Psalm 7:3-5 Pausing after Self-Examination

Please read Psalm 7.

We introduced this Psalm yesterday, so you may want to read that post first, if you haven’t already. Today we will focus on verses 3-5, so you may want to reread them now.

In the introduction, we saw that David has been unjustly accused of evil, so he takes refuge in the Lord. Now we see David inviting God to examine his actions.

Only a truly righteous person could stand before God and ask if God sees any wrong in his hands. All of our hands are stained with sin! All of us are unrighteous.

David is not asking for God to completely vindicate him in everything that he has done; he is asking about the specific accusations that have been levied against him by the man named Cush.

David is adamant that he has not done what he is being accused of. So much so that he brashly asks God to turn him over to his enemies and let them destroy him if he is found guilty.

As Christians, we have no need to make such foolish vows. Jesus told us to let our ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and our ‘no’ be ‘no.’ We must not go as far as David does in this Psalm to declare such dire consequences against us if we are found to be guilty.

But we should follow his example in asking God to examine us. The Lord of Lords knows our hearts better than we do. He knows when we have sinned even before we know. He has the clearest view of just how evil we have been, even when we think that we’ve been pretty good.

Only an intimate relationship with God will reveal just how unlike God we are.

Like David, we should say 'Selah,' and pause after verse 5 as we wait for God to answer.

When my brother is angry at me, I should ask God what I have done wrong, and then pause as I wait for Him to show me the answer.

When vicious rumors are being spread about me, I should plea with God for my name to be vindicated, and then pause as I wait for Him to reveal if there is any truth to those rumors.

When I am accused of evil, I should plead my case before the Lord, and then pause as I wait for His judgment.

Only God truly knows how evil my thoughts, words, and actions have been. And only God can declare me innocent.

Praise God that He does declare me innocent! Through Jesus Christ, all of my sins are washed white as snow! Thanks to Jesus, there is no longer any wrong in my hands! I will pause to praise him.