David penned this particular Psalm.
Application: All Christian believers go through times when they feel the LORD is not hearing their prayers or that He is no longer with them. These times have often been referred to as “dry times”. Jesus promised to never leave or forsake His people and so if the Christian feels like King David did in the above verse, it can be guaranteed that the LORD is still there but the believer is the one who has moved away for a time. Taking time to pray and read the Word will restore that feeling of fellowship and restore the sweet presence and peace that comes with communicating with the Creator of this world.
Verse 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
King David’s problem is revealed here in that he is listening to his soul – his mind and will and emotions – and not standing on the promises of the LORD. He feels that his enemies are winning and he is losing the battle.
Application: The soul must be totally in line with the will and with the Word of God for it to be a trusted guide in times of trouble or in any times for that matter. The mind can present false ideas and needless worries, the will can cause actions to be taken that should not be taken, and the emotions can color reality and cause mistakes to be made. If these aspects of the soul are not aligned with the character and the commandments of Jesus Christ, with His will and with His wisdom, the Christian believer will fail and will feel like the LORD is far away.
Verses 3-4 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
In King David’s time, if the enemy prevailed it usually meant that the opposition was physically dead, so if David lost the battle to his enemies, he faced certain death. Here he is begging the LORD to prevent his enemies from prevailing over him and then having the opportunity to gloat. He also realized that the LORD would not be glorified if these enemies succeeded, and he knew that the LORD had chosen him to lead the people of Israel in godly governance.
Verses 5-6 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. 6 I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
After bringing his thoughts and feeling to the LORD in prayer and then in this Psalm, King David ends by asserting that his trust has been and will continue to be in the LORD who has saved him and who has blessed him and who will have mercy on him. Apparently he no longer feels that there is a distance between himself and the LORD and he ends the Psalm praising the LORD in song.