This is one of the penitential psalms in which David remembers his sin and suffers the mental, physical, and spiritual effects of sin. Repentance for sin and pleas for mercy following grievous sin is certainly in order for any child of God, not just David. In this psalm, he makes specific appeals to the Lord for mercy. He knew he deserved punishment, but he asked the Lord for some relief from the discipline he was undergoing by showing mercy to a guilty man.
If we are honest, we all know we deserve punishment when we sin. Even when our guilt and shame overwhelm us, we can be thankful that when we “confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and the blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son cleanseth us from all sin.” Our God is a God of mercy.
There are vivid descriptions of the suffering sin causes in the first section of the psalm. Personal pain, sorrow, and remorse are so real that his physical sickness is real. He was enduring the deep distress the rebuke and chastening of the Lord brought, which were like arrows into his soul. God’s strong, correcting hand was upon him, and he experienced real conviction of sin. It was so real to him that he was physically sick because of the burden of guilt and the mental anguish it caused.
Turmoil in one’s heart and soul indicates that a deep spiritual need is recognized. When we are willing to face that, there is hope for us if and when we turn to the Lord for His mercy. Our human person is composed of body, soul, and spirit, and each part of our tri-part being affects the others. When we are worried, we find it hard to sleep. When we don’t sleep, our bodies cannot function properly the next day. When our body doesn’t function well, and our mind is tired, we don’t find it easy to pray or get anything out of the scriptures to feed our souls. Sin exacerbates the soul's suffering to the extent that, like David, we plead for relief from the consequences our actions justly demand.
Another reason for David’s plea for relief was the suffering of persecution he was experiencing from those he knew and even from his loved ones. Sin leads not only to health problems but to loneliness and separation from other people. His loved ones were keeping their distance from him. He was open and honest before the Lord and did not try to cover up “my sin… my iniquities… my foolishness.” Conviction of sin, physical suffering, mental anguish, and soul trouble go together, and people we know are afraid to get too close to one going through times of trouble like that. There is no question that David was totally convicted of sin. When we allow such things to happen, we must remember that consequences will always follow.
Much of the suffering in this psalm can be applied to the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ when He was on the cross suffering for our sins. In these verses, we can see how far away we were from God and the sufferings He had to endure on our behalf because of our sins. His troubles for us were without measure. His sickness was for our griefs and our sorrows. His abandonment by his lover and father was infinite when, during the dark hours, the flames of hell got hold of Him.
God knows our hearts, and when the light of life is not there, “How great is that darkness.” When the light of life is missing, the vitality of living is gone. Friends and family find it their choice to be far away from us when, in our guilt and need, we need them. With the wisdom of faith, David kept silent and did not respond to the unfair attacks of those he had befriended. When that happens to us, we need to take our burdens to the Lord and leave them there rather than try to justify actions that cannot be justified or deal with problem issues we cannot solve.
From verse fifteen, David plainly states that his only hope of deliverance is in God alone. Again, in a plea from his heart and with an attitude of penitential remorse, he calls on the Lord. He knew why he was suffering and admitted to his guilt. He had no fight left in him. He was done – totally defeated. His confession and brokenness were real. He knew God was just in His chastening of him. However, he did not think the wicked attacking him had any reason for their maliciousness against him, who had shown kindness to them. Their hatred was without cause.
He knew his only hope was in God because he was totally weak in himself. In his character, willpower, and resolve to take constructive action, he was totally dependent on the Lord to do what he could not do for himself. His sorrow for sin and the anguish of the soul he was experiencing left him with no hope except that which God could give. His righteousness of life was well-known before he fell into sin, so by doing what he knew was wrong, he provided an opportunity to be condemned by those who hated him. The whole experience was so debilitating that he felt death was near.
Thankfully, we know that when we confess our sins, God promises to forgive us, but there may be consequences that we can do nothing about and that we cannot avoid or undo. Like David, it is often best to be silent under malicious intent. It is hard to do that because we want to protect our reputation. It doesn’t take long to lose our reputation, but it is very hard and takes a long time to regain what is lost. In fact, we may never regain what we lose in one foolish act. It is difficult to do nothing when we are being assaulted, so we are best to be silent and leave some of these things in God’s hands.
The psalm ends with a final appeal for help from the Lord, who alone is “my salvation.” He is not looking to try to save himself or any other person or persons. It is like he was saying, “Don’t leave me.” Please rescue me.” These are not cries of despair but acknowledgments of his real need for God, who is his salvation – his only hope.