Psalm 13
Vs 1-2 show King David’s impatience;
Vs 3-4 show his importance;
Vs 5-6 show his impression.
To his credit, David is so sin-sensitive that he asks God four times, “How long?” (vs 1-2), which reflect his own feeling of alienation from God. Time is of the essence to humans, thus we ask God “how long?” Since it is our own sins that separate us from God, it is our realization of that condition that should cause us to cry out to God. It is not that God has moved, but that we realize we have moved away from Him! While we are sinners, He could forget us, hide His face from us, leave our hearts in sorrow, let our enemies prevail (vs 1-2). To show us that He was taking the place of sinners alienated from God, Jesus Christ, from the cross, “cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is translated, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” (Mark 15:34), which was a quotation from David’s Messianic prophecy in Psalm 22:1. God did not forsake or move away from Jesus, His only begotten Son, but Jesus spoke all sinners’ lament to identify Himself with all sinners who learn the truth about their sins. Jesus died on His cross for all sinners who, like David, realize what their sin has done to their relationship to God, and want to repent and come back to Him. In the New Testament, this is still the appeal to sinners: “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Sinners must not sorrow over sin because it makes them feel bad; or they have been “caught;” or someone else wants them to (parent, spouse, children, preacher, etc.); or they will gain friends or customers if they will; but “godly sorrow” is the only effective motivation. In the New Testament, it is explained thusly: “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). Only by being sorry to God will repentance change us.
This leads to David’s re-affirmation of his confidence in God (vs. 3-4), that He will “consider and hear” and “enlighten my eyes” lest David sleep in death caused by his enemies. David’s reasoning with God is the same that Moses’ had, that if God’s people are defeated by their enemies, they could boast that they had defeated God (Numbers 14:11-22)! God is glorified when sinners repent. “Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7). Saved sinners have reason to rejoice (vs. 5-6).
