Psalm 13

vs 1

What a painful situation it must be for David to be asking this question. David feels God has hidden his face, that is, turned away from him. As if God has turned his back on David. Their relationship has been spoiled. It feels like it could last forever.

What has caused this feeling? Why has God turned away? Does God actually ever turn his face away? We tend to think of God as one who never turns away, never creates a gap between us, and never seeks to not know us. We think that if there's ever a reason for separation between us and God, that it is our fault. Now that may be true, if we're looking for someone to blame. But I think a study of the Bible will show you that God hides his face, God draws away, God turns away from the wicked.

At first I thought this might be a post-Bathsheeba psalm, but there is nothing to suggest that. It talks more about enemies than anything else. So has David been wicked? Is is it just that his life is in the crapper, and he's wondering how much longer he has to live in fear and failure?

vs 2

This is the picture of David without God's blessing. He wrestles with bad thoughts, he is sorrowful. And his enemy has victory. Overall a terrible situation internally and externally.

vs 3

"Give light to my eyes" I assume is a poetic way of saying "make me be able to see". David wants to see the answer of God, he wants God to pay attention to him again. Because if he doesn't, then as far as David is concerned, he'll be dead. And of course this is not a resolution of which David is fond.

vs 4

Not only that, but then the enemies of David will think they have won. Now, normally we might say "well who cares" but David is of the opinion that his enemies are also God's enemies, and surely God doesn't want them rejoicing and thinking that they are winning?

vs 5

What exactly does salvation mean here? I don't think there is quite a doctrine of salvation in the eternal, eschatalogical sense that we Christians would consider it. I think David is just expecting the salvation of God from his circumstances and enemies. And he expects this because he knows God's love - even if God's face is turned away for the moment and things are going wrong.

vs 6

David looks at the past, and sees how favourable God has been to him. For that, he sings praises to God, even if he is to die at the hands of his enemies. But that past goodness of God is also a foundation of David's faith in future goodness and salvation. That's a useful lesson to us, I think.