Psalm 86: O Lord, compassionate and gracious ... save the son of Your maidservant.

As David says this psalm is a prayer, and so it serves us, as it served David.

We may not be facing a band of arrogant and ruthless men, who have no regard for God – but the people of the Ukraine are, and our persecuted brothers and sisters throughout the world are, and perhaps in this country many also live in fear of abuse, in modern slavery and under ruthless forces too strong for them, even of sickness, of rejection, of unforgiveness, of the tread of time taking away our strength and sense.

David appeals to God to guard his life, for he, David, is devoted to God. David lives in a faith relationship with God. The heart of faith is a mutual commitment. David is devoted to God and he trusts that God is committed to him, so he calls upon God to guard his life, to save his servant. So for David, so for Christ Jesus, so for us.

David’s devotion to God did not mean that he never let Him down. Remember Bathsheba. But it does mean that he always kept turning his life to God, that God might teach him His way, so that David would walk in His truth. Hence he appeals to God’s mercy.

Some people have trouble with the God of the Old Testament. They judge Him as angry and full of wrath. And they react against that. But that is not the true picture of God. Yes we see His anger, but that is His good and proper anger against evil, and sin and the people who do it. A good God cannot nod the wink over evil. God is rightly angry with evil and sin, and as even we judge criminals, so God judges the evil and the sinful.

But as God reveals to Moses in Exodus 33 and 34, He is the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love and forgiving wickedness. David quotes this revelation of God in his prayer.

And as one who sinned with Bathsheba, even to murdering her husband, he trusts that God forgives those who do wrong who turn to Him with a humble heart. But even more than David, we know that God’s just anger against wickedness meets His merciful love at the cross of Christ, whereby the wicked who turn to Christ may be forgiven and put right by Him – the theological word for this being ‘justification’.

David knows that God is the creator, [here the NIV should refer to God’s works, rather than deeds, which comes later]. David glorifies God as creator, and sovereign of all nations. Here he foresaw God’s word through Isaiah [45:23] ‘Before me every knee will bow’. And beyond that to Christ Jesus, whom God exalted to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. [Philippians 2:9-11]

And David humbly prays to the King of all creation, asking for what, that He would mightily swat David’s enemies? No. Rather:

for God to teach David His way; and for an undivided heart so that he may walk in the truth praising God and glorifying His name for ever;

he prophetically praises God for deliverance from death, this does not refer to an event in his lifetime, such his escapes from Saul, this refers to his escape from death. David foresaw that he will be raised from the grave for life eternal with God.

Meanwhile, asking for strength to bear him up in his troubles, and again, trustingly praises God for His help and comfort – thanking Him in advance for the gift of the strength he has just prayed for.

The phrase asking God “to save the son of Your maidservant” is unexpected. Who does it remind us off? Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, through whom He became a human being and who trusted in God saying, at the annunciation, “I am the Lord’s servant.”

Indeed it seems to me that this whole psalm speaks of Christ Jesus.

He humbled Himself, becoming like us in order to save us from the arrogant and ruthless power of evil and all its consequences for us;

who trusted in His Father in the day of His troubles and was and is eternally devoted to His Father;

who is the very truth of the way of His Father;

whose life was and is dedicated to His Father’s glory;

who was banded against by arrogant and ruthless men seeking His life, men He saw were without regard for His Father;

Whose Father strength to Him, and saved the son of His maid servant, not by protecting Him from the cross but by vindicating His going to the cross by His resurrection; signs God’s great goodness, signs which may shame those whose eyes are open to see them as works of God’s mercy and love and call them into repentance;

The Father guarded Jesus’ life, saving His servant who trusted in Him.

As God saved David, as God saved Christ Jesus, the son of David, so God saves all who trust in His Son. He will lend His strength to us in our suffering for Him; and He will deliver us from evil and the depths of the grave, raising us now and forever into new life. To God the Holy Trinity’s eternal praise and glory. Amen.