Faithful Steward Ministries and FSM Women's Outreach

CONTEXT

To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David.

Nehiloth: this is no where else used in Scripture. It is generally and probably thought to be a term belonging to music, and to signify either some kind of tune, or rather an instrument, and particularly a wind-instrument, as Neginoth in the title of the last Psalm signified stringed instruments.
This Psalm supposeth David to be in some great distress or trouble, either from Saul, or from Absalom, or some of their courtiers.

David earnestly beseecheth God to hear his prayer, 1–3; and assureth himself of God’s justice against his enemies, 4–6. Professing his faith in God, 7, he prayeth him to guide his goings, 8. He exclaims against his enemies’ cruelty, 9; and prayeth God to destroy them, 10, but to preserve the godly, 11, 12.

Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, vol. 2 (New York: Robert Carter and Brothers, 1853), 6.

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4–6. How beautiful and appropriate are all the things here said, if read with an eye to the great Redeemer, as putting up the several pleas, because of those evils he came to destroy. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and therefore he was very sure of a glorious issue to his own righteous cause. Reader! do not fail to connect with this view of thy glorious Surety, the certain interest that his church hath in all that is said of him. If Jehovah hath no pleasure in iniquity, what pleasure must he have in him that hath taken it away? And if Jesus be so precious as the head, must not the church which is his body be also precious in him? Oh! thou Holy One of God! cause me to be for ever fixing my eyes, my whole soul with unceasing rapture upon thee, as the Lord our righteousness.

Robert Hawker, Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: Job–Psalms, vol. 4 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2013), 175–176.

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5:4–6 No Rest for the Wicked

THE LORD IS A GOD OF FAITH AND GRACE. MARTIN LUTHER: God is not a respecter of persons. It is as if he were saying, “My salvation is in faith and grace, and not in the law or physical descent.” Otherwise God would be unjust if he were to receive all who are children of Abraham according to the flesh and his heirs, even though many among them are ungodly and evil. Therefore, to choose and receive them thus without distinction would be a manifest injustice. But now the Lord “comes to judge the earth,” and he rules in judgment, because he receives neither according to the flesh nor according to the person. Instead “whoever believes will be saved.” FIRST PSALMS LECTURES (1513–1515).

GOD USES THE WICKED BUT DOES NOT AUTHORIZE THEIR WICKEDNESS. JOHN CALVIN: Again, we may infer from this passage the common doctrine, that although he works by Satan and by the unbelievers and makes use of their malice for executing his judgments, God is not, on this account, the author of sin, nor is he pleased with it because the end which he purposes is always righteous. And he justly condemns and punishes those who, by his hidden providence, are driven just as he pleases. COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

GOD IS NOT NEUTRAL. TILEMANN HESSHUS: Above all God hates untroubled people’s impiety. Their impiety destroys all religion and is the root of all wickedness. Because God in his Word so stringently demands that we fear him, it is impossible that however much the impious glorify him, God would stand on the side of the impious. Truly God is not neutral in the battles of the church; therefore, he stands on the side of the pious, however much they may seem to be deserted. COMMENTARY ON PSALM 5.

BAPTISM APART FROM WORKS IS NOT ENOUGH. MARTIN LUTHER: In saying, “All who work iniquity,” and “You will destroy all,” he is using that expression to strike those who with foolish confidence think that they are saved because they are numbered with the people of God, are baptized and believing, and without works. So there are some who say, “Because there are so many heathen who will perish, we must hope that few Christians will perish,” as if Christians must necessarily be saved because the heathen perish. But here he says all, without any exception whatever. The Lord makes the same point: “Do you think that only these above others were sinners in Jerusalem, because they suffered this? Truly, I say to you, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” For on the Day of Judgment he will say to those who have this kind of confidence: “Depart from me, all you workers of evil,” namely, whoever they were. The same is said in Romans 11. FIRST PSALMS LECTURES (1513–1515).

Herman J. Selderhuis, Timothy George, et al., eds., Psalms 1–72: Old Testament, vol. VII, Reformation Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2015), 47–48.

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DEVOTIONAL

Sure Hope for Deliverance

For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. Psalm 5:4–6
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Daniel 6

Here David makes the malice and wickedness of his enemies an argument to enforce his prayer for divine favor. The language is abrupt, but the stammering of the saints is more acceptable to God than rhetoric, be it ever so fine and glittering. David’s objective here is to show that the cruelty and treachery of his enemies is so intense that it is impossible for it to continue. God must arrest them in their course.

His reasoning is grounded upon the nature of God. Since righteousness and upright dealings are pleasing to God, David concludes that God will eventually take vengeance on men who persist in wickedness. How is it possible for them to escape unpunished, seeing that God is the judge of the world?

This passage is worthy of special attention. Often we are greatly discouraged by the unbounded insolence of the wicked. If God does not immediately restrain this wickedness, we are stupefied and dismayed or cast down into despair. But David finds encouragement and confidence in such circumstances. The more his enemies proceed against him in lawlessness, the more earnestly he asks for help from God, whose official work it is to destroy the wicked because he hates all wickedness.

Let the godly, therefore, learn when they suffer violence, deceit, and injustice, to come to God so they may be encouraged by the certain hope of his deliverance.

FOR MEDITATION: God will judge the wicked. They will not prosper. Those truths are so simple yet so hard for us to believe. Do not let the prosperity of the wicked create doubt in your heart; rather, let it encourage you in the certain hope of deliverance.

John Calvin and Joel R. Beeke, 365 Days with Calvin (Leominster; Grand Rapids, MI: Day One Publications; Reformation Heritage Books, 2008), 47.