Psalm 5:1-12 NKJV
To the Chief Musician. With flutes. A Psalm of David.
5 Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
2 Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.
9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;
Their inward part is destruction;
Their throat is an open tomb;
They flatter with their tongue.
10 Pronounce them guilty, O God!
Let them fall by their own counsels;
Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
For they have rebelled against You.
11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
Psalm 5 is a heartfelt prayer, a cry to the Lord from a soul deeply troubled by the presence of false teachers and divisive spirits. Martin Luther, in his “Summaries of the Psalms” (1531), offers a profound interpretation of this psalm. He identifies it as a strong denunciation of false teachings and malicious actions that masquerade under the guise of godliness, causing significant harm to the pure word of God and the true worship of God.
Luther asserts that Psalm 5 is a prayer for the righteous, that is, for the preservation and purity of God’s word and worship. The psalmist pleads with God to protect His name and His truth from being defiled by deceit and corruption. This psalm also holds a promise: such prayers will be heard, and those who propagate falsehoods will face condemnation.
For Confessional Lutherans, Psalm 5 is a call to vigilance and faithfulness in upholding the sanctity of God’s word and worship. It reminds us of our responsibility to honor the second and third commandments, which direct us to keep God’s name and word holy. Moreover, it echoes the first and second petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, where we ask that God’s name be hallowed and His kingdom come.
In our daily lives, we turn to God with the same earnestness as the psalmist, seeking His guidance and protection against the influences that threaten our faith. We can take comfort in the assurance that God hears our prayers and will shield us with His favor. As we strive to maintain the purity of our worship and doctrine, we can rejoice in the knowledge that God is our defender, and His blessings will surround the righteous like a shield. Let us pray: O Lord, let your merciful ears be open to the prayers of your humble servants. Teach us to ask for what pleases you, that we may receive what we ask for; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.