Psalm 5. The inscription indicates that this is a psalm of David. It was written in the style of “Nehiloth”, meaning “flutes”, or “wind instruments”. In the progression of Psa. 3-8 we are now in the night, looking forward to the future morning; “in the morning shalt thou hear my voice; in the morning will I address myself to thee, and will look up” (Psa. 5:3). Prophetically, this Psalm captures the prayer of the faithful remnant in the great tribulation, as they experience harsh persecution, and witness great evil, done by their natural brethren under the leadership of Antichrist.

 

 

vv.1-2 Asking God to Hear. In the opening lines, the psalmist cries out to Jehovah to hear him, as he pours out the meditation of his heart. Notice that the psalmist (David) addresses Jehovah as “my king and my God”. Prophetically, the Jewish remnant will be surrounded by circumstances where there is a false king in Israel, and a false God being worshipped by their earthly brethren. How important to recognize the true Sovereign and Deity!

 

 

vv.3-7 The Twofold Disposition of Jehovah. In these lines, the psalmist considers two dispositions of the Lord: toward the righteous, and also toward the wicked. Speaking as only of the faithful, the psalmist could say, the Lord will “hear my voice”, and “I will enter thy house”. Notice the posture. First, there is dependence; “I address myself to thee, and will look up”. Second, there is a sense of grace; “in the greatness of thy loving-kindness will I enter thy house”. Third, there is reverence; “I will bow down toward the temple of thy holiness in thy fear”. But for the wicked, God can have no fellowship with them (vv.4-6). God’s displeasure in the wicked, His hatred for them, and His eventual judgment on them are expounded. Some have suggested that “a man of blood and deceit” is a reference to Antichrist himself, stressing his violence and corruption. Surely, the reign of antichrist will be a totalitarian regime. Antichrist also would be a infamous example of “them that speak lies”, for he is called “the liar” in 1 John; “Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is the antichrist who denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22). Notice that this Psalm is for one outside, looking forward to being in the temple. Perhaps the prophetic setting of this Psalm is at a time when the faithful are unable to enter the temple.

 

vv.8-12 Two Requests. The psalmist closes with two requests: to guide the faithful (v.8, vv.11-12), and to destroy the wicked (vv.9-10). Part of v.9 is quoted in Romans 3, to support the indictment of man before the bar of God’s justice. In v.10, we find that the remnant has a sense of the grievousness of the sin that wicked are guilty of. As an imprecatory prayer, the faithful pray that the wicked would be judged; “O God; let them fall by their own counsels”. So it will be in the great tribulation; “He taketh the wise in their own craftiness” (Job 5:13). By trusting their own wisdom, their own counsels, the apostate nation of Israel will be the cause of their own destruction at the attack of the King of the North. But when the wicked are destroyed in “the consumption”, the faithful will be protected; “all that trust in thee shall rejoice… thou wilt protect them… with favour wilt thou surround him as with a shield”.