#801 Come Quickly

Make haste, O God, to deliver me!

O Lord, make haste to help me!

2 Let them be put to shame and confusion

who seek my life!

Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor

who delight in my hurt!

3 Let them turn back because of their shame

who say, “Aha, Aha!”

4 May all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you!

May those who love your salvation

say evermore, “God is great!”

5 But I am poor and needy;

hasten to me, O God!

You are my help and my deliverer;

O Lord, do not delay! Psalm 70 ESV

A Psalm of David which shares many similarities to Psalm 40 and the preceding Psalm to this.

Make haste, O God - At only 5 verses it seems that the Psalmist was truly short for time. This is a helpless cry, an urgent cry. I am not sure where this could be placed in David's life, which of many moments in caves, on the run from Saul, his own son Absalom, but it is a fitting prayer for our distress.

Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life - God, let them not be successful who seek my ill, and those who practice the sorcery of gossip and slander, let them fail in the attempt. We should pray for those who would spitefully use us and say all manner against us, but let it also be false, let us walk in an upright manner before the Lord. When we do sin, let us not deny it, but rather most readily confess it that we may be forgiven of God and cleansed of all that He hates. Hold fast whatever men may do, place all of your worries, anxieties, and cares on Him, for He cares for you and sees. Christ was treated this way, the prophets before Him as well, and all who proclaim God's judgment on sin afterward. Jesus could not be taken before His time though, so walk in a way that is worthy of His name.

…29 They got up, drove Him out of the town, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him over the cliff. 30 But Jesus passed through the crowd and went on His way. 31 Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath He began to teach the people.… Luke 4: 29-31

Let them turn back because of their shame - Those who say "aha, aha, I told you so", will often walk away in shame. We are quick to judge the ungodly, but even quicker to rejoice in the failure of those who desire to do right, who preach the good news. Men are very fast at believing what is not even true because they delight in the stumbling of better men than themselves. 

18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops. 19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins.… James 5: 18-20

May all who seek You - We should be in constant prayer for our brethren, reminding each other of the joy of our salvation, the unique privilege of our salvation. 

 - The doxology, "Let the Lord's name be magnified, "is infinitely more manly and ennobling than the dog's bark of "Aha, aha." - C. H. Spurgeon

But I am poor and needy - That is the wonderful state to be brought to. I can't but You can. You are holy and I am not. I mourn, please be my comforter. I am poor in spirit, no longer proud, please fill me with Your Spirit. This is the reality of our state, a blessed illumination, that we are beggars, and before we knew that we were still beggars only pretending not to be, hoping in ourselves and the towers and monuments of religion that would never ride out the flood. Lord, I am weak, please deliver me. 

…4 Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. 5 I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.… John 15: 4-6

…23 But Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.… John 12: 23-25

22“The Son of Man must suffer many things,” He said. “He must be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” 23 Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.… Luke 9: 22-24