Give ear to my words, LORD; understand my murmuring. Incline to the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, because unto You I intercede (Psalm 5:1–2).
In this psalm, David cries for help to the LORD, seeking His intercession against the wicked and to lead him in His righteousness (Psalm 5:8). He requests that the LORD give ear to his murmuring. This type of speech is done softly, under the breath, in a contemplative manner (Psalm 39:4).
His God does not take pleasure in wickedness, nor will evil men dwell with Him. Those who are boastful and those who make trouble will not stand before Him (Psalm 5:4–6). In their boasting they cry aloud, praising themselves (Jeremiah 51:7, the nations crying aloud with the wine of Babylon). These who boast are included among those who bring affliction upon others, not only through actions, but also in words (Psalm 36:3, 12). They devise their trouble on their beds and set themselves up in a way that is not good (Psalm 36:4).
The LORD will cause those who speak falsehood to cease. They perish in the sense of cessation of existence or function, not just merely by death. These types of men will cease to exist. David is looking forward to the coming Kingdom of God in which righteousness will settle down and feel at ease (2 Peter 3:13). He abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man (Psalm 5:6). The bloodthirsty one seeks the blood of men in positions of authority. They hate the blameless (Proverbs 29:10).
David will come to the LORD’s house in the multitudes of His kindness. In fear, David will worship the LORD (Psalm 5:7). For Old Testament saints, one who was under the Mosaic Law, fear of the LORD was the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). In contrast, God’s mature love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). The Old Testament saints feared the judgment and wrath of God. New Testament saints reside in His love, which casts out fear of punishment. Those who lived under the law lived under fear of death all their lives (Hebrews 2:15), because the one who does the things of the Law lives (Romans 10:5).
In contrast to those under law who were to mutter the law under their breath all day long (Joshua 1:8), Christians are to frame their minds on the things above (Colossians 3:1–3) and use the renewed mind to know God’s desirous will for any situation they face (Romans 12:2). The law was bondage for those who were children. It served as a steward and guardian (Galatians 3:23–25). Grace is freedom for those placed as sons (2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1). The Psalms declare to us the stark difference between men under law and those under grace. David cries out for righteousness; we possess righteousness in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30). Under the law, those who abide by it muttered the law under their breath all day long to ensure compliance. The grace believer possesses all things pertaining to life and godliness, enabling him to serve as a luminary to the corrupt and perverse generation he abides in (2 Peter 1:3–4; Philippians 2:15). We have something better (Hebrews 7:19).
