In the Hebrew intellectual traditions, what can appear free association to mere intellect is a structure in itself perceived only in the heart. This song is a Hebrew acrostic, though imperfect, perhaps because of subsequent editing. Regardless, the burden is on the reader to absorb the message and find their own soul’s pattern. Hebrew was never meant to convey truth, but to stand as a sign post indicating where truth can be found.
This is not a psalm one could write when things are going well. It calls for contemplation, a time of waiting upon God to speak to the heart while letting the mind be patient. The mind of a man can be all over the place, but the heart works on a level far beyond mere sensory awareness or reason. Sometimes the answer is not in action but in remembering just Who is in charge. In these verses David calls to his mind to cease the frantic search for solutions.
The image of what David seeks is not mere political victory, but a sense of peace with God. People who ignore divine justice can still have a lot of things, but not the peace often indicated by the word shalom. The shame David fears is standing embarrassed before God. The Hebrew concept of noble character is not implacable and demanding, but places the highest value on personnel. Thus, David’s request for training and education in God’s ways is entirely appropriate protocol. However long it takes for God to make him understand, David is in no hurry for his own relief.
David calls God’s attention to the most ancient promises of mercy for those who embraced His justice, stretching back before human memory. How much has God already overlooked in His divine favor? David knows it was a matter of God’s glory, nothing less. Those who humble themselves before His glory have every reason to expect His patience. David is not blind to his own sin, but realizes that God’s glory is the one reason He offers mercy. So while David celebrates all the fame of God’s mercy, he knows he has to play his part. He’s no better than any other man. What God offers David is hardly different from what any man could have if he simply obeys from the heart.
In the final verses, David recalls what brought him to God’s face again. He’s not having a good day, to the say the least. So he calls on the Lord to save His own glory yet again by enforcing His justice on the earth. David would be the first to realize how fallible he is, as all men are. It’s not as if the righteous would ever run out of enemies in this world. Without divine mercy and protection, there would be no David, no king, no Israel.
