“O God, hasten to deliver me”
[Psalms 70]
As we meditated on Psalms 13, we once thought of the phrase “How long?”: “How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?” (Ps. 13:1), “How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?” (v. 2). When God’s answer of our prayers is slow, we are anxious and afraid. In the midst of that, we can pray as the psalmist David prayed: “But You, O LORD, be not far off; O You my help, hasten to my assistance” (22:19). As God's answer of our prayer is slow, we feel that God is too far away from us. Also, when God's answer of our prayer is slow, we are bound to lose strength. Then we look for the Lord who is our strength. Like David, we pray to the Lord, “O Lord, hasten to my help!” (70:1)
In Psalms 70:1, the psalmist David prayed to God like this: “O God, hasten to deliver me; O LORD, hasten to my help!” In Psalms 70, when David prayed to God, he used the word "hasten" twice in verse 1 and once in verse 5. And in the second half of verse 5, he prayed “O Lord, do not delay.” I hope and pray that we may be able to receive the grace that God gives to each of us while thinking of two things under the heading “O God, hasten to deliver me.”
First, why did David need God’s help?
The reason was because David was needy. Look at Psalms 70:5 – “But I am afflicted and needy; Hasten to me, O God! …..” This word indicates that David was under the persecution by the evil people in particular, rather than was poor in matters (Park). Then who were the people who persecuted David? How does the Bible describe them?
(1) They were those who sought David’s life.
Look at Psalms 70:2a – “Let those be ashamed and humiliated Who seek my life ….” David's persecutors sought David's life. Therefore, they continued to attack and persecute him.
(2) They were those who delighted in David’s hurt.
Look at Psalms 70:2b – “Let those be turned back and dishonored Who delight in my hurt.” David's enemies wanted to see David perish. So they rejoiced that David was hurt.
(3) They were those who said “Aha, aha!”
Look at Psalms 70:3 – “Let those be turned back because of their shame Who say, "Aha, aha!” Here, those who said “Aha, aha!” were David's enemies who despised David. David described himself as being poor and needy because he was being persecuted by those who despised him.
In such situation, what was David forced to do? Look at Psalms 109:4 – “In return for my love they act as my accusers; But I am in prayer.” David had no choice but to pray to God because of those who opposed him, those who sought his life, those who rejoiced in his hurt, and those who said "Aha, aha!" toward David. That is, his enemies searched for David's soul, but David sought God at that time.
Second, what kind of help did David ask God?
(1) David prayed to God to deliver him from those who persecuted him.
Look at Psalms 70:1 – “O God, hasten to deliver me; O LORD, hasten to my help!” From this verse, it seems that David had been suffering from his persecutors for a long time (Park). So he looked forward to God's salvation for a long time. Therefore, David wanted God's “hasten” (2x) help and his deliverance. He cried out to God “Hasten to me, O God!” (v. 5). David, who had been waiting for God's salvation for a long time, desperately wanted God's deliverance (salvation).
(2) David prayed to God that those who persecuted him would be turned back and humiliated.
Look at Psalms 70:2-3: “Let those be ashamed and humiliated Who seek my life; Let those be turned back and dishonored Who delight in my hurt. Let those be turned back because of their shame Who say, ‘Aha, aha!’” Those who persecuted David were those who tried to insult God as well as David. So David pleaded with God to shame them and to turn them back and be humiliated. The reason was because if they were shamed, they and others could realize the existence and power of God, and the faith of the saints could be strengthened (Park). So David prayed for the failure of his enemies.
(3) David prayed to God for those who sought the Lord or those who longed for His salvation to rejoice and be glad.
Look at Psalms 70:4 – “Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, ‘Let God be magnified.’” Here, “Let God be magnified” means that God generously gives grace to believers (Park). God is the God who never disappoints those who seek Him, that is, those who long for His salvation. God generously shows favor to those who seek him.
After a long time rereading Professor Jay Adams’ “Christian Counseling”, I read about crisis counseling. Looking there, some scholars are said that'crisis' in Chinese contains two characteristics. One means 'risk' and the other means 'opportunity'. Crisis provides a great opportunity for us to change and grow, and to develop better ways to overcome the crisis. It is said that this happened during World War II. When Nazi German troops invaded Britain, then Prime Minister Winston Churchill asked Rev. William Temple to pray for the national salvation. Pastor Temple is said to have announced the following message to the public: ‘The British Empire is now the time to kneel to God. War is a big deal. But worshiping God is a bigger thing. If we people believe that God is with us by worshiping God at this time, war is not a big deal. We will surely triumph with the help of God, the worshiper’ (Internet). At that time, all the British people, who were moved by his speech, came to the church and knelt down before God and worshiped and cried out to Him. Thus, the war ended with the victory of the British and the Allies.
For what purpose should we ask God,”O God, hasten to deliver me”? What is your most urgent prayer topic? I hope and pray for the Lord's work of salvation. Let’s keep in mind. Our God will make those who seek the Lord and those who long for His salvation rejoice and be glad in Him.
Thinking of our church grandma Jang Eul-soo, who earnestly prayed for the Lord to call her quickly to heaven,
James Kim
[With the heart of urgent prayer to God like the prophet Habakkuk, ‘Please revive our church in the midst of the years’ (Hab. 3:2) and like the apostle John, “Amen Come, Lord Jesus (Rev. 22:20)]