The Righteous One’s Cry for Righteous Retribution

David composed this psalm because of the words of Cush, the Benjamite. Whether this refers to Saul or one of his followers is uncertain. Charges had been levelled at David which were unfounded and slanderous. So it was with our Lord, in that they hated Him without a cause, and He was reviled and rejected by men. 

Such is David’s innocence that he is prepared to stand before God, and have Him to judge his righteousness and integrity. He was even prepared to accept dishonour and persecution if the accusation were true. If we have a conscience void of offence to God and man, we can, with a serene spirit, leave the judgment to God. Because no guile was found in the mouth of Christ, He could, without reserve, commit His Spirit unto God.

Pastor Jeff O’ Neil

Psalm 7

¹O LORD my God, in thee do I
My confidence repose:
Save and deliver me from all
My persecuting foes;

²Lest that the enemy my soul
Should, like a lion, tear,
In pieces rending it, while there
Is no deliverer.

³O LORD my God, if it be so
That I committed this;
If it be so that in my hands
Iniquity there is:

⁴If I rewarded ill to him
That was at peace with me;
(Yea, ev’n the man that without cause
My foe was I did free;)

⁵Then let the foe pursue and take
My soul, and my life thrust
Down to the earth, and let him lay
Mine honour in the dust.

⁶Rise in thy wrath, LORD, raise thyself,
For my foes raging be;
And, to the judgment which thou hast
Commanded, wake for me.

⁷So shall th’assembly of thy folk
About encompass thee:
Thou, therefore, for their sakes, return
Unto thy place on high.

⁸The LORD he shall the people judge:
My judge, JEHOVAH, be,
After my righteousness, and mine
Integrity in me.

⁹O let the wicked’s malice end;
But stablish steadfastly
The righteous: for the righteous God
The hearts and reins doth try.

¹⁰In God, who saves th’upright in heart,
Is my defence and stay.
¹¹God just men judgeth, God is wroth
With ill men ev’ry day.

¹²If he do not return again,
Then he his sword will whet;
His bow he hath already bent,
And hath it ready set:

¹³He also hath for him prepar’d
The instruments of death;
Against the persecutors he
His shafts ordained hath.

¹⁴Behold, he with iniquity
Doth travail, as in birth;
A mischief he conceived hath,
And falsehood shall bring forth.

¹⁵He made a pit and digg’d it deep,
Another there to take;
But he is fall’n into the ditch
Which he himself did make.

¹⁶Upon his own head his mischief
Shall be returned home;
His violent dealing also down
On his own pate shall come.

¹⁷According to his righteousness
The LORD I’ll magnify;
And will sing praise unto the name
Of GOD that is most high.