Psalm 39

Introduction:

1. David is working through God’s discipline here (vv. 10-11, 13).

2. In this struggle, he vows to keep silent in the presence of the wicked to avoid falling into sins of the tongue (vv. 1-2)

3. Overwhelmed by distress, he must speak (vs. 3), so he wisely petitions God rather than complain before the wicked (vv. 4-13).

Discussion:

I. Show Me (vv. 4-6)

A. Knowing life’s frailty promotes heavenly pursuits (Matthew 6:19ff; James 4:14; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Colossians 3:1-4).

B. It also highlights the vanity of worldly pursuits (cf. Ecclesiastes 2:9-11).

II. Save Me (vv. 7-9)

A. Verse 7 is the hub of this psalm and of life itself; for what do we wait, and in what do we hope if not God?

B. The real human problem arises in verse 8; it is sin from which we need delivered (cf. John 8:31-38).

C. David recognizes his complaint is baseless, his suffering deserved.

III. Spare Me (vv. 10-13)

A. Having learned its lesson, David now humbly petitions God to bring the discipline to an end.

B. The painful nature of such discipline is vividly seen; sin, like cancer, must be aggressively destroyed (cf. Hebrews 12:5-11).

C. The frailty and brevity of humanity resurfaces in his plea.

D. David’s cries elevate as he continues to plead for God to spare him and restore him to strength (cf. Psalms 25:6-7).

E. Strength: lit. to gleam, smile, look pleasant (BDB)

Conclusion:

1. The discipline of the Lord is painful in the moment (Hebrews 12:11a).

2. However, it is not His aim to harm us with it, but it is His aim to shape us for eternity with Him as it produces the peaceable fruit of righteousness if we are trained by it (Jeremiah 29:10-14; Hebrews 12:11b).