¹Hear a just cause, O Lord, give heed to my cry; Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips. ²Let my judgment come forth from Your presence; let Your eyes look with equity.

What is a godly response when we incur unjust suffering or conflict? How can we guide the emotions of our soul when we have done nothing wrong, when we are innocent of charges against us? This psalm gives us a godly example to follow. The only clue we have about the background for this passage is that it was written by David, the man of God, who was quite experienced in dealing with conflict. Here he refers to those who oppose him as “my deadly enemies” (vs. 9). Some of his battles were more than just arguments; they were deadly.

In this psalm, David pleads his innocence to the Lord, but the solution to his troubles is beyond him, and thus he cries out in prayer to God for his just cause. The thinking that there are two contributors to every conflict would not find a receptive ear with David. He was undoubtedly self-aware of his shortcomings and His need for God to reveal any sinful thoughts he might have (Ps. 139:23-24). But that is not his approach to God here. In this situation, he comes with no conscious awareness of sin. David also has a keen sense of how wrongly others are treating him.

God accepts such prayers as this. In fact, the Lord demands gut-level honesty, as David confesses in another place: “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom” (Ps. 51:6). This means being truthful to Him about our own thoughts and motivations, whether right or wrong. God can handle any emotions we express to Him. Honesty also means being ready for God’s correction if it comes. The Lord is perfectly capable of showing us our sinful participation in the conflict, but we should not avoid bringing our innocence to God if that is how we honestly feel. A prayer that God would vindicate us is appropriate at times. This is not unspiritual or self-righteous, but honest. And we trust that He will respond justly.

David lays out the case for his innocence: God has tried, visited, and tested him (vs. 3). He senses no guilt in himself, no conviction from God, nor is he conscious of making any verbal torts or actions that would have instigated or contributed to the conflict (vs. 4). David has intentionally kept God’s instructions and is unaware of any slip-ups (vs. 5). He is confident of his innocence and is willing to submit this to God as his judge.

On this basis, David calls out to God for protection (vs. 6-8). He is confident because He knows that the Lord’s general posture is for him and not against him (vs. 6). He asks the Lord to show Himself faithful to His covenant-love (“lovingkindness”) and a protector of those who seek His protection.

Verse 8 takes us beyond a solution to conflict and into a deeper, more intimate relationship with the One who provides the solution: “Keep me as the apple [or pupil] of the eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings.” This may be an allusion to the Song of Moses (Deut. 32:19). Like all metaphors, this one encourages imaginative application. Who of us would not desire to be in the center of God’s focus and attention? Who would not like to be protected like the eye in a sandstorm instinctively covered by the blinking of an eyelid? Who would not be comforted at the thought of God protecting us like a bird enwrapping its chick in a windstorm? That is the kind of protection God provides us, and we can rest in Him amid the fiercest, most unjust storms of life.

David now turns to the windstorm of his “deadly enemies” (vs. 8), detailing their opposition concisely to him. They have backed him into a corner, so to speak (vs. 9); they have no empathy for anyone but themselves, and of that, they are quite proud (vs. 10). (They sound eerily like those whom we, today, call narcissists.) Their entire motive is to destroy David. We notice the change of pronouns between singular and plural, which indicates that although David prays primarily concerning himself, he is mindful that his companions are experiencing the same things. Also, concerning his enemies, David vacillates between “they” and “he.” Collectively they are like a lion going after its prey (vs. 12). Can we not see a reflection of the devil, whom the apostle Peter likened to a roaring lion on the prowl (1 Peter 5:8)?

David moves beyond asking for protection and calls on God to “confront” his opponents, even if that means “with [His] sword.” In the context of the ancient world, serious conflicts were often solved with violence, so David asks God to use physical force in defending him. (In another place in these notes, we will address “imprecations” in the psalm, where the godly writer expresses strong desires for God to destroy his enemies.) The implication is that David is innocent of wrongdoing and undeserving of being harassed or killed by his enemies, and his enemies are guilty and fully deserve being destroyed.

His final statement about his enemies is that they live for only what is in the world now, with no thought of the future life (vs. 14). This is all they have, and therefore this is their only focus. As for David, his focus rests on the Lord: “I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake” (vs. 15). That gives him a reason to wake up in the morning. That gives him the confidence to face the unjust treatment of others.

As we meditate on this psalm, we can draw several applications. God welcomes our proclaiming innocence to Him. While others may not be able to judge our situation correctly, the Lord can and will. I am sure David would agree (and we would also) with what the patriarch Abraham said years earlier: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” (Gen. 18:25b).

We should not shy away from asking God to vindicate us, show our innocence unambiguously and convincingly, and expose the unjustness of how others are treating us. Sometimes the score will not be settled in this life. We don’t yet see the Lord in the flesh, but we can wake up each morning with the assurance of our standing before Him. We will see Him, and every knee will bow. Hidden things will be brought to light. All vindication will be made absolutely clear. If we do not sense any inner conviction of wrongdoing, we have nothing to fear before God. As the apostle John wrote: “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God” (1 John 3:21).

Lord, I join with David in praying: “I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.”