Psalms 71
Big idea: An old man's psalm, and it knows exactly what it is afraid of: don't reject me in my old age; don't forsake me when my strength fails. The enemies have noticed the decline and drawn a conclusion — God has forsaken him; pursue and take him, for no one will rescue him. His answer is not new strength but a long record. You are my confidence from my youth. I have relied on you from the womb. God, you have taught me from my youth. And then he names what he wants the extra years for: until I have declared your strength to the next generation.
Psalm 71 wants to tell the next generation. Psalm 72 prays for the king who will lead it — and Book II closes.
71:1–8 — My confidence from my youth
The only psalm in the Psalter spoken plainly by an old man, and this first movement establishes the span it is going to argue from. Confidence from youth, reliance from the womb, taken out of his mother by God himself — the relationship is dated earlier than memory. Verse 7 is the odd one: he has become 'a marvel to many', which is closer to a spectacle than a compliment.
1 In you, Yahweh, I take refuge. Never let me be disappointed. 2 Deliver me in your righteousness, and rescue me. Turn your ear to me, and save me. 3 Be to me a rock of refuge to which I may always go. Give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 Rescue me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. 5 For you are my hope, Lord Yahweh, my confidence from my youth. 6 I have relied on you from the womb. You are he who took me out of my mother’s womb. I will always praise you. 7 I am a marvel to many, but you are my strong refuge. 8 My mouth shall be filled with your praise, with your honor all day long.
71:9–16 — Don't reject me in my old age
The fear is named exactly, and it is a fear about timing: don't reject me in my OLD AGE, when my strength fails. The enemies have done the arithmetic and reached a conclusion — 'God has forsaken him' — because he is now too weak to be rescued from. The reply is the psalm's most honest sentence: he will keep telling of a salvation whose full measure he admits he does not know.
9 Don’t reject me in my old age. Don’t forsake me when my strength fails. 10 For my enemies talk about me. Those who watch for my soul conspire together, 11 saying, “God has forsaken him. Pursue and take him, for no one will rescue him.” 12 God, don’t be far from me. My God, hurry to help me. 13 Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed. Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me. 14 But I will always hope, and will add to all of your praise. 15 My mouth will tell about your righteousness, and of your salvation all day, though I don’t know its full measure. 16 I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord Yahweh. I will make mention of your righteousness, even of yours alone.
71:17–24 — Until I have declared your strength to the next generation
The psalm's request finally arrives, and it is not for more life for its own sake: don't forsake me UNTIL I have declared your strength to the next generation. He wants time to finish a handover. Then the hardest verse in it — you who have SHOWN US many and bitter troubles — followed in the same sentence by 'you will let me live', with no attempt to reconcile the two.
17 God, you have taught me from my youth. Until now, I have declared your wondrous works. 18 Yes, even when I am old and gray-haired, God, don’t forsake me, until I have declared your strength to the next generation, your might to everyone who is to come. 19 God, your righteousness also reaches to the heavens. You have done great things. God, who is like you? 20 You, who have shown us many and bitter troubles, you will let me live. You will bring us up again from the depths of the earth. 21 Increase my honor and comfort me again. 22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God. I sing praises to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips shall shout for joy! My soul, which you have redeemed, sings praises to you! 24 My tongue will also talk about your righteousness all day long, for they are disappointed, and they are confounded, who want to harm me.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).