Psalm 39

Here is a true “pilgrim song”.  David recognizes that he is a “stranger” or “sojourner” as were the Patriarchs (v12).  It is the pilgrim’s prayer that he would know the shortness of life and make the best use of that life.  

David begins (v1-3) in quietness, not quick to raise his request to the Lord.  The ultimate request is in v13, that God would remove His “gaze”.  He refers to the Lord’s rebuke or chastening.  Perhaps we might think of Psalm 38 when David was in severe physical pain and agony because of his sin and guilt.  David realizes that the current “plague” (v10) is from God; it is “the blow of Your hand”.  But he is slow to ask God to remove the plague because he wants to be sure that he has learned God’s lesson before moving on.

What is the lesson to learn?  It is the request of vs.4-6.  He longs to have an accurate perspective.  Note: we said an ACCURATE perspective.  We don’t need to be morbid about our existence but we must be truthful.  We need to live our lives in the reality that we will soon die.  We are frail.  Our lives are as handbreadths (a small measurement, the width of a hand, typically 3-4 inches) and a vapor that quickly vanishes.  We are a mere shadow of existence.  We need to understand this and live in light of this reality.

Associated with that truth is the need to use this short life in a way that pleases our God.  How tragic to “busy (ourselves) in vain” (v6, where the literal reading is make an uproar for nothing) which is the case if our lives are simply designed to heap up.  Notice that in the NKJV the word “riches” is in italics meaning it is not in the original.  David’s concern is the heaping up of anything that is temporal: riches, honor among men, accomplishments and so forth.  If this is the goal of life it is clearly shortsighted.  Peter made this very point, that a life that is not growing in the knowledge of Christ and bearing fruit in that knowledge is one that is “shortsighted, even to blindness” (2 Peter 1:5-11).  

Thus we see that David was not quick to ask God to remove his problem and pain.  He first wants to know that his “hope is in You” (v7).  Discipline needs to do its work of setting our focus more on the Eternal One.  He wants his life to honor God and not to be characterized by foolishness (v8).  Greater than affliction itself is the tragedy of enduring affliction and not learning the pilgrim perspective.  May we be encouraged with this truth.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart.  Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Cor. 4:16-18)