Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies. Psalm 141:4 (Psalm 34, 141, 142)
On the run from Solomon, David escaped to Nob where a priest fed him and gave him Goliath’s spear. David then continued to Gath where he was recognized by the locals. To disguise himself David pretended to be a madman. There was nowhere David could find peace and rest except the heart of God. Every difficulty took him directly to God in petition and prayer, and every deliverance drove him to praise and gratitude. In Psalm 34:8 David says, “Taste and see that the LORD is good, blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” David found his emotional and physical rest and strength in the goodness and righteousness of God.
The 141st Psalm dwells on vengeance and evil, which conflicts with the love and perfect justice of a Sovereign Lord. David dwells a great deal on the prospect of a terrible end for his enemies. However, the Law of Israel put boundaries on retribution, an eye for an eye, no more, no less and David’s message is pointedly focused on a righteousness and evil that cannot dwell together, so evil must be dealt with. David is not asking for retaliation, which is man’s response to an offense, he is walking firmly in the knowledge that the threat to good will be done away with.
David recognized the lure of satisfaction in taking the law into his own hands, and as king, he had the right, but he understood to action was to sin. Jesus’ prayer, “Lead us not into temptation,” was prayed by David 1,000 years earlier because God can lead us away from all harm/sin and onto the path of righteousness.
Love,
Gretchen