September 20, 2024 -- Psalm 141:3-5 -- Fighting by Prayer

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
     keep watch over the door of my lips!
Do not let my heart inline to any evil,
     to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who work iniquity,
     and let me not eat of their delicacies!
Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
     let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
let my heart not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
Psalm 141:3-5 ESV

In Psalm 121 it is the LORD Who is the guard, or the keeper of the righteous. In our reading today the noun guard has the same root as the verb guard or keeper in Psalm 121. The point is, it is the LORD Himself, Who by His Spirit, guards the words of a man’s mouth. The next line is an appeal to God to ‘keep watch”. Here an entirely different verb is used. It is an echo of Exodus, where the LORD reveals His Name to Moses. “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” Exodus 34:6-7a ESV. What is the point? The LORD keeps His steadfast love as the guard over our lips. In view of His greatness and His mercy, our lips are shut to vulgar talk, to resentment and curses, even when we ourselves have been unjustly cursed or are in the company of wicked men. The Spirit of God seals the believer’s heart with the goodness of Christ’s accomplished work so that the Father’s love is in view, rather than the wickedness of men.

When a man, or a woman, has been so sealed that the goodness and redeeming love of Christ has captured his heart, it is at that point the wickedness of hearts out of alignment with God’s goodness and purposes are exposed. Likely one of the least acknowledged doctrines is the total depravity of the heart. It is all too common to believe in one’s own innate goodness. That is a lie from the pit of hell. Unless you realize your own heart, the seat of emotions and the source of thoughts is itself inclined towards evil, you will not know how much you need the Father in heaven to have a vigilant guard at the ready to stop your mouth from speaking evil and applying His steadfast love so that your lips will not contemplate the wicked words of others and get resentful, but will instead, constantly move speaking the steadfast love of the LORD.

The psalmist David realizes how easily a man, even a man like himself described as a man after God’s own heart, can be led astray into sin. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote “Bad company corrupts good character” I Corinthians 15:33 NKJV. Instead of blaming the wicked advisors and the general moral turpitude of the time, David’s urgent prayer is for the LORD’s work in his life to keep him free from corruption. Here is how the LORD works.

The LORD will provide wise advisors. A righteous man may strike me. It will take strong actions to bring my life back into line with all that is godly and pure. Rather than resent the man of God (or saintly sister appointed by the LORD) who is carrying out His purposes to restore the wayward, David welcomes it.

The one who is humble, teachable, will not require a smack across the unguarded lips, but will be changed by a rebuke, a stern warning. This too is the blessing of God so that those who are contrite of heart will be turned to God.

Note as well this Psalm is a prayer. There is great power in prayer, not because of the eloquence of the praying, nor because of the righteousness of the one engaged in it, but the power in prayer comes from the Prayer-hearing God. He couples His power to our weakness and promises to our frailties so that His glory and mercy shine through in our lives.

Prayer is also a powerful weapon. Ephesians 6 teaches the believer that spiritual armour—the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes bearing the readiness to share the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation—all these are fastened to the believer by prayer. Prayerlessness is leaving yourself defenseless. Psalm 141 is a prayer. It is most powerfully fulfilled in Jesus Christ—in Whom is all the believer’s righteousness and protection, given so fully and graciously by the Father in heaven.

Finally, the Psalmist's prayer is against their evil deeds. By prayer such evil men and wicked persons may be changed from the inside out, becoming fellow followers of Jesus. That is the great hope and prayer of our lives, to see the people around us becoming men and women over whom the LORD exercises His love and vigilant care.

O LORD, I call upon You; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to You!
Let my prayer be counted as incense before You,
    and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
My eyes are toward You, O LORD, my Lord;
in You I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
Psalm 141:1-2, 8 ESV

Note, the expression O LORD, my Lord—the first is all in capitals, emphasizing the divine Name of God Who keeps His promises, the second use of the Name Lord refers to Him as the Master of the one who is praying.

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