We have seen these lines before, at the end of Psalm 40. Standing alone, the context is subtly different. As a simple and short call for God’s help, it speaks of someone who has little opportunity to compose a more eloquent message to God. The words are close to formulaic, but carry a tension that indicates desperation.
The initial “make haste” is most English translations is not in the literal rendering, but implied by the context. The tone is there because David begins by calling out to God Almighty to come and snatch him from the jaws of his enemy. The line is echoed in a call for speedy aid, using the proper name Jehovah.
The second verse is quite colorful, in that David asks God make his enemies first pale as they are shocked by the outcome, then blush with embarrassment. They came expecting to take his life; let them recoil, bolt upright as the scene unfolds to taunt them for relishing David’s misfortune. Let it be like someone caught in degrading ritual devotion to some secret deity, as if to gain magical power to catch David in a vulnerable moment. Whatever it is going on with those folks, it could not possibly include a sincere devotion to Jehovah.
But there are folks of unwavering faith and trust in the God of Israel. Never mind what happens to David, let these people find cause to celebrate and rejoice in how God rescues them according to their faith. Let them glorify His name continuously.
But David feels crushed at this moment. Don’t be slow, O Lord, to make it painfully obvious to everyone that God is his only hope, and by implication, theirs.
