PSALM 38:9-14

We turn our attention to the Psalm of Remembrance.  God has called David to remember his past.  We desire to study verses 9-14 which says, “Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee. My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.  They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long. But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.”  I have entitled this section “The Remembrance Of David’s Tragedy”. 

            In verses 9-10 we notice there is ‘A Sense Of The Father’s Withdrawal’.  Let us remember sin always causes us to feel that God has distanced himself from us but it is our sin that has caused the distance.  Our Lord promised to never leave us nor forsake us.  Sin will not allow us to walk with Him in a closeness of fellowship.

            In verse 9 David addressed the Lord as the covenant keeping God of promise.  He reminds the Lord of his ‘desire’.  The word means one’s longings.  He tells the Lord that his longings are ‘before’ Him.  Our sin can often cause us to feel that God is not aware of our desires.  He reminds the Lord of his ‘groaning’.  The word means mournful sighs.  We are reminded that if we regard sin in our heart the Lord will not hear us.  In verse 10 David tells us of his ‘panting’ heart.  This tells of an intense palpitation of the heart.  David says that his heart is racing because his strength has failed and the light of his sight has gone from his eyes. The conviction will drive us to God to exchange our strength for His and our human light to walk in for His eternal light.  Sin will keep us from God’s presence or God’s presence will keep us from sin.  We see from these verses that sin has caused definite ‘spiritual problems’.

            In verses 11-12 we are confronted with ‘A Sense Of The Family Withdrawal’.  In verse 11 we see a word that may stand as the key to David’s predicament.  The word is ‘sore’.  This means a blow, infection, or spot caused by the disease of leprosy.  David mentions three groups of people who stand aloof.  They are ‘lovers’, ‘friends’, and ‘kinsman’.  These three groups would be dear ones of affection, a companion or close friend, and a close family member.  The phrase ‘to stand aloof’ has the idea of the position taken in the presence of a leper.  If one was a leper and he came into the presence of people he was to cover his face and cry ‘unclean, unclean’.  This would be a warning to the people to stand aloof less they come in contact with this dreadful disease.  Let me remind us that sin often brings the consequences of the leper and others want to distance themselves from our presence.

            In verse 12 we find those that are so close to David begin to lay a ‘snare’ for him, seek his ‘hurt’, and speak ‘mischievous’ things and ‘deceit’ against him.  These four words are dreadful in their meaning.  They have the idea of setting a trap for another.  The word ‘hurt’ means an evil affliction and ‘mischievous’ means to rush upon with a desire to ruin.  There are also lies being told about David.  “It is amazing when a man is down. Often many will compass sea and land to injure a saint; no labor is too severe, no cost too great, if they may utterly destroy the innocent.” (Spurgeon)  We see from these verses that sin has caused a definite ‘social problem’.

.