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THE KING’S BUSINESS
o f th e w ro n g d irec tio n o f th e h e a rt w ould be a w ro n g p ractice w ith th e h an d s (see R . V .). I f b o th lips an d h e a rt a re kept th e h an d s w ill tak e c are o f them selves. “Let me not eat of their dainties.” D av id n o t o n ly d e sired to be k e p t fro m th e evil p ra ctic e a n d ev il w o rd s o f th e w icked, he also d esired to be k ep t from th e ir p lea s u res. O u r ch u rch es are fu ll to d ay o f th o se w h o w a n t to be k ep t from sin, b u t a t the sam e tim e th e y w a n t to en jo y “th e d ain ties” o f th e w o rld ; b u t th e in tellig en t believer does n o t even d esire to e at o f “th e d ain tie s” o f th e w o rld . T h e w ro n g ly inclined h e a rt is n o t o n ly “occupied in d eed s of w ick ed n ess” b u t seeks fellow ship “w ith m en th a t w o rk in iq u ity .” R u t D a v id p ray ed fo r a com p letely se p a ra ted life a n d as he did n o t w ish to do th e d eed s o f ev il d o ers, he d id n o t w ish to “e a t o f th e ir d ain ties” (cf. 2 C or. 6 :1 7 ). M an y to d a y w h o do n o t in te n d to p ractice sin w ith th e w o rld do lu st a fte r “th e d ain ties” o f th e w o rld a n d th e first th ey k n o w th e ir hancls a re “occupied in d eed s o f w ick ed n ess w ith m en th a t w o rk in iq u ity .” v. 5. "Let ihe righteous smite me', it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall 'be as oil upon the head; let not my head refuse it.” W h ile fools re sen t re p ro o f, w ise m en lo n g fo r it. T h ey re al ize h ow sa lu ta ry it is an d w elcom e it “as a k in d n ess” (c£. 2 Sam . 12 :7-13; P ro v . 6 : 2 3 ; 9 :8 , 9 ; 1 9 :2 5 ; 27:5, 6 ; R ev. 3 :1 9 ). “ For even in their wickedness shall my prayer continue.” I t is o n ly a tru e and fa ith fu l frie n d w h o w ill te lL a n o th e r his fau lt. D av id p rom ises to love such a frien d , a n d even goes so fa r as t o say th a t “even in th e ir w ick ed n ess” h e w ill p ray fo r th em co ntinually. v. 7. "A s when one ploweth and cleav- eth the earth, our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.” W h e n D av id w ro te th ese w o rd s, he, indeed, seem ed to be a t th e very d o o rs o f S heol, d eath seem ed to sta re him an d h is in 'th e face. “S h eo l” is th e O ld T e s tam e n t w o rd fo r th e abode o f th e d ep arted . In o u r A u th o rize d V ersio n , it is o ften tra n s late d “g rav e,” b u t it o u g h t n e v e r to be so
I t w as a t o ld req u est o n D a v id ’s p a rt th at, h is hum b le p ra y e r in h is ex ile sh o u ld be as m u ch re g a rd e d o f Je h o v a h a s th e D ivinely- ap p o in ted in cen se a n d th e ev en in g sacrifice, b u t b o ld as th e p ra y e r w as, it w as n o n e to o "bold. W h a t w e all n eed in o u r ap p ro ach to G od is n o t less b o ld n ess b u t m o re bo ld n ess. N o one show s to o m u ch b o ld n ess in p ra y e r (1 J o h n 5:14, 15) th o u g h som e sh ow a w ro n g k in d o f boldness. v. 3. “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” - T h e p ra y e r h e re offered is one th a t each one o f u s n eed s to p ra y daily. T h e re is n o th in g w ith w hich an y one o f us is m o re likely to sin th a n w ith h is lips (Ja s. 3 :2 ; 1 :2 6 ). T h e re is only on e w ay in w h ich w e can keep fro m sin n in g w ith o u r lips a n d th a t is b y G od “se ttin g a w atch ” b e fo re o u r m o u th s a n d “k eep in g th e d o o r of o u r lips.” W e h a v e G od’s ow n a u th o rity fo r it th a t “th e to n g u e can n o m an tam e ” (Ja s. 3 :8 ) : b u t w h ile n o m an can tam e it,. G od can tam e it. v. 4. “Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to be occupied in deeds of wicked ness with men that work iniquity." T h e re is a special tem p tatio n to sin w ith th e m o u th by sp eak in g h a stily o r deceivingly w h en w e a r t b ein g p ersecu ted as D av id w as. D av id realized th is a n d p ra y s as he does in th e w o rd s ju s t given. T h e m o u th th a t h a s b een filled w ith p ra y e r m u st n o t be defiled w ith falseh o o d n o r, w ith b itte r w o rd s. W h e n G od keeps th e g ate o f th e city, th e city is w ell g u a rd e d (P s . 127:1) an d is safe, a n d w h en G od k eep s th e d o o r o f o u r lips th ey a re w ell-g u a rd ed an d safe, b u t' o n ly th en . D av id realized th a t th e so u rce o f a ll w ro n g -d o in g w as th e h e a rt (cf. P ro v . 4 :2 3 ) a n d p ray s th a t it m ay n o t be inclined to an y evil th in g . O f c o u rse, a H o ly G od w o u ld n o t solicit, to evil (Ja s. 1 :1 3 ) n o r im pel th e h e a rt in th e w ro n g d irectio n , b u t G od in H is p ro v id en ce m ig h t b rin g on e in to circum stan ces w h ere th e h e a rt w o u ld be in clin ed to w ro n g , an d D av id w ith th e realiz a tio n o f h is ow n w ick ed n ess p ray s th a t G od m ay n o t do th is w ith him (cf. M att. 6 :1 3 ; 1 K gs. 8 :5 8 ). T h e resu lt
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