David Confronts Death


Psalm 39
To the choirmaster: to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
1I said, “I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence.”
2I was mute and silent; I held my peace to no avail, and my distress grew worse.
3My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:
4“O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!
5Behold, You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before You. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
6Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!
7“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.
8Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool!
9I am mute; I do not open my mouth, for it is You who have done it.
10Remove Your stroke from me; I am spent by the hostility of Your hand.
11When You discipline a man with rebukes for sin, You consume like a moth what is dear to him; surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah
12“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not Your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with You, a guest, like all my fathers.
13Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!”

This is an interesting psalm. We find David musing over his own death and discussing it with the Lord. The speculation is that he probably wrote this psalm toward the end of his life but in reality it could have been at almost any time for he faced death on a fairly regular basis as he ran from Saul and later dealt with his enemies as the king.

My imagination was instantly captured by the first few verses as David discusses holding his tongue. I concur with David. When the words spring to mind it is so wonderful to let them fly and holding them in can indeed cause our hearts to burn. But it is okay to have an unspoken thought; especially when that thought might incite an argument or a struggle. Instead, David does the better thing. He shares his words with the Lord. There is never anything we should withhold from God. He can take it all. And He will not turn on us nor make us pay for those ill-chosen words.

David actually asks God to reveal the end of his days. That’s a bold request and one that God will not grant. But he asks it anyway. He wants to spend his time wisely and we cannot fault him for that. Knowing that God will not tell him when will be the time of his death, he petitions the Lord for forgiveness, release from his enemies, and peace with God. Then he can face his death whenever that might arrive.

This is a tough psalm. But I think that sometimes we should spend a moment thinking about the more difficult aspects of life; death probably being the toughest. What we cannot do is dwell on it for then the joy of today is stolen. David turns these thoughts over to God and that is exactly where they belong.

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